In May 2025, I became Theresa Dickenson after marrying my husband, Sam, which is the reason I moved from the Buffalo area of New York to the Capital region. Since starting this new chapter, I’ve made a conscious effort to revive the creativity I enjoyed as a child, letting go of social pressures and focusing on what brings me joy. Working at Saratoga Arts has motivated me to experiment with many new things, some were successful, others were not.
My artistic identity centers around drawing mandalas; I teach mandala drawing and doodling at Saratoga Arts. My inspiration for recycled pop can art struck late one night when I watched a Pinterest video featuring the dynamic colors and patterns of cans. Creating my first piece combined detailed planning in Excel, symmetry, tools, and pounding nails—all of which reinvigorated my inner nerd and reminded me of lessons my mother taught me growing up about using tools. She always wanted her daughters to be able to do traditionally male tasks because “you can’t wait for a guy to do things for you”.
That initial artwork turned out well and taught me a lot. I donated that first piece to an art sale benefiting The Francis Center, a Buffalo organization supporting underprivileged children’s education. The Center is run by The Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity, with whom I’m an Associate member. Right now, I’m still developing a collection of work and have started to exhibit locally. I currently (January 16-March 12, 2026) have three pieces in the Winter Art Show at Paul Nigra Arts Center.
