Meet Mariann Taigman | Dot Painter and Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mariann Taigman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mariann, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I have loved creating art ever since I was a young lass and over the years, my passion and love for creating art has only grown stronger. I am also an avid photographer which is my second passion in life. After I retired from my career as a school-based registered occupational therapist (OTR), I decided to combine my two passions of art and photography to create my new business, Present Moments Art, LLC. I have given away many art pieces and photos over the years to friends and decided it would be fun and possibly financially rewarding to start my own business. I had a website designed, presentmomentsart.com, and began selling on my Facebook page. I have a Facebook business page as well as a personal page. I did my first outdoor fair in December (yes it was cold but fun! 🙂 and hope to do more this spring.

My husband Ken and I had our own business 20 years ago, making Indian Artifact reproductions (we sold both retail and wholesale) so I understood the basics of running a small craft business which helped. Things have changed a great deal over the years, but having had my own business before gave me the courage to start Present Moments Art. I had been thinking about the idea of starting my own business for a couple of years when I finally took the plunge at the end of 2023. I don’t think my husband thought I was serious until he started seeing me order business cards and having a website made :-).

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Dot painting is similar to pointillism which is defined as, “A technique of painting in which small, distinct dots of color are applied in patterns to form an image.” Dot painting to me is like pointillism, but it’s pointillism on steroids :-). You can use any kind of object that makes a perfectly round dot when dipped in paint, for a dotting tool (i.e. the end of a drill bit, a pencil eraser, different sized dowels, etc.); however there are actual dotting tools that most dot artists use. The tools are graduated in size from large to small and many dot artists also use fine tipped paint brushes to create swooshes, along with other various tools when dotting. The variety of canvases used for dotting are amazing! I have seen dotting on paint canvases, wooden items, metal items, acrylic objects, guitars, surfboards, leather items, clothing etc. Dot artists are fond of scouring thrift stores to find interesting objects to use as their canvases. The dotting artist’s motto is that if it’s not nailed down, you can probably dot on it :-).

I prefer to dot on round objects that are made out of wood, ceramic, metal, leather and acrylic materials. I love painting on rocks as they are so organic and I feel closest to the earth when I paint on them. I also enjoy painting on wood and the whole process from sanding the pieces to dotting them is meditative: round pieces to hang on the wall; bookmarks, laser cutouts of animals shapes; and trinket boxes. Three demensional ceramic pieces are really fun to dot on as well and dotting ceramic turtles is one of my favorites. I also dot on leather journals, metal cutout pieces in the shapes of animals and acrylic Christmas ornaments. Many dot artists get creative with dotting designs that are not in a round shape and that make actual pictures of things like pointillism. My favorite design that I use when dot painting is the mandala. A mandala is defined as a “geometric figure, generally round, representing the universe in Hindu and Buddhist symbolism; they are among the most profound and sacred symbols used in spiritual practice”. I love the mandala design as I find it pleasing to the eye and it also aligns with my belief system that our life journey is circular rather than linear, with no beginning and no end.

Every dot artist has a different style and I have so far followed my desire to never make two pieces that are exactly alike. I also prefer leaving some neutral space on my pieces (the background color) as I feel that it is more pleasing to the eye; however, I am impressed with many dot artists that fill in the entire space with dots as it can look like viewing through a kaleidoscope and they are really beautiful. I do take commissioned orders; however, the client chooses their size, cost and colors, but I as the artist, choose the pattern I will paint. For most of my pieces, I let the pattern flow, one row at a time, with no real idea in mind of the end product. And I hope it looks good when it’s finished! It’s an incredibly meditative process for me and I find that if I have had a stressful day, that I cannot sit down and dot. I have to center myself first and reset and that’s where my mindfulness/meditation practice really helps me. Every dot I make is a moment of mindfulness…and if I am not fully in the present moment, I usually have to start over :-).

One of the most challenging parts of starting a dotting project is finding the middle of the object as that’s where I start my dot painting projects. Dot artists have many different techniques for finding the center, but I have found that the easiest way is to trace the item on paper, fold the paper over and over again and then punch a small hole in the middle of all of those folds so I can lay it on the object to mark my center dot. And placing that first dot directly on your center mark can be very challenging! Your whole piece will look off center if you don’t get that first dot in the correct location. One of the other very important things dot artists learn at the beginning is to get the correct paint consistency. If the paint is too thin, the dots will run and if the paint is too thick, it won’t form perfect dots. So I had to learn about adding thickening or thinning paint mediums to obtain the right consistency and this was quite the learning curve initially. You also need to learn to load up your dotting tool by dipping it in the paint a few times and then learn to “kiss” the painting surface with the dotting tool, rather than tapping it on the surface, to form that beautiful perfect round dot. Dot artists also create swooshes with spherical dotting tools or thin paint brushes to add to their pieces. Mastering the art of forming beautiful swooshes is every dot artist’s challenge and goal. I am still working on become a master swoosher :-).

