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| coming into leaf ~ ashbaugh park, santa fe ~ by dawn chandler ~ oil on panel (en plein air ~ 5″ x 7″ ~ copyright dawn chandler 2014 |
Despite a hard frost last night and the night before, spring has arrived in New Mexico. I know for sure, because I’ve borne witnessing to its gradual unfurling, as evidenced by these plein air paintings I’ve been doing in and around Santa Fe and Albuquerque for the past few weeks.
This little series has come about because of an ache — an ache to get outside, get my paint brush wet, play with color and hone up my rendering skills. Since settling into my new studio, the majority of my work in there has been the “busy work” of art-making: gluing stuff (mounting works on paper to panels; and building collage foundational layers for new works); painting the edges of panels; screwing in hardware and wire; photographing, inventorying, varnishing, etc. Important work, that surely needs to be done, but not all that “creative.” Not really painting.
So….I found my remedy for that ache by getting outside, and trying to capture with paint and brush what I find out there…in 30 minutes or less.
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| blustery april afternoon ~ ashbaugh park, santa fe ~ by dawn chandler ~ oil on panel (en plein air ~ 5″ x 7″ ~ copyright dawn chandler 2014 |
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| april storm moving in over the sandias, santa fe ~ by dawn chandler ~ oil on panel (en plein air ~ 5″ x 7″ ~ copyright dawn chandler 2014 |
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| courtyard blossoms, santa fe ~ by dawn chandler ~ oil on panel (en plein air ~ 5″ x 7″ ~ copyright dawn chandler 2014 |
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| april morning along the santa fe river path ~ by dawn chandler ~ oil on panel (en plein air ~ 5″ x 7″ ~ copyright dawn chandler 2014 |
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| late afternoon april trees, ashbaugh park, santa fe ~ by dawn chandler ~ oil on panel (en plein air ~ 5″ x 7″ ~ copyright dawn chandler 2014 |
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| april morning above the arroyo, frenchy’s park, santa fe ~ by dawn chandler ~ oil on panel (en plein air ~ 5″ x 7″ ~ copyright dawn chandler 2014 |
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| april morning in the backyard ~ albuquerque ~ by dawn chandler ~ oil on panel (en plein air ~ 5″ x 7″ ~ copyright dawn chandler 2014 |
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| rooftops & foothills ~ albuquerque ~ by dawn chandler ~ oil on panel (en plein air ~ 5″ x 7″ ~ copyright dawn chandler 2014 |
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| albuquerque april ~ by dawn chandler ~ oil on panel (en plein air ~ 5″ x 7″ ~ copyright dawn chandler 2014 |
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| morning on the edge of the sandias albuquerque ~ by dawn chandler ~ oil on panel (en plein air ~ 5″ x 7″ ~ copyright dawn chandler 2014 |
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| the last tree to bloom ~ ashbaugh park, santa fe ~ by dawn chandler ~ oil on panel (en plein air ~ 5″ x 7″ ~ copyright dawn chandler 2014 |
