LYDIA DARDI

Originally from Montreal, Canada, I live in Palm Beach Gardens but spend my Summers in Camden, Maine. For 13+ years I was a Graphic Designer for The PGA of America and from 2008 until 2015 I ran my own Art and Antique Gallery in West Palm Beach, Florida.

 

I’ve always been artistic and drawn to the visual arts but never pursued Fine Art seriously on my own. Then one day in 2016, I took an online drawing course in color pencil and immediately took to the medium. I enjoy the control I have with color pencil, which allows me to achieve the level of realism I aim for. Being a very time consuming medium, however, I began to explore pastels, which are considered to be both a drawing and a painting medium. I fell in love with the sensuousness of the medium and greatly appreciated the speed and spontaneity with which I could work. I now primarily work in pastel but still occasionally enjoy my colored pencils.

My favorite subjects to paint in Florida are the wildlife and wetland preserves of our beautiful Everglades National Park.