Crystal (Shenk) Dull - Artist / Illustrator/ Instructor
In 1986, I started my art business as a Junior in High School. My senior high school year, I took advanced placement art and earned credits for college from Princeton University's portfolio review. Then I attended Millersville University in PA and graduated Magna cum laude, with a Bachelor of Arts focused in illustration and commercial art. I have a minor in English (journalism, creative writing) and an unoffical minor in Industrial Technology (drafting, technical illustration, printing). I named my studio "Crystal Reflections" because my art is a reflection of myself.
My main focus is illustration work. I also create many custom art portraits of homes, people, pets, favorite landscapes, college campus landscapes, vehicles, wedding couples, etc. mostly as gifts that people order. I create fine art, teach art and offer portrait photography. My home studio is located in a former 1881 schoolhouse, in Rothsville, near Lititz, Pennsylvania, USA. (That is north of Lancaster, PA.)
I prefer to work in watercolor, ink, pencil, acrylic, colored pencil, charcoal/white pencil, mixed media, digital art and photography, but I can work in some other mediums. I illustrate for publication, children's books, advertisements for private and commercial clients. I enjoy doing the research required for some of my illustration work. My work can be found at my studio gallery, outdoor art shows and local art galleries.
Even as a child, I enjoyed drawing & painting. I come from a family of artists and inventors, (My Mother was an oil painter & writer, my Sister enjoys painting, jewelry & clay. My Father & my Brother are the inventor types.) I am married with two daughters who enjoy creating art and jewlery. My husband also enjoys photography . My hobbies include art, crafts, photography, hiking, traveling, going to see the arts: theater, art galleries, dance performances, poetry readings, and music concerts. The Arts are essential in any society to showcase important issues, ideas, feelings, beauty, new ideas and so much more!
I have found that to be an independent artist/freelancer and own your own business, you have to work extremely hard and love what you do more than a steady income. Shop small, shop local. In the past, I have worked part time to supplement by income, as a freelance dancewear designer and as a freelance consultant working in marketing & advertising. Now, I devote all my time to my art business. In 2010, I started teaching art at my studio and other venues.
Call and visit my studio & gallery by appt. or check out my art at the Artisan Mill Co., Lititz PA 17543.
RESUME'
Memberships
Pennsylvania Watercolor Society
Lancaster County Art Association
Lititz Art Association
HONORS, AWARDS
High School
National Honor Society
Millersville Women's Club Scholarship
Scholastic Art God Key Awards - art & photography
Art in Penn Manor High School Art Collection
First place, Sell Sheet Advertising Competition
First place, V.F.W. "Voice of Democracy" Essay contest
Second place, N.O.W. "Women in History" Essay contest
Traveling youth public speaking team
Millersville University
Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society
MU Fanani Humanities Award (Art/English)
2 Co-ops at Color Image Products (dry transfers/product mock ups) in Lancaster as a Commercial Artist
Freelance work for Ampersand Design, advertising agency, Lancaster, PA
MU English Dept. student secretary for 2 years
Art Computer lab consultant
Trained new computer art professor on additional types of computers, Animation and 3-D
Demuth Gallery, Lancaster, group watercolor show
Tremellon Gallery, Lancaster, juried photo exhibit for MU/PSA&D schools
Other Honors & Awards
2024 LCAA Ann T. Fields Award for Excellence in Watercolor, $100
2016 celebrated 30 years in business
2011 LCAA National Juried Exhibition, Strasburg, PA
2011 Juried show at Millersville University, PA
2011 Juried show at Heart of Lancaster, Roots Market, Manheim, PA
Collections
Landis Homes, numerous paintings in collection, and 2 commissioned works
(Lititz Train Station, Historic Farmhouse in Manheim), prayer flower painting in meditation room.
Penn Manor, San Fransico children's book painting.
Sally Levit, Poet, Custom illustrations for her poems.
And others
SELECTED MOST CURRENT EXHIBITIONS
Contact me for full list (1986-Present)
2024
Landis Homes, Lititz, PA from May-June
Lititz Art Show, Lititz Springs Park, PA
2023
Lititz Art Show, Lititz Spring Park, PA
2022
Lititz Art Show, Lititz Springs Park, PA
LAA Holiday Show, Nov., Lititz Church of the Brethren
2021
Director of the Northern Lancaster County Art Studios Tour,
April, 11 galleries/studios in Lititz/Manheim PA
Lititz Art Show, July, Lititz Springs Park, PA
LAA Holiday Show, Nov., Lititz Church of the Brethren
2020
2019
Lititz Art Show, Lititz Springs Park in PA
2018
Lititz Art Show, Lititz Springs Park in PA
2017
Landis Homes, Lititz, PA
Lititz Art Association Show, Lititz, PA
2016
Lititz Art Show, Lititz Springs Park in PA
Ephrata Art & Craft Festival in PA
Moravian Manor, Lititz, PA
2015
Lititz Art Show, Lititz Springs Park in PA
Squeeze Spot Gallery, Ephrata, PA
Eicher Art Center, group show by Northern Lancaster County Artists, Ephrata, PA
2014
LCAA Downtown, Orange Street, Lancaster PA
Lititz Outdoor Art Show, Lititz Springs Park in PA
Moravian Manor, Lititz, PA
2013
LCAA Downtown, Orange Street, Lancaster PA
The Framing Concept and D & J Scott Galleries in Lancaster PA
Lancaster Library & Manheim Township Library in PA
Moravian Manor in Lititz PA
Zion Home in Lititz PA
OTHER WORK
Independent Marketing & Product Consultant, Dancewear Designer working from my home office in PA
January 2008 - March 2010 Client: Wolf-Fording/Main Street Dancewear in Richmond, VA (Manufacture of fabrics & dancewear)
October 2001 - January 2007 Client: Dance Distributors in Harrisburg, PA (Warehouse/catalog sales)
Various other marketing sales positions.
1986-2007 Dance leader, instructor & choreographer
1992-2007 Founder & Director of the Dance & Devotion Network (Area: South Eastern PA)
Ask for my full resume' for the rest. Or see my Linkedin page at Crystal (Shenk) Dull.