blog archive

musings from the studio and beyond ~

dawn chandler’s reflections on art and life. . . .

09.09.2012 ~ of eastern shores: vinalhaven, i

Sep 10, 2012 | landscape painting, Maine, ocean, sea, Vinalhaven

A week ago tonight I stood here, a permanent smile radiating across my face as I contemplated the ragged Maine coastline bathed in evening light. There in the briny breeze, we sampled the skin of wild rose-hips and the few remaining blackberries growing in the brambles spilling down to the granite coastline.

Oh how lucky am I to have dear friends living on that island haven, who graciously invited me to come and sojourn in their sanctuary. I could barely get enough of the rustic warmth of their cozy home, breathing deeply of coastal air, waking to the sound of gulls and distant lobster boats, the perfection of morning tea, cappuccini and maple syrup served from a Mason jar.

My painting here isn’t bad…

But

….it’s… not…. quite…. right.

Though the landscape of Maine is cool…….. cool…….. cool as can be,
in this evening light the rocks radiated more warmth than I’ve conveyed here.
The sky did, too.
Hell, the whole scene did.
Struggle as I might I just… couldn’t… quite… get it.

Maybe it’s the Titanium White I was using rather than my usual Holbein Foundation Umber (a warmer shade of ‘white’)?

Hmm…. not sure.

There’s only one thing to do:

Try it again.

Below, some details:

08.28.2012 ~ of eastern shores: cape cod, i

Aug 28, 2012 | Cape Cod, landscape painting, ocean, oil painting, Truro

My first painting of the Cape, based on my sojourn there in early July. Here, a view of Edward Hopper’s charming house, up on the Truro dunes. The sea air sunlight was nearly blinding, silhouetting the house and dunes against the refractive sky. The moment I saw this view it took my breath away. No wonder Hopper spent so many summers here.

If you’re unsure who Edward Hopper is, he’s the painter of such iconic American scenes as these:

Nighthawks ~ oil on canvas ~ c.1942 ~ by Edward Hopper

The Lighthouse at Two Lights ~ oil on canvas ~ c.1929 ~ by Edward Hopper

[There’s a cool article in the New York Times about this house and Hopper’s painting of the Cape.]

We spent a week on the Cape, My Good Man and I, visiting beloved friends and taking in the captivating beauty of the arm of New England. A week wasn’t nearly long enough. I want to go back and bury myself in the sand, throw myself out to sea, be dazzled by sea light reflection, get lost in the winding pathways among oak and water, immerse myself in art and food and gracious friends and community…. What a glorious landscape, what a delightful community.

Below, some details of my painting. If you look carefully, you’ll see the ghost of my underwriting/scribing. [Read more about that technique here.]

This painting was fun to do in its simplicity of scene and palette. Fun to wield my brush and palette knife through buttery globs of white and grey.

08.22.2012 ~ baldy from ute park, i

Aug 22, 2012 | Baldy Mountain, Cimarron, dawn, new mexico landscapes, oil painting, Philmont, summer

baldy from ute park, i ~ by dawn chandler ~ oil on panel ~ 12 x 24 inches ~ copyright dawn chandler 2012

Arguably the most splendid view of Baldy Mountain I’ve ever witnessed: the view from my friend’s cabin porch in Ute Park. Among my blessings this year I count the two summer mornings not long ago when I awoke to this view. I sat mesmerized for hours — no exaggeration there — staring at this peak, gently falling into a peace of mind “unexpected in common hours.” Worry seemed simply to melt away the longer I pondered the folds of shadow, the slanting of light….

A few painting details below:

08.16.2012 ~ summer comes to dixon, new mexico

Aug 16, 2012 | Dixon, evening, New Mexico, oil painting, summer, trees

the road to miya’s ~ oil on panel ~ 12 x 24 inches ~ by dawn chandler ~ copyright dawn chandler 2012

I’m a romantic at heart. And there’s just something kind of romantic about an empty country lane or pathway… I’m always drawn in by them, wondering what lies around the bend. I guess I’m an optimist at heart, too, for I tend to imagine something positive lying ’round the corner. Despite the shadows, there’s opportunity waiting — even if that opportunity is merely to walk a little further down a quiet New Mexico lane, smelling the sage as the day folds in to twilight…

The lane here is the road to my friend Miya’s home and pottery studio in Dixon, New Mexico. It’s based on a walk I took there one evening back in June…

Click here and here to see other images of Miya’s place.

Some details of the painting:

08.07.2012 ~ la luz trail

Aug 7, 2012 | Albuquerque, la luz trail run, new mexico landscapes, oil painting, Sandia Crest, Sandia Mountains, Team Tortoise, trail-running

morning on the la luz trail ~ by dawn chandler ~ oil on panel ~ 12 x 24 inches ~ copyright dawn chandler 2012

I’ve been looking forward all summer to posting my painting of the La Luz Trail. But I had to earn the right to post it.

What’s significant about La Luz?

Well, it’s a winding, steadily climbing trail from the base of the Sandia Mountains to the tip top of Sandia Crest. The trail starts just to the northeast of the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico and ends at the radio towers at the top. It is truly one of the most beautiful, glorious trails I have ever hiked. Down below is the desert southwest yet there are moments on the trail when, if you didn’t know any better, you’d swear you were in the Appalachians or some other lush mountain forest.

But what’s really significant about La Luz (at least in my little world) is the epic La Luz Trail Run, which starts two miles out on a paved forest road, and climbs the steep heights of the trail to the top of the crest: 9 miles of steady, grinding uphill. And what’s significant about THAT is that my running partner, Alex and I — against all odds — actually DID the 47th Annual La Luz Trail Run this past Sunday and FINISHED.
Hooray for us!
Hooray for Team Tortoise!
Hooray for the 300+ other finishers!!

Really? I think I’ve earned bragging rights. Especially when you consider that I’m not a very good or fast or efficient runner. “Plodding” more accurately describes my movement. I like to say that I have two speeds:

1) Slow

and

2) a little less Slow

Which is why I’m not going to hesitate to toot my horn a little bit here and mention that Trail Runner Magazine has rated the La Luz Trail Run one of the top 12 most grueling trail races in the United States, with an elevation gain of over 4,000 feet
DANG! To think I did that!! And survived! 😀

The winner runs the race in an spectacular 01:20:00 (!!!!) — I wasn’t even at the halfway point at that time!
But the folks who have really earned my respect are the handful who were behind us. They were cranking away their exhausted bodies for hours and that takes extraordinary passion and stamina and drive. Hat’s off!

I’ve pasted my number above my bathroom mirror and am considering taking up a friend’s urging to wear my La Luz shirt every day for the next year. Here’s a pic of Sunday’s morning run: