Exhibit of work by Valerie D'Ortona

I was fortunate enough recently to view a exhibit of Valerie D'Ortona's work. If you through Gainesville, Florida sometime soon, drop us a line and we can give you details.









You can see more of Valerie's work in our watercolor painting section.

A little more about Valerie's lead character "Isabel"

What are some of Isabel’s fantasies?

Well, Isabel can see herself on the "Oprah" show. You know: grieving senior citizen artist/writer gives back to the community by donating a percentage of her book and art sales to important causes such as educating people about the critical nature of organ donor/transplantation registration; or reminding people to fasten their seatbelts; or establishing a scholarship program for aspiring artists or aspiring chefs who have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; or establishing guidelines for a nationwide roadside marker/memorial program. Or, who knows?

Closer to home, John Travolta owns a home just down the road from Micanopy, FL, a quaint and charming town where Isabel World’s art is on display for exhibit and sale at the Gallery Under the Oaks (a small artists’ co-op housed in a 1920-built log cabin) and Coffee ‘n Cream Café (a small gathering place for locals and tourists who are hungry for homemade chicken salad or a hunk of fudge, or just want to hear the spontaneous country jam fest out on the porch, or hear owner Cliff talk about his other profession—clowning at rodeos). Isabel imagines that one day, Mr. Travolta will roar into town on one of his motorcycles, find Isabel, sweep her off her feet, and tell all his international friends what a treasure she is. (After having written this, I learned that the Travoltas’ son recently died. I am so sorry for their loss. My heart sank to my toes as I recalled the days right after our Tony was killed.)

Picture credit: "Biker Cow Girl", 16" x 12", watercolor on paper

The creation of Isabel

In our continuing conversation with Valerie D'Ortona....

Where did Isabel's World come from?

Who can say? I’ve been prolific with my work (probably at the expense of quality control, sometimes), so I was anxious early on—probably before I should have—to show off my work in shows, exhibits, in stores, etc. I needed a name for my fledgling company. “Isabel” just kind of popped up. I have no Isabels in my family; I just liked the name. I selected “World” because I felt as if I had many stories to tell (through images as well as words). Using Isabel’s World has given me permission, so to speak, to develop whimsical animals other than “just cows.” Now Isabel (my main cow) has friends, such as Freddie the Frog, Kitty the Cat, Millie the Pig, and Hattie the Hen, among others. Last year Isabel morphed into a MOO-maid for a series of several paintings. Who knows what ‘09 will birth?


Picture credit: "Baby Bovine", 16" x 12", acrylic