Skip Dyrda

Originally from Southeast Pennsylvania, I began my creative journey with a passion for both art and adventure. I attended Kutztown State Teachers College (now Kutztown University) but left before graduating to pursue a different thrill: racing cars. For over four years, I immersed myself in the world of racing, honing not only my skills behind the wheel but also my talent for building race cars from the ground up. My creativity extended beyond cars. From an early age, I explored both traditional and digital art, starting with Commodore Amiga computers in the early days of digital graphics. This passion for art took me in many directions, and in 1990, I moved to Florida, where I took a job in an "art factory." It was there that I discovered a thriving market for decorative artwork, and after two years, I decided to take the leap into self-employment as a full-time artist. I never looked back. And for the last 30 years, I’ve dedicated myself to creating decorative art, specializing in murals for residential and commercial spaces. My work spans both interior and exterior projects, and I developed a deep passion for Trompe L’oeil—an art style focused on creating stunning realism. One of my proudest accomplishments was spending four years painting historically significant murals in Punta Gorda, Florida. In recent years, my artistic focus has expanded to sculpting with plastic clay. I began creating whimsical gnome figurines and intricate gnome dioramas, which inspired me to write stories about them. These stories, combined with my love of design, ultimately led me to create this book. I currently live in Sarasota, Florida with my beautiful wife, where I continue to work from both my home studio and a larger studio in downtown Sarasota. I have three grown children, one of whom is in medical school, several grandchildren, and a great-grandson. My life is an ongoing creative adventure, blending art, storytelling, and family.