About the Artist: Karen Dillingham

As soon as I was old enough to hold a pencil, I started drawing. I remember my mom, an amazing southwest artist, would draw paper dolls with beautiful dresses for me and my little sister to cut out. When I was 12 or 13, my best friend and I would sit on the floor of her bedroom for hours on end and draw pictures of cute guys, unicorns, and witchy women. When we were in high school, we would frequently head over to 4th Avenue to pick up crystals and plaster-craft figurines to paint. I still have my Merlin statue that I painted when I was fifteen. It never entered my head that I would be anything but an artist when I grew up.

After high school, and after waiting tables for a while, it seemed like a good idea to go to college. I didn't want to be a secretary or a nurse or anything else that wasn't considered “artistic.” My father thought art school was a waste of time so, instead of the University of Arizona, I enrolled in the Arizona Academy of Beauty for a career in Cosmetology. I had the best time in beauty school and made some long-lasting friendships. A little while later, I married and had two beautiful sons.

Several years after that I found myself a single parent with two small children. As a hairdresser, you pretty much have to work nights and weekends. The salons that I worked at offered health insurance but at a very high price. As much as I loved doing hair, I knew I needed to re-think my career. My kids were in school now and I wanted to spend my weekends doing fun stuff with them, not working all day. I was tired too. I'd worked on my feet for more than 10 years.

After talking to my mom about it, she suggested that I take a civil service test. I signed up to take one that very next week. So began my career in County Government. I never gave up my art though. I continued to paint and draw and even win ribbons at the County Fair. I never stopped believing that I could someday have a career in art.

That day began when I painted my first Jeannie bottle. What a disaster it was. I had no idea what I was doing but I kept at it because I was thoroughly enjoying myself. Later, I started the Enchanted Lamp web site to show off my art and my Jeannie bottles. It's been such an amazing experience and I've met so many lovely people in the Jeannie community. We all share that common bond: a love of “Bewitched” and “I Dream of Jeannie.”

To have found the artist inside of me once again is a gift that I truly cherish.

For questions or comments, contact Enchanted Lamp at:
info@enchantedlamp.com

Copyright © Enchanted Lamp All Rights Reserved.