In general, dot artists use water-based acrylic paints. There are also paints that add dimension to your dots so it gives the piece a tactile, three demensional element to the art which is fun. What I love about dot painting is that there are no boundaries to the creative aspect. Many dot artists utilize cabochons (flat, cut polished stones) or other items for the center of the piece and I have started to use these too for variety as well. The new thing currently is to use round, metal discs with pictures on them as the center piece and then dotting around them.

With my photography, there is always something new to learn! It took me years to learn how to organize my photos so I could find the ones I wanted and I still have trouble finding some at times :-). Learning about how to use various lenses and settings on my cameras to shoot wildlife photos took time and practice as well. Besides my husband Ken’s excellent teachings, Ken Rockwell’s books and YouTube videos were and still are, very helpful and inspirational to my photographic journey too. Taking care of my camera equipment is really important…and trying not to drop my lenses like I did once. I have had a couple of valuable lessons about being reminded to be mindful of my equipment. Ken and I spent a month in Yellowstone years ago and I remember yelling at him to pull over as I had seen a beaver in the river. He pulled over, dropped me off and I went running along side the river, following the beaver as he paddled down the river. I was so excited watching the beaver instead of watching where I was going that I fell head-over-heels over a huge log. I remember being stunned as some people came over to me to see if I was ok, and holding up the camera and saying, “The camera is fine!” :-). The other tough lesson I learned a few years ago was to not ride my bike with my camera and a very long lens on the camera, strung around my neck, as blunders do happen. One minute I was riding along just fine and the next minute, I see my lens bouncing along the bike trail. It felt like slow motion and I yelled, “Nooo!!!” as I couldn’t believe what had happened. The movement of my legs and trunk while riding my bike had slowly worked loose the lens of the camera. I called my friend to see if I could come live with her as I knew I was going to hear about this disaster when I got home-ha! But once I returned home, Ken was very understanding and compassionate as he saw how distraught I was. The moral of the story is: walk softly and carefully while carrying a camera with a big lens. I have also learned that using a good monopod while out in the field makes the camera much more stable which gives you sharper images. Taking photos of people also has its own challenges, but I love it. I love getting candid shots where people don’t realize that I am taking their picture. Learning where your light source is when taking photos is everything with photography and using natural light is the best.

I started my business in November of 2023 and I have had a lot to learn, even though my husband and I had our own arts and craft business 20 years ago. Organizing my sales and expenses for taxes has been the most challenging thing so far as I just want to be painting or out taking photos! But it’s been a good learning experience for me and helps to give my left brain a workout as I am pretty stuck in my right brain, like most artists :-). I did teach myself how to create a spreadsheet as the secretaries at work used to make them for me, so that has helped a great deal. I am working on getting my self set up to do more arts and craft shows and that has been challenging since I am a business of one employee-myself. I am getting there though, little by little with help from my friends :-).

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love taking friends from out of town to coffee shops and restaurants and we have a number of good ones in Grand Junction. One of my favorite coffee shops is Octopus Coffee. They make custom-made chai, wonderful burritos and awesome baked goods. It’s a fun atmosphere and the staff are really personable. Roots Gastrohub is another one of my favorite coffee shops. It’s an open-air concept restaurant with both indoor and outdoor seating. They allow dogs and it’s a great place to get my puppy fix :-). Matt Bollig, the owner, is a great guy and I am in love with his big dog Tobby. Roots has wonderful chai, coffee and makes one of the best breakfast burritos in town. It’s also where I did my first outdoor fair. Copekas is another favorite coffee shop. All of their furniture and decorations are repurposed and it has a lovely, funky atmosphere that draws a lot of college students. They have wonderful food as well, made from scratch. Spoons Bistro and Bakery is probably one of my favorite all around restaurant in town for all meals and it’s a must stop for out-of-town guests. They have a wonderful chef and I have never had a bad meal there. Plus, when you eat at Spoons, you are supporting HopeWest, our local hospice center, which is where I volunteer. Cafe Sol is another favorite restaurant as they specialize in sourcing local and organic food, cooking from scratch.

