The World Of Dahlov Ipcar

Assignment:

Prepare and deliver a three minute report on an Artist of your choice. Oh, yes, come dressed like her as well!

-------------------------------------------------------

2/20/01

Katie Engeman presented her oral report on Dahlov Ipcar earlier this February, at the Hollis Primary School in New Hampshire, to her third grade class, her teacher, Ms. Mara, and assembled parents. Katie also had the opportunity of presenting her report four more times at Narragansett School this past week (see attached photo of Katie in front of the Narragansett mural). Callie Gurley, the curator of the Maine Women's Writers Collection at the University of New England, which has a large collection of material relating to Dahlov had asked Katie if she could have a copy of her report...

From her Dad, Mike Engeman

Dahlov Ipcar
An Oral Report by Katie Engeman (age 9)

Hi, my name is Dahlov Ipcar, and I'm here to tell you all about my life as an artist.

 

I have been an artist my whole life. This is a picture I drew when I was only four years old of a reindeer pulling a train.

My parents Marguerite and William Zorach were artists and were very creative. They gave me a creative name, Dahlov, spelled D-A-H-L-O-V. My parents did not believe in art instruction. They encouraged me to develop my own creative art.

I was born in Windsor, Vermont, on November 12, 1917. Our family lived in Greenwich Village, New York City during the winter and Maine during the summer.

 

 

When I was growing up my mother made all my clothes and often embroidered them with beautiful flowers and designs.

This is a self portrait I made when I was 11 years old that I called "At the press."

 

I went to college for one year then dropped out. A year later, when I was 18, I married Adolph Ipcar and moved to a small dairy farm in Maine.

Most of the money I made in the beginning of my career came from illustrating children's books. The first book I illustrated was The Little Fishermen by Margret Wise Brown who also wrote Goodnight Moon. Then I started writing books myself. I wrote 30 children's books. When I write and illustrate children's books I try to do my best. By making beautiful pictures for children's books, I can help bring art to lots of children.

When I illustrated my book, The Calico Jungle, I put patterns and designs on the animals. I began using this style in my other work. I also did big murals on the walls of schools. One of my favorite murals was the Golden Savanna (see Header Pix above) which I painted on a 21 ft. by 5 and one half ft. canvas. This mural is currently hanging in the Shriner's Hospital for Crippled Children in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Even though I am 83 years old, I still love to paint. I still live in the farm house in Maine where I grew up. I have painted animals all around the house, including the bathroom. I paint animals as I see them in my mind. I almost never draw from a model. I feel that imagination is the most important thing that an artist can have.

Acknowledgments: I would like to thank the following people for providing information and pictures. Dahlov Ipcar, Robert Ipcar, and Cally Gurley of the Maine Women Writers Collection at UNE. I also got information from Dahlov Ipcar, Artist by Pat Reef and the Dahlov Ipcar website www.exitfive.com.

---------------------------------------------

Katie's written interview with Dahlov 1/09/01

1 What did you wear as a little girl Age Nine:

That would have been 1926. When I was nine I always wore a jumper with a sweater and knee socks to school. Most girls also wore a beret back then. I grew up in Greenwich Village in New York City. I loved to roller skate! I'm sending your dad a little woodcut I made of myself at the age of eleven. You can see what I was wearing. I guess printing presses have changed a lot since my time. Now you would use a computer!

2 What are you the most proud of as an artist?

I once painted a huge oil painting that was 5 1/2 feet high and 21 feet long. It showed African animals jumping against a sun filled landscape. It is called Golden Savannah, and it was originally done for the Sun Savings Bank in Lewiston. Maine. Now it resides at the Shirners Hospital For Crippled Children in Springfield Massachusetts. I have done school murals, along hallways which were longer, but this is the largest canvas I ever painted. I'm sending a picture of Savannah to your dad also.

3 Did you overcome any struggles in becoming an artist?

Becoming an artist is always a matter of struggling: you have to struggle just to get you work shown. It's also a struggle to find your own style. My advice is to try not to copy other artists; just draw or paint what you like best. That will be your style. I'm glad you like animals. Animals are a great subjects to draw and paint

.... Dahlov