Let's step back for a moment. Recall the study paintings; I never revealed which one RAS chose. In the photo below, the studies are numbered and were painted in chronological order:1 - late April sunset over the Jemez2 - mid May sunset over the Jemez3 - late June...
musings from the studio and beyond ~
dawn chandler’s reflections on art and life. . . .
Uncategorized
the very large triptych, part 6 ~ new studio & first strokes
The most dreaded phase of this whole Very Large Triptych project involved zero skill or creativity. It required planning, patience, hefting and heaving. That dreaded phase? Swapping my living room with my studio. Why bother? I needed to be able to step away from the...
the very large triptych, part 5 ~ painting the studies
I need to go! I apologized to my hosts. The sky is going to be incredible — I HAVE to photograph it! That was Sunday, July 2nd, and I couldn't believe I was bowing out early from a fun party filled with old friends I'd not seen in a long time. But the sky was calling!...
the very large triptych, part 4 ~ experiencing the sky
I was worried about clouds: I needed clouds to pull off the Very Large Triptych. But clouds were no guarantee. Just the year before, the only clouds over New Mexico from April to June were smoke clouds. And the year before that, our traditional summer rains never...
the very large triptych, part 3 ~ discovering the landscape
On April first 2023 I began my immersion into the panoramic landscape. RAS would be back in Santa Fe later in the month, when we'd sign an agreement for the very large triptych commission. Although they graciously invited me to go out to their place whenever I wanted,...
the very large triptych, part 2 ~ the proposal
On March 1st, 2023 our schedules finally aligned so that we could all meet in person at RAS’ Las Campanas home. From the moment I met them, RAS' enthusiasm and appreciation for my art and me made me feel like a rock star. After chatting for a bit and admiring their...
the very large triptych, part 1 ~ the request
This week I bade farewell to three close companions — three roommates. We've been living in close quarters since last summer. My roommates have been exciting company but they have also taken up a great deal of space mentally and physically. Indeed, they forced me to...
the BOOM! and enchantments of boring painting
I've been thinking a lot lately about the idea of boring and being bored. One definition of boring I came across described it as "the state of feeling weary because one is unoccupied." [OED] That kind of weariness is something I've rarely experienced in my adulthood....
drawing: “no good, no bad, no judgement”
Below — pages from my 2023 sketchbook. I began this on a road trip last June to the Oregon coast. In years previous when we made that trip (the last being in 2017) I didn’t draw much, if at all. Rather, I was still on [READ: addicted to] social media, so I spent more...
storm on the desert
Yesterday I went alone to see Oppenheimer. After leaving theaters some weeks ago, our theater brought it back along with some of the other Oscar nominees. I was grateful to see it finally, and on a big screen. As I watched it, I was struck — once again — by how much...