As far as fun places to visit in our area, going to the Farmer’s Markets is always a good place to take friends. We have three of them in our area that feature local produce, music, arts and craft booths and food trucks. I can’t drink alcohol as I have a stomach disorder (gastroparesis), however I love taking friends on the wine tours in Palisade, CO which is just east of Grand Junction. We have beautiful wineries and many of them double as outdoor concert venues as well as serving wine. That’s another thing I love to do in the spring and summer is to go to outdoor concerts, especially to the Palisade Bluegrass Festival. It’s three days of incredible music and great fun for the whole family. We also have a beautiful outdoor concert venue in Grand Junction called Las Colonias Amphitheater. Taking friends to Connected Lakes, Corn Lake or for a walk along the bike bath is always a fun activity. For a half day or all day trip, it’s fun to visit the Grand Mesa, the world’s largest flat top mountain, which is located in the Grand Mesa National Forest, east of Grand Junction. There are over 300 lakes on the Grand Mesa, it’s 11,000 feet above sea level, and offers fishing, boating, biking, camping/hiking, and skiing/snowshoeing. The Colorado National Monument is a must see when visiting Grand Junction as it’s a very unique monument, just a short ways west of Grand Junction. Beautiful, tall, red rock pillars grace the landscape along with canyons, bighorn sheep and beautiful collared lizards. There are many hiking trails on the monument and they also have a campground. Our Main Street in Grand Junction has been beautified over the years and is a fun place to shop, look at the beautiful bronze sculptures on every corner, visit galleries and to get a bite to eat. It’s a small town, but we have a lot to offer.

One last thing I want to say is that I send a huge shoutout to Shoutout Colorado, for the wonderful opportunity to do this interview with you! You have a very unique online magazine and I am so grateful and humbled that I was the chosen artist for this article. A deep bow of gratitude to you all for featuring small business owners. We appreciate you!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Wow, is this a good question! I have a lot of shoutouts to send. Do you have a large megaphone I can use? How many pages can I use to answer this question? :-). I have a lot of people that have supported me and inspired me throughout this journey. The first shoutout goes to my sweet mom. She always believed in me, encouraged me to be the best that I could be, and to enjoy life to the fullest. My next biggest shoutout goes to my husband Ken. He has been my biggest fan and supporter as far as starting my own business and he taught me the ins and outs of being a good photographer. His unconditional love, encouragement and enthusiasm have made me feel good about the art I produce and the photos I take. I have been a bit of a perfectionist throughout my life and he reminds me that art is not perfect and that it’s ok to make mistakes. Another shoutout goes to my teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh (his students call him“Thay”, pronounced like “tie”, which means teacher in Vietnamese), who was my inspiration for the name of my business and for how I try to conduct my business, with mindfulness, compassion and loving-kindness. Thay was a renowned Vietnamese Zen Buddhist Monk and his basic teaching is about truly being in the present moment, and spreading loving-kindness and compassion toward other beings. One of the ways that I give back to my community is to donate my art pieces and photography to silent auction’s for community-based worthy causes. I also am a hospice volunteer and offer to take photos of patients and their families if they want them, for free.

My other life inspirationalist is Jo Ann Click, one of my oldest and dearest friends. Jo Ann is my biggest cheerleaders/mentor. During college, I did a three month pediatric internship at the Grand Junction Regional Center (GJRC) where Jo Ann was the OT director. Jo Ann was also my first supervisor when I started my career as a registered occupational therapist (OTR). I don’t really count my very first OT job that I took when I was a ski bum living in Jackson Hole, WY because it was a very difficult job as I was the only OT, and I quit after six months. After that experience, I doubted my abilities as a new OT, being freshly out of college, and was a bit lost as to what I would do next. Jo Ann was so confident in my OT skills as she saw what I was capable of when I was a student OT, that she took a chance on me. She took me under her wing to provide me a much needed second opportunity. Because of Jo Ann’s loving and guiding way, along with the other therapists I worked with, I had a wonderful 22 year career as an OT.

Many friends have also encouraged me to start a business with both my photography and dot art. So I finally listened to them :-).

I also send a huge shoutout to a number of dot artists that I have met along my dotting journey including, but not limited to: 1) Erin Ridley, the owner of Expressly 4 You and my dear friend. Erin is a fantastic and very successful dot painter who helped mentor me when I first began dotting and continues to help support and encourage my progress; 2) Lisa Dampier, the owner of Lotsa Dots By Lisa, has been one of my “dotting gurus” since I began dotting and I was fascinated with how she created such amazing dotted wooden cutouts of animal figures. Her creative patterns mesmerized me; 3) Demi Davidson, the owner of Thoughtful Dots, has been a dotting inspiration for me as well. Demi is known for her very large dotted mandalas (36″ pieces) and her wonderful teaching skills. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that in general, dotting artists are very kind, compassionate beings that encourage others to succeed with their dot painting progress as well as their own. Many of us have started our own businesses, but it’s a very loving, supportive community of dot painters….unlike the competitive aspect of other business avenues. There are many more dot artists that I have been inspired by as well that I have not listed here.

Website: https://presentmomentsart.com

Instagram: ma.riann4004

Facebook: Present Moments Art

Youtube: @mphotographer8400

Other: Email: mariann@presentmomentsart.com

Image Credits
Mariann Taigman