Artist Spotlight: Dotty K. Berryman and David Bryan Blondell

This spotlight honors and celebrates Artist Dotty Berryman and Art Director David Bryan Blondell. They make The Dimensions comics come to life! The comics are based on Behavioral Health Wellness Environments for Living and Learning (BH WELL) research that spotlights the 8 Dimensions of Wellness.

Dorothy “Dotty” K. Berryman began sketching the BH WELL comics in Fall 2020. She created each page by hand from sketch to inking and coloring! Dotty finds her work with the BH WELL art team rewarding. “It was my first time working on a project like this. I learned to adapt to the changing needs of the project as the vision grew and evolved. I played with composition and design and began to think outside of my artistic comfort zone.”

Dotty says she has always been drawn to art for self-expression and self-care. Her Lafayette High School art teacher encouraged her to pursue art further. Dotty graduated from Northern Kentucky University with a Bachelor of Arts. She completed a Cincinnati Art Museum internship and worked for On The Move Art Studio. Dotty’s work can be found on Instagram @dottyink.

BH WELL is grateful to have Dotty as a part of the team. Her talent, enthusiasm, and passion are expressed in each page of The Dimensions comic book series. Look for Dotty as The Dimension's biggest fan in [Issue 1] When Nicotine Attacks: Fight the Crave and hidden elsewhere in other issues of the comic series.

Executive Director of BH WELL, Dr. Zim Okoli, shares “We were extremely fortunate to have found such a talented individual with Dotty Berryman. She has an uncanny ability to transfer the team’s thoughts and ideas into a visual representation which depicts the science behind our work. Her carefully hand-drawn and coloured portrayals of the dimensions of wellness will make learning about mental health challenges, and their treatments, fun and engaging.”

David Bryan Blondell also began working with BH WELL in 2020. David creates impact in The Dimensions comics by adding engaging artistic design elements and word bubbles. In addition, David supports Dotty’s work by sharing concepts and techniques that create better flow and bigger impact. 

David received his Bachelors of Fine Arts from Eastern Kentucky University in graphic design and illustration. David’s diverse career includes work with prominent Orlando ad agencies. He also created and published a local golf magazine in central Florida for 20 years. Creating the magazine shaped him as an artist. “I got to do everything for this project from cover to cover as the publisher. This was the perfect vehicle for all of my creative interests, including business and team management.” In this project, David got to interview local golf personalities such as Arnold Palmer and Tiger Woods. At that point, David began to do artwork of NBA Orlando Magic star players which he parlayed into work with other NBA teams. David is the artist behind some UK basketball art, some of which is on display at KSBar and Grille where the Kentucky Sports Radio show is broadcast live. David can be reached via email David@blondellart.com. 

David reflects “I was able to serve as both an art director and as a mentor to Dotty. I think the end result has proven that we worked well together as a team. It’s been neat seeing Dotty grow. The end result is strong and it gave me great pride to see another artist grow. I’m flattered to be a small part of it.” 

David has added value to BH WELL’s comic team. His artistic eye can be seen in every Dimensions comic. Look for David as a retail clerk in The Dimensions’ [Issue 8] Disrupted by Despair: Shifting to Support.

Dr. Okoli comments, “David Blondell is a very accomplished artist, business owner, and all round super nice guy. His mentorship of Dotty and the team in all aspects of the project, from artistic details to production needs, was truly the strength behind our success. We are extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to work with such incredible talent.”

Congratulations, Dotty and David, on your hard work! BH WELL appreciates your commitment to this project.

Find all of The Dimensions comics here.