musings from the studio and beyond ~
dawn chandler’s reflections on art and life. . . .
to journal or not to journal, part 1
For thirty years I’ve been confiding in and prattling on to these pages, pouring out my heart and chronicling, dreaming. Venting. Usually in the morning, first thing, with my tea, before doing much of anything else. Julia Cameron would be proud of me, for she suggests we all spend time each morning writing our “morning pages”: three pages of putting down whatever is on our mind, getting it OFF our minds so that we can get on with our work, our Art.
And I’ve been doing that.
But you know, it’s funny: I hardly ever read back through what I write. The notations, yes; the quotes, yes; but rarely the “journaling.”
Then sometime late last fall I read somewhere an article that was about setting and achieving goals. The writer keeps a yearly journal—or at least a working notebook of his goals—and at the end of each year, he reads back through the year’s pages to remind himself of his goals and achievements, and see what remains undone and what he might carry forward into the new year.
That struck me as an interesting idea, and so shortly into the new year I decided to do just that.
And here’s what I discovered:
What a whiner I am!
Jeez-Louise! If for every time that I started my day with 20 – 30 minutes of venting about “not having enough time to paint” and instead I had simply PAINTED, I would have done A LOT MORE PAINTING.
Me Me Me Me Me! My journal writing just seemed so……. Self. Centered. So….. EGOIC. So filled with whining drivel.
Rather than release my anxieties and frustrations, it almost seemed to harbor them; to fester them. I couldn’t help but feel like rather than serving to help me let go of my anxieties, these pages were inviting me to keep them alive.
When every thought absorbs your attention completely,
when you are so identified with the voice in your head and the emotions
that accompany it that you lose yourself in every thought and every emotion,
then you are totally….in the grip of the ego.
— Eckhart Tolle
This was one of those sledge-hammer-to-the-head wake-up-call-moments.
I decided: No. More Journaling!
Or at least, no more sitting down and writing to C O M P L A I N.
No more starting my day with bitching to myself and whining about this or that.
Instead, start the day painting.
And if I want to write down my thoughts with pen and paper, write a letter to a friend instead. Reach out and use that writing time to nurture meaningful and thoughtful connections with others; enough with writing to My Self!
That was three months ago.
Wouldn’t you know it but my painting time has increased hugely this year.
And so has my letter-writing.
a surefire way to humble yourself as an artist….
“self portrait” ~ by vincent van gogh ~ oil on canvas ~ c.1889
Yesterday was Vincent Van Gogh’s birthday (March 30, 1854). Happy Birthday Vincent! I could think of no finer way to honor him than by getting outside and painting en plein air—my first outdoor excursion of the year! Hooray!
Nor can imagine a more surefire and immediate way of humbling and frustrating myself as an artist than getting outside and painting en plein air for my first outdoor excursion of the year….
Ugh.
I haven’t painted en plein air since my October art residency at the Brush Creek Ranch.
Mind you, I’ve been painting. Oh MAN have I been painting! [More about that in a future post].
But not ‘traditional representational landscapes.
And not with oils.
And certainly not outside.
Till yesterday.
‘Been wanting to!
‘Been meaning to!
But….’Been so busy with other aspects of being an artist [More about that, too, in a future post].
“blossoming orchard” ~ by vincent van gogh ~ oil on canvas
But when The Met Museum reminded me yesterday via Instagram [More about that in a future post, too.] that March 30 is Vincent Van Gogh’s birthday, I thought, “THIS IS IT! I’VE GOT TO GET OUT AND PAINT TODAY!”
And so I did.
For the first time in months.
And if you are like me and you haven’t painted since last season, then this is what you have to look forward to:
— Forgetting your cool little stool.
— Discovering the the first 3rd of your tube of Titanium White paint is dried and needs to be gouged out with some kind of implement which you don’t have. (Finally found a small pocket knife in the bottom of my pack).
— Getting alizarin crimson all over your hands and clothes (note left edge of paint box)
— Dropping your loaded paintbrush in the dirt.
— Discovering you didn’t bring enough paper towels.
— Discovering you don’t have a bag for your soiled paper towels.
— A stiff back from sitting awkwardly on a rock that was just a wee bit too high.
— Setting out on a clear sunny afternoon and, just as you’re getting into your painting and the gorgeous play of sunlight on the foothills and spring time trees, having clouds appear out of nowhere—NO WHERE!—and suddenly kill the sunlight and shadows, effectively deadening your scene.
— Despite it all, being utterly overjoyed to be out there painting!
painting en plein air ~ the lomas foothills (albuquerque) ~ by dawn chandler ~ oil on panel ~ 5 x 7 inches ~ painted with a “limited palette” of just ultramarine blue, alizarin crimson, hansa yellow and titanium white (+ apple for sustenance)
the art of writing made yet more artful: the new mexico landscape note cards
Friday afternoon I released to the world my new Note Cards: six beautiful cards, each with a different New Mexico Landscape painting. The scenes are the series of paintings I did last summer based on my friend Russell Smart’s photographs from the Philmont Ranch in Colfax County. The note cards are for sale on my online store for $18.50 per packet, which includes shipping. [Shop for them here.] With my prints starting at $75 and paintings starting at $180, I wanted to have an item for under $20, and this fits the bill nicely. I also love the idea of encouraging others to engage in the slow and lovely act of hand-letter-writing.
new mexico note card set by dawn chandler
new note cards by dawn chandler — a perfect gift
On FaceBook I offered a free packet of cards to the first 15 people who ‘share’ my announcement about the card. I then stepped away from my computer for a little while to tend to some other project. When I returned a few minutes later, ZOUNDS! well over than 15 people had responded!
