Kathi Dugan

The inspiration for this original painting of "The Nutcracker" came during the years I took my small granddaughter for dance lessons within the wonderful "Dance Workshop of Hanover", owned and managed by the warm, loving and technically correct Ms. Mary Lou Cunningham. Every year the company directed and performed their own magical version of "The Nutcracker", complete with full backdrops and props, unique costumes and fabulous dancing. In order to capture their distinct presentation on canvas I ran a a video tape from an earlier year through my VHS system, stopping the tape at various segments to photo choice scenes on my camera. The photos were a bit grainy and dark and yet they gave me enough information to recreate highlights of the performances on each Christmas Ball and ornament. The cover of the program book always featured one of their own dancers performing in her role of "Clara". The model, center painting, was taken from one such cover. My own granddaughter is featured in the upper left hand corner as a "mouse" and on the ornament in the lower right, as a "Polichinelle".
We all expected that my granddaughter would grow up and graduate from High School within the Dance Workshop of Hanover and try out for the part of Clara and the Sugar Plum Fairy in the coming respective years. Alas, it was not to be. It was with tears that we said goodbye to Ms. MaryLou and to Dance Workshop.
The original painting was gifted to Ms. Mary Lou Cunningham as a thank you for the many kindnesses she bestowed upon my family and myself, during the period in which my granddaughter had danced with them.
Acrylic on canvas
Do you have a special moment that you would like transformed from photo to canvas? Please see the "Prices/Information" page and feel free to contact the artist. Kathi Dugan is happy to accept commissions.