HEART OF THE SPLATTER
Dizzy’s Art Studio offers paintings for sale as well as classes
Messy kitchen inspires Glace Bay woman to open Dizzy’s Art Studio.
Dawn MacDonald’s painting and art supplies took over her kitchen until one day her husband said “get a room” — so she did.
MacDonald has opened Dizzy’s Art Studio at 588 Main St., Glace Bay that she describes as “a space to create.”
She has a gallery of more than 50 pieces of her work on display and for sale and has also opened the doors to the public.
“I hold art classes four times a week,” she said. “I’ve had them in as young as four years old and as old as 92.”
“The 92-year-old was my grandmother Ann Johnston but she still painted and she did beautifully.”
MacDonald said painting was her hobby however her husband Rodney Blanchard was tired of having her paint all over the kitchen.
“It’d be all over my tables, floors and walls,” she said.
He suggested she rent a space to get the art supplies out of the house.
MacDonald’s friend Collette Anderson had recently purchased a building on Main Street and opened Collin’s Candy & Celebrations and she knew there was space for rent; but she wondered how she would pay the rent and decided on paint nights.
“It’s about having fun, being creative and just giving it a try.”
MacDonald, a recreation therapist, is a therapeutic recreation
“I hold art classes four times a week. I’ve had them in as young as four years old and as old as 92.”
Dawn MacDonald
instructor at the Nova Scotia Community College.
She said they moved home to Glace Bay in 2010 after living in Halifax for 15 years.
In Halifax she painted a few things.
“I like colour in my life and I could never find any colourful paintings. My husband said, ‘Just paint something.’ So I did.”
However she doesn’t describe herself as an artist.
“I’m just a good ol’ girl who likes to put colour on canvas.”
She said a recreational therapist does activity analyst, which means to break an activity down to its core components to make it more accessible for
everyone.
“That’s how I look at a painting,” she said. “I break it down into its basic components so anyone can paint.”
She said her classes include painting step-by-step but some people do veer off and do their own thing.
The studio is named Dizzy’s which is her husband’s nickname for her, but she signs her own paintings Mary, her middle name is Mary Louise and sometimes family call her Mary.
In a few months MacDonald plans on renting more space in the building and expanding the business.
She recently purchased a kiln and 700 moulds and plans to offer ceramic classes.
She has never done ceramics herself but said she’ll be ready when the time comes.
“You can learn almost anything off YouTube plus my parents have friends who had their own ceramics shop back in the
day. They are going to help me out when it gets to that point.”