Dora Sislian Themelis earned her B.F.A. in Oil Painting and Education at C.W. Post/Long Island University in Greenlawn, NY. She worked at various commercial art studios in N.Y.C. and Long Island in paste-up, mechanicals, and layout design, while continuing to pursue various fine art media.
Although oil painting is the preferred medium, proper ventilation was a concern which lead to work in pastels, pen and ink, and watercolor. The influence of her ethnic heritage plays a large role in Dora’s artwork as she explores strong vibrant colors against wide contrasts in shapes, with deep darks and bright light reminiscent of the Greek landscape, or the colors of handwoven Armenian rugs. Still life objects, nature, the landscape, and figures feature in much of the work, using unexpected color in interesting places as shadow or highlights.
Along with a busy creative schedule, Dora maintains an active online presence in many areas of social media. She participates in various public events showcasing artwork and handcrafts, and has gained some loyal collectors.
Dora lives and paints in Garden City, NY.