If you’ve ever seen a piece of dot-studded art and been blown away by its intricate beauty, artist Lorraine Mara wants you to know that dot art—the repeated imprinting of dots of different sizes and colors on a surface—is a lot easier than it looks. “Anyone can learn to do it,” insists the Town of Day resident.  “All it takes is patience, practice, paints of the right consistency, and the right tools.”   

As a child, Lorraine Mara enjoyed doing all kinds of arts and crafts. But over time, creative hobbies were swept aside as she focused on college, employment, and marriage. 

“Occasionally, I might make a few Christmas gifts,” she muses, “but I was busy with work and other activities, so creative interests fell to the wayside. In the back of my mind, though, I always planned to take an art course or do something artistic ‘one of these days.’” 

For the past 17 years, Mara has been a Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker with Berkshire Hathaway. But a few years ago, when her husband, Joe, retired, she suddenly found herself with a little more free time. And shortly thereafter, when COVID hit and the world ground to a halt, Mara found herself with even more time to rekindle the artistic endeavors she’d enjoyed in her youth.

“First, I signed up for a ZOOM Intro to Drawing art course through SUNY Adirondack,” she explains. “It was great! I just sat at my kitchen table with my charcoal and drawing pad and interacted with my teacher and fellow students. Then, in the fall of 2020, I read that a wood-burning course, Intro to Pyrography, was being offered at The Adirondack Folk School in Lake Luzerne. I’d always been interested in the school’s many courses, and since I lived nearby and other things in my life were temporarily on hold, I decided to sign up.”  

Mara not only enjoyed wood-burning but excelled at it—so much so that she is currently scheduled to teach Intro to Pyrography classes in The Adirondack Folk School’s spring, summer, and fall 2024 line-up!

Around the same time she discovered wood-burning, Mara became intrigued when a Florida friend posted an eye-catching rock painting of a seahorse, comprised of dozens of colorful dots. After researching the art form, called dot art or dotting, and watching a number of YouTube videos, Mara decided to give it a try.

“I went to the Dollar Store and bought a set of five colors of the worst quality paints ever,” she laughs. “Then, I grabbed a plastic-coated paper plate, scoured my house for anything that could be used to produce a small dot, like the eraser on a pencil or a nail head, and got to work.”

Quickly hooked on dotting, Mara joined several Facebook groups, watched even more videos, visited Michaels Craft Stores, and invested in some dowel-like tools and higher-end paints. 

“When doing dot art, you have to sit very still and be willing to do precise, repetitive work,” Mara says. “Personally, I don’t find it tedious at all, but it has been quite a change for me. I used to be more active with my dog, hiking, and kayaking, but now I sit very still for long periods. As you’re doing it, you must keep focused on your canvas or the dots will be misplaced or misshaped. Although I can listen to music or an audio book, I can’t engage in conversation or watch TV. In that respect, it’s nothing like needlepoint or knitting.”

When working on a piece, the artist enjoys “the freedom of flow. I really don’t know where I’m going when I start out. I just sit down and begin at the center, add row after row of dots and swooshes, and gradually, as I add top dots—smaller dots set on top of larger ones—each layer becomes prettier and more complex.”  

Today, Lorraine Mara creates dot art on a variety of canvases, including pendants, keychains, wine stoppers, bookmarks, badge reels, journal covers, CDs, vintage 78 records, sawblades, and wooden chests. Some items incorporate nature or holiday-inspired subjects into the design to reflect the artist’s surroundings and interests. “Most of what I do is small, to keep things affordable,” she says. “My largest item to date is a 14” circle I created for my dog’s toy box.” 

The artist enjoys upcycling, making something of higher value from a discarded item. When Mara put the word out that she needed old sawblades, she quickly found herself inundated. “The Adirondacks are full of trees and loggers and carpenters,” she grins, “and I have more sawblades now than I could ever use.” 

Dotting is a solitary endeavor, which Mara doesn’t mind at all. But she’d love to hear from other local people doing the art form. “I enjoy the stimulation and interaction with people in my job as a Realtor.

But doing dotting or wood-burning is very different in that each project is 100% under my control. Creating something of my own, from start to finish, is very satisfying.” 

Historically, today’s dot art is inspired by Australian Aboriginal body art, the symmetrical geometric designs seen in mandalas (circular spiritual and ritual symbols commonly found in Asian cultures), and Pointillism, the late 19th century art movement begun by George Seurat and his student, Paul Signac. 

When asked if there’s a steep learning curve, Mara replies, “Dotting is very easy to start, but it’s harder to get to that level of precision where every dot is perfectly shaped and perfectly spaced on the canvas. The spacing can be tricky. But the more you do it, the better you become.” She encourages anyone interested in dot art to check out YouTube’s many tutorial videos. From beginner to advanced, there’s a wealth of information out there to help you get started.

Lorraine Mara finds inspiration and joy in dot art and wood-burning. They’re not big money-makers, she admits, but that’s not what drives her to create, anyway. “The way I look at it, if my hobby were downhill skiing or golfing, I’d be spending a lot of money to do something I enjoy. But with my art, I’m doing something I love while covering my expenses and making a little extra pocket money. It’s a very rewarding combination.” 

To see the artist’s stunning dot art and wood-burning creations, visit The Flower Barn & Gift Shop in Northville, The Adirondack Folk School Gift Shop in Lake Luzerne, or The Adirondack Buffalo Company in North Hudson. To learn more, email lorrainemara123@gmail.com or phone 518-273-4216.