Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristen Dorsey.
Hi Kristen, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Hi! I’m Kristen Dorsey, and I’ve spent most of my career working in graphic design, computer animation, and digital media. I served a tour of duty in the USMC as a graphic designer and then spent an additional ten years in the Department of Defense at the Pentagon, working for the DIA, and later as a contractor for the CIA. In between earning the electric bill, I painted. I dabbled in oils, acrylics, and color pencil, but I always drifted back to my favorite medium, watercolor.
In 1998, I met my soulmate, Tim, and I placed my art on hold. We had a dream. We made a pact to work hard, retire early, and buy a piece of land on the water to enjoy in our old age. Sadly, that never happened. In 2012, my husband died from health complications of opioid addiction, but opioids stole his soul and shattered our lives many years before his death.
Tim was a contractor, and together we built a thriving contracting business in Martinsburg, West Virginia, one of the initial rural, blue-collar areas targeted by opioid manufacturer Purdue Pharma. Tim came home in 2002 with a fat, amber bottle of OxyContin following a back injury.
It took barely two years to get from prescription OxyContin to full-blown heroin addiction. In 2004, on our wedding anniversary, my sick, addicted husband slid his gold wedding band from his finger. “I can’t do this,” he said, pressing the ring into my palm. It took many years for me to understand that this was his final act of love—and a warning of things to come: grief, shame, violence, legal battles, terror, lies, abandonment, and a mountain of debt. My life became unrecognizable. It reeked of a made-for-TV drama.
Tim’s addiction left me with nothing but a crushed heart, a quarter-million dollars in business and medical debt, my Jeep, and a farmhouse on three rocky acres nestled at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains of West Virginia.
I found myself in an unexpected place: 41, single, dirt poor, struggling, and eventually full of gratitude. Alone on the farm for ten years, I learned how to repair a lawnmower, patch a roof, raise animals and honey bees, and make medicine from Appalachian plants. I knelt, pushed tiny seeds into the dirt, and learned to feed myself. I noticed the phases of the moon and how my body cycled with it each month. I sat under the starlight and listened to owls call across the fields. Ultimately, that rocky landscape taught me that I am just another large mammal feeding on the bounty of the earth.
And I returned to painting, promising myself I’d never let life circumstances separate me again from the core of my bony structure—an artist.
I set up a studio in a small room on the second floor of the old farmhouse, shaded by maples and overlooking the rocky little farm. And I painted. My subjects shifted — I found deep joy in painting images of the natural world around me. I also began making 3D assemblages from natural objects I found while hiking the Blue Ridge Mountains — pieces that endeavor to give nature a face. Nature helped me heal from the loss of my husband and the life I expected, and gave me a new one.
I relocated to Leland, NC, in 2017. I enrolled in UNCW’s Creative Writing Program, got my Master’s Degree in nonfiction writing, and wrote a book about surviving a loved one’s addiction, something too many Americans are experiencing. I’m seeking representation for the book, and if it helps one person, the struggle was worth it.
Meanwhile, I’ve joined the Wilmington area’s thriving and uber-talented community of creatives. I exhibit in two local galleries, the Artisans Gallery in Southport, and the Sunset River Gallery in Calabash, and enter many local art shows each year. In December, I will have my first solo art exhibit, titled “Reverence,” at the Leland Cultural Arts Center, which will feature both my 2D and 3D art, and I am truly excited!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I worked multiple jobs for almost a decade to pay off the debt of my husband’s failed business and medical bills, and it was so hard to find the time and energy to create. And, I needed to heal myself, too, from the trauma of his addiction and subseqent death. Art and nature are both powerful healers, and slowly I found the way back to myself. I wandered the West Virginia mountains with my little Terrier, Aengus McKee, taking pictures that became material for my artwork.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Creating images of the natural world is my prayer and meditation. I paint watercolor images of plants and animals on cotton paper and canvas, and create 3D assemblages from objects I find while hiking and kayaking. My art often looks back at the viewer, reminding us that we share this gorgeous, abundant planet with many other species. I make art to express my reverence for our Earth home. In this way, I do my small part to encourage the protection of our precious planet.
I also teach classes on digital media, creative writing, and watercolor painting through various organizations. I’m proud to be a veteran Teaching Artist for the Veterans Creative Arts Program (VCAP). The VCAP offers free classes for veterans, military, first responders, and their adult family members.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Nature is my mentor! I get outside as often as I can to unwind and rewild. I also love lifting up other creatives, especially women artists, by promoting them on my digital media platforms and attending their shows, events, and openings. Finding a foothold as a creative can be challenging, and standing together in community makes the process gentler.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://KristenDorseyArtist.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristendorseyartist
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristendorseyartist/
