From the age of 11 years, Dorothy was fortunate to study with well known Sydney artist Enid Cambridge, who had a profound effect on how Dorothy was to develop as an artist. During this time, Dorothy was introduced to Modern art and the work of many famous 19th and 20th century artists.

In her adult life, overseas travel gave her access to many galleries and museums as well as the opportunity to enjoy and absorb other cultures.

Returning to Australia, she studied painting and shortly thereafter, at Hornsby TAFE, she studied Printmaking and especially Etching, which became a major area of interest. This she pursued for 2 years at East Sydney TAFE. She followed this with a Diploma in Painting and Drawing from the Royal Art Society, a degree in Art Theory from the College of Fine Art, University of NSW, and a Masters Degree in Art History and Theory from the University of Sydney.

Dorothy believes that her oil painting has influenced the way she approaches her printmaking, often resulting in the production of painterly prints achieved through the multi-layering of colour.

Dorothy has exhibited regularly since early 1980 and has won numerous awards including the Wingecarribee Print Prize in 2009. Her work is represented in the collections of the National Gallery of Australia, ACT, the National Museum of Wales, UK, the Honolulu Academy of Art, USA and in Australian Regional Galleries in New South Wales and Queensland as well as private collections in Australia and Overseas.