CONTRIBUTED PHOTO — Dennis DuBois is initially from Marshalltown however now resides in Manassas, Va. Whereas he obtained an Honorable Point out within the Washington Put up photograph contest, DuBois stresses that images is barely step one in creating his work. He considers himself a painter, not a photographer.
For some, artwork is a lifelong pursuit. For others, like Dennis DuBois, it’s a ardour ignited at a later date.
DuBois, who’s initially from Marshalltown and graduated from MHS in 1966, has achieved many various issues in his life, from instructing, to being a captain within the U.S. Navy, to being a protection contractor, however someway, he by no means imagined himself as an artist. That’s, till he started planning for retirement in 2014. DuBois, now residing in Manassas, Va., realized that he wasn’t positive what he could be doing together with his free time.
“As my retirement got here up, I spotted that I didn’t have any hobbies. So I went all the way down to our native artwork middle and simply, on a whim, took some introductory artwork courses, and occurred to attach with a girl who gave portray classes,” DuBois mentioned.
After about 5 years of portray classes, DuBois struck out on his personal and he mentioned oil portray has since turn into his obsession. At any given time, Dubois mentioned he has about 4 or 5 work in progress, and his works have been featured in lots of native and regional contests. He additionally has them hanging in collections throughout eight totally different states.
As DuBois realized the way to paint, he additionally picked up different inventive abilities, like images. DuBois usually captures scenes with a digital camera in order that he can later use these pictures as references for work. He considers images a instrument, a primary step in the direction of finishing an oil portray.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO —Marshalltown native Dennis DuBois took this photograph within the Alfama District of Lisbon, Portugal, this summer season. He submitted it to the Washington Put up 2022 Journey Picture Contest and was one of many 10 Honorable Mentions. There have been three winners and almost 1,100 artists submitted pictures.
“After I use a digital camera to take an image of a scene, or an individual, a determine, or no matter, I’m attempting to compose that within the viewfinder near the way in which that I need to paint it. So composing an image in a viewfinder and composing a portray on canvas, one simply flows from the opposite,” DuBois mentioned.
Whereas he considers himself before everything a painter, after capturing a photograph within the Alfama District of Lisbon, Portugal final summer season, DuBois determined to attempt his luck with the Washington Put up 2022 Journey Picture Contest.
The photograph, captured on a Nikon Coolpix digital camera, contains a worn blue door set towards a rocky wall, and this photograph earned an honorable point out within the photograph contest. Practically 1,100 artists submitted pictures for consideration, and from these artists there have been three winners and 10 honorable mentions.
“I had this stunning {photograph}, and I noticed within the Put up that they had been having this contest, so I believed ‘Effectively, there’s nothing to lose there,’ so I submitted it. I shocked myself,” DuBois mentioned. “To be amongst ten honorable mentions out of 1,100 is fairly thrilling.”
Although images will get the ball rolling, DuBois’s favourite a part of the artistic course of is portray itself, and having the ability to use the strategies he learns to create a chunk of artwork.
He significantly enjoys portray folks and figures, the folks handed by with out a second look. A troubadour in a café, a lonely fisherman, a silent beggar and lots of others have all been featured in his work, and the sentiments they evoke are what make these topics particular to DuBois.
“It’s emotion. I cease and I attempt to speak with these folks. I don’t simply take their image and stroll off. So, I speak with them. Typically, that’s actually what they need. They only need somebody to speak with, somebody to take discover of them,” he mentioned.
DuBois mentioned he by no means imagined he could be pursuing artwork in his retirement after being within the Navy after which working as a protection contractor since 2000, however it was a welcome change.
“A part of what made that call straightforward was that I needed to do one thing that was as remotely totally different from what I had been doing for 40 years, and, you understand, paint and artwork is a complete lot totally different than doing Navy intelligence or intelligence associated work,” DuBois mentioned.
Whereas artwork is his private ardour, DuBois additionally does commissions, and samples of his work could be discovered at https://www.dennisduboisart.com/.
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Contact Susanna Meyerat 641-753-6611 ext.
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- CONTRIBUTED PHOTO — Dennis DuBois is initially from Marshalltown however now resides in Manassas, Va. Whereas he obtained an Honorable Point out within the Washington Put up photograph contest, DuBois stresses that images is barely step one in creating his work. He considers himself a painter, not a photographer.
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- CONTRIBUTED PHOTO —Marshalltown native Dennis DuBois took this photograph within the Alfama District of Lisbon, Portugal, this summer season. He submitted it to the Washington Put up 2022 Journey Picture Contest and was one of many 10 Honorable Mentions. There have been three winners and almost 1,100 artists submitted pictures.