Conversations with Dorri Buchholtz

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dorri Buchholtz.

Hi Dorri, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My background is in sports medicine and sports performance and I owned a business in the field for over 25 years. I had dabbled in clay on and off over the years, hand-building and throwing on the wheel, but I had never sculpted and had no formal art education. One day my wife convinced me to sign up for a sculpture class at Cherrylion Studios under the instruction of internationally known sculptor Martin Dawe. I remember the first day I walked into the studio. I was a little nervous because there were professional artists and people that had been sculpting for years. I was one of the few people that had never sculpted. I remember Marty telling me to give myself permission to just have fun and see what becomes of it. There were no rules and he gave as much or as little instruction as needed. With Marty’s guidance, I was able to learn to see things in 3D and within a fairly short period of time, things started to make sense. There was something about this freedom to create without judgment that I loved. I continued enrolling in every class available and learned from instruction, trial, error, and the experience of others. Over time I started to create pieces that would be cast in composites and bronze. I received a lot of positive feedback and was repeatedly told that I should be selling my art.

A family friend, Suzan Decker-Ross who is recognized as one of the leading interior design professionals in the country was having her 20th business anniversary party in Clearwater, Florida and invited me to be the exhibiting artist for the event. I am someone who tries to take every opportunity presented to me so I said yes. I hired a professional to create a website for me and I started a business Instagram account. The event was a great success and although I didn’t have any sales, I met a lot of wonderful contacts and received important feedback. Little did I know this invaluable experience would be the catalyst for launching my art career. Over time, I began selling my art both nationally and internationally. I still had no plans of ending my long career in sports medicine. Fast-forward to 2020. The start of the pandemic changed everything. I was faced with the question of whether my business could survive the next few years in the midst of the lockdowns and uncertainty. It was time for me to re-evaluate and make some changes. That change was to close my sports business and focus full time on my sculpting. They say what you focus on expands and indeed that is exactly what happened. It is now 2022; my work is in collections in the US and abroad, I have gallery representation, and I am exhibiting at art shows. Most notably, I am currently exhibiting my work in the “Universi Paralleli” exhibit at Galleria D’Arte Mentana in Florence, Italy, which will remain as part of their collection until September.

There is a quote that says something along the lines of “if you ever see a turtle on a fence-post, you know it didn’t get there on its own”. This is definitely the case for me as I have had a lot of help and support along the way. Marty Dawe continues to support and guide me. Susan Krause, who has been recognized as Georgia’s Art Educator of the Year, has been instrumental in my continued development. Alex Hunley and Bill Spence are invaluable in the molding/casting process and are critical to bringing my vision to life. I’m grateful for the people who have helped pushed me out of my comfort zone, those who have guided me and those who continue to help me learn and grow.

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’m not sure there is ever a smooth road to anything worthwhile. I’ve had challenges. My learning curve was about as steep as it gets. Sculpting can also be very expensive and that alone can be a real challenge. I’ve made a lot of expensive mistakes along the way.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I have always been intrigued by the body, its form and the stories it tells. The relationship between my background in sports performance and my creative process is in honoring those stories. I am drawn to the fluidity of the human body. I am particularly interested in the female form, its grace and strength as well as its emotional and physical flexibility. The body is never mute. Through posture and gesture, it sends out powerful messages of vulnerabilities, insecurities, courage and self-confidence. My work gravitates towards this communication. To be able to take something intangible and communicate it in a way that can be experienced by others is a beautiful thing.

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
People can support me by following me on Instagram and Facebook at dorrib.art.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.dorribuchholtz.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dorrib.art
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dorrib.art

Image Credits
Bhargava Chiluveru, Holland Reid Photography