Today we’d like to introduce you to Dawn Zintel.
Hi Dawn, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I grew up on a dairy farm in Quebec, Canada and doing something artistic was always an important pastime in my youth. I was fortunate that I had an accomplished art instructor in elementary and high school, as well as college. Having moved to California in the late 70s, I started a training and development business for Fortune 100 and start-up companies and we worked around the world.
In 2004, after partially retiring, we moved to a small ‘arty’ island off Vancouver Island in British Columbia. At that time, I was using only watercolor paints. Soon, I was re-introduced to oil paints which I had used in high school. While living on the island, I painted the constantly restless ocean, the bald eagles which were a common sight, our explorable beaches, the mountains across on the mainland and my gardens filled with brilliant color.
In 2017, upon full retirement, we moved permanently to Prescott, AZ. The Central Highlands landscape surrounding Prescott is a feast for the eyes. Each season has its own distinct variation. Cougar, coyotes, bears, deer and javelinas roam through our neighborhood while hawks and eagles soar overhead. I love to create impressionistic interpretations of my everyday life and surroundings.
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 worked for 46 years, most of the time running my own business so there was little time for art. I did take some hand-build pottery classes, as well as stained glass and enjoyed those crafts. Then, I decided to teach myself how to paint with watercolors. I took some classes at UC Santa Cruz and began to paint in a photorealistic style. These watercolors took a great deal of time to complete. The challenge was always having to put my job first so I was not too productive in terms of turning out a lot of paintings. Even after retiring, my art always came second to volunteering on the Board of Directors for art guilds and symphonic music organizations.
As you know, we’re big fans of The Training Alliance, Inc.. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I am now retired but for 28 years I ran a business developing and teaching training programs for Fortune 100 and start-up companies in many countries. We were known for our creative design of these programs using board games as a learning format. In one company, we trained over 25,000 resellers during a 16 year period. So, while I was not creating art, I found another way to create in the business world.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
I grew up in a very beautiful part of Quebec with four distinct seasons. We were surrounded by rolling hills and our farm overlooked a fast-moving river. When I was 14, I bought an inexpensive little set of oil paints, a couple of brushes and a canvas or two. It was then that I began to paint landscapes of my surroundings.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dawnzintel.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dawn.goodfellowzintel.9