THANK YOU!
So….. I doubled it — Actually, more than doubled it! And with gratitude for people’s enthusiasm mailed out OVER FORTY FREE PACKETS of note cards (close to $1,000 worth!) to anyone who, within 24 hours of my initial post shared my post on FB and messaged me their mailing address.
So now people? I need you to start buying note cards! 🙂
To sweeten it, here’s a coupon code for 20% off everything in my shop: DAWNSCARDSROCK2015
[Coupon good through Valentine’s Day 2015 — though please note that orders placed between January 25th and February 3 will be filled on February 4th & 5th.]
Thanks, All! I appreciate your interest and enthusiasm!
first round of note card packets ready for shipment!
a small expression of big gratitude
Thank you.
Thank you — you, who make time to read my words and look at my pictures here and on FaceBook and Twitter, Etsy and Pinterest and all the various platforms where I put myself out there.
With so many demands on your time and attention in this information age, I’m really kind of floored to know that there are people out there who find my words and art interesting enough to spend a few moments with them whenever I post something new.
You’ve paid me the greatest of compliments by your interest and engagement.
Surely I’d make my art even without an audience or patron base, for the act of creating for me is elemental; it’s in my blood and it can’t be denied. Or if it is denied, I become pouty and irritable and unpleasant. The world is a much better place when Dawn gets to create!
But having people out there who make time for my art, who respond to my art, and who are touched by my art…. That’s a gift, and one I don’t take lightly and hope I may never take for granted.
So thank you to each one of you reading these words. Blessings to you this New Year.
lovers leap: why i paint new mexico
lovers leap return (detail) – by dawn chandler – oil on canvas – 36″ x 24″
New Mexico.
Colfax County.
If you’ve been following my art for even a short amount of time, you know that the beauty of the land is my greatest inspiration. Look a little harder, and you realize that the land of New Mexico, in particular, resonates for me. Go deeper still, and you realize that there’s a swath of land through the heart of Colfax County in the northern part of the state that appears again and again and again in my landscape paintings.
That swath of land — some 215+ square miles — is the Philmont Scout Ranch. Owned and operated by the Boy Scouts of America, it’s the home of the largest outdoor adventure operation in the country, providing thousands of teens and adults experiences of a life time. Backpacking, horse-packing and lessons in leadership and group dynamics are some of what Philmont specializes in.
When I was a teenager, thanks to a little-known co-ed branch of the Boy Scouts, I got to go to Philmont. For two weeks I backpacked through the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of Northern New Mexico and witnessed my life changing before me. I returned the next summer for another high adventure backpacking trip, and again the one after that. For six more summers I worked on staff teaching backpacking skills, further deepening my love of nature and the outdoors.
And in the process I made some of the deepest friendships of my life.
No other place in the world has had a more profound and rippling effect on my life than Philmont.
It’s why I came to live in New Mexico; why I came to paint the land.
There’s absolutely no doubt that I am richly blessed — blessed to have a whole community of people who admire and appreciate — and sometimes even buy — my art. And of these patrons, a great many of them — indeed, the vast majority of them — have a connection to Philmont.
And so it is that I often receive requests from people to paint specific places on “The Ranch.” So it is that over the years I have looked at countless Philmont photos, as I try to paint people’s memories.
And what I can tell you is that it’s darn hard to finding really good photos of Philmont. That’s because most people don’t really know what they’re doing with a camera; few have any sense of composition or of light and shadow.
That was trumped about a year ago when I received a request from a gentleman who wanted a Philmont painting for his office, but wasn’t sure what scene.. He had a number of photographs he’d taken himself — perhaps I could look them over and see if any of them spoke to me? “Sure” I replied, fully expecting to feel a little flat when looking at his photos.
W O W.
They were among the best photographs of Philmont by a non-professional I had ever seen.
Of his photos I chose six to paint as “studies”, with the plan that of these six, he would select the one for me to do as a larger painting. (Secretly I had my favorite — the one I’d hoped he’d choose for the large canvas — but I kept my opinion to myself so as not to sway him).
For the studies I used 16″ x 20″ panels and a very limited palette of just ultramarine blue, alizarin crimson, cadmium yellow medium, and titanium white. Thanks to the terrific reference photos, they were an utter delight to paint.
Then the moment of Truth: I emailed him images of the paintings….
He chose my favorite.
And here it is, the grande finale, Lovers Leap Return, by Dawn Chandler, oil on canvas, 36″ x 24″ (based on a photo by Russell Smart)
lovers leap return – oil on canvas – by dawn chandler
And here are the “studies” which I think are some of the best paintings of Philmont — heck, the best paintings period — I’ve ever done. All of these paintings are based on photos by Russell Smart.
And all of them — including the two versions of Lovers Leap — are now available as prints. (Click here to visit my shop).
the tooth in the clouds – by dawn chandler – oil on panel – 20″ x 16″
the tooth from urraca – by dawn chandler – oil on panel – 16″ x 20″
meadow below baldy – by dawn chandler – oil on panel – 16″ x 20″
new mexico morning – by dawn chandler – oil on panel – 16″ x 20″
baldy from red river – by dawn chandler – oil on panel – 16″ x 20″
lovers leap looking west – by dawn chandler – oil on panel – 20″ x 16″