I’m a self-taught artist born in Atlanta with a BFA in Studio Art. I’ll explain. In 1984 I went to a small college in north Georgia where I spent 2 years drinking and trying to figure out girls. I left having failed almost every class and all I learned was how to drink. I spent the next 21 years teaching myself to paint, doing commission pieces, showing my paintings in galleries, libraries and restaurants. In 2005 I returned to that same college with one goal, teach my 4 children in importance of further education. Plenty of drinking and as the girls were all young enough to be my daughter I didn’t bother with trying to figure them out. Having been a professional artist for 20 years at that point I spent the next 4 years honing my skills and mentoring some of my fellow students. This time around I did far better in my mundane classes (history, comp., French, math) and even landed on the Dean’s list a few times. In 2011 while teaching painting and drawing classes at Lona Gallery I met the lady who would set me on the path which allowed me to become self-employed depending only on my art to pay for my life. She did this with a simple question “Dimitri why don’t you do any ‘fan-art’? To which I said “what’s fan-art?” So she explained and I made efforts. 2 years later and I was paying for my life with my paintings. I am now based in Nashville and still paying for my life with my paintings. And as I do every chance I get, Thank You Meg Earhart.
