All artists owe elements of their technique and style to lessons they have drawn upon through the experience and artistic work of others. Dorothy is no exception, believing that artists must be lifelong students of art, constantly learning and changing, even unconsciously, if they are to fulfil their own potential. Dorothy clearly learnt from the past Masters, often pointing to the work of Giotto, Van Gogh and Cezanne as most inspirational, but also drew on her own experience and personality to craft work that was truly her own and which can also be learnt from. To aid us in this process, we are greatly helped by notes that Dorothy herself prepared for a public lecture on painting. For one who preferred to shy away from public acclaim, the fact that Dorothy even prepared and delivered a public lecture may seem surprising and, indeed, she began her discourse by explaining that she had been persuaded to talk since the topic was to be “the baffling subject of painting, which is bigger than us all”.

Dorothy considered art in its truest form to be unobtainable, but that the artist was to strive continually towards it, drawing closer in moments of clarity. It is this sense of progress which excites the artist and propels her into filling canvas upon canvas in an ever deeper search for truth. Truth may take many visible forms, from pure abstraction to faithful realism, but Dorothy claimed that it is based on the expression of emotion through the use of line, mass, tone, colour and texture. Consequently, it is emotion itself which must be the strongest element, not just in a painting but throughout the process of its creation.

Since emotion is personal, style too is personal and a reflection of an artist’s self. An artist must not, therefore, seek to simply emulate the work of others, since this prohibits the self-expression of emotion and truth. The strongest painting is a painting that is the artist’s own, that reflects their emotions, their personality and their self-belief. Such painting is also the most original. Dorothy herself made a point of noting the words of another type of artist, the classical pianist Arthur Rubinstein who, interviewed when he himself had reached the age of ninety, said that “it is not original to consciously try to cause sensation and to distort. Originality is to truly find one’s self and to express personal feelings with great sincerity. To seek out one’s self and to let that be the driving force getting stronger and stronger until it reaches greatness”. This personal quality of art precludes the possibility of competition in art, since all true artists are simply giving of themselves, being truly original and honest, without concern for style and technique.

Dorothy pointed to Van Gogh’s work as possessing this fundamental and profound sincerity. Not all can relate to his work, but such was his ability to communicate his very self, that his love and compassion for his fellow beings is evident even when he painted no figures on his canvases. In other words, it was his inner emotion that drove his style and technique, just as it drove primitive cave painters and modern masters, such as Cezanne. Their work may use everyday scenes and subject matter, but the essence of their work lies deeper; it has an abstract and emotive heart. It is this timeless expression of rich emotion that can reach all, regardless of an individual’s level of education to understand art. It is this ability to communicate which Dorothy believed “to be the ultimate requirement of painting”. Painters can be seen as instruments of communication of an intimate window on the mystery, beauty, pathos and drama of life.

Should, then, art always be beneficial? Dorothy herself saw art as a bridge from the creative emotion of the artist to the responsive emotion of those viewing it. She said, “I am convinced that painting is not intended to be a selfish thing”, but when a painter is consumed by thoughts that “are unseemly, depressing, cynical or worse” then it would be better for all if these were not expressed and made visible to all. Dorothy believed that such art was inherently selfish, serving only to massage the ego of the artist, but she recognised that this was a matter of personal opinion, stating “I can feel thin ice beneath my feet so we’ll move on rapidly”.

If, therefore, art is designed to be beneficial, then it becomes necessary to identify the nature of those benefits. Here, Dorothy, provided her own list of an artist’s responsibilities, saying that “Our role is surely

To give a lift of spirit – not a lift to self esteem

To compel thought – not to seek personal gain

To stir compassion – not self satisfaction

To enrich perceptiveness – rather than flaunt technical skill”

It is notable that this suggests that an artist’s technical skill is hardly important, but while Dorothy believed there to be clearly more important aspects to art, she did not consider artistic ability itself to be of minimal importance. Indeed, she claimed that “it takes years of study to be in a position to forget it all” or, in other words, it takes real ability to be able to put technical concerns to one side and focus instead of simply communicating through the chosen medium. Dorothy concluded that “when we reach that point we will be really ready to paint, I feel sure”.