There was a time a long time ago when I considered signing my name on my paintings with my initials, because a landscape painter named “Dawn” seemed a little too sweet, maybe even cliche´. I’m glad I got over that. According to my mother, it was my father who...
musings from the studio and beyond ~
dawn chandler’s reflections on art and life. . . .
contemporary landscape
celebrating grace ~ she paused to listen . . . .
As I write this, a gorgeous snow is falling in the soft grey light of dawn. This is the second of two snow storms to move across New Mexico this week: The first arrived mid-morning of the 26th blessing us with four inches of snow. This storm arrived last evening, and...
celebrating grace ~ their voices reach me and I ascend ~ crane painting, viii
This is a painting about joy. About uplift. About climbing out of a chaos, and finding clarity, finding your way. And then — and THEN! listening for your better angels, and spreading your wings. Remember Walking Into the Storm with Arms Open Wide? This is climbing out...
celebrating grace ~ they lift me ~ crane painting, vii
There are several quiet conversations going on in this painting. Between the coral figure and the blue figure; Between the large cranes and the small cranes; Between the people and the cranes; I think they're all taking about flying. Don't those wings just lift you?...
celebrating grace: their return brings song ~ crane painting, v
Their return brings song to my heart. Indeed. As you read this I’ll be packing up to return to the Bosque del Apache, to witness sunset tonight with the cranes and geese. And maybe, just maybe, I’ll return there a few hours later for...
walking into the storm with arms open wide ~ crane painting, iv
That thing you've been avoiding? That thing you've been putting off, 'been skirting around? That thing you don't want to do is the thing you have to do. That thing you fear? Time to face it. Do it. Do it now. Go walk into that storm with your arms open wide. ...
saturday grace: secretly, joyfully, clearly ~ crane painting, ii
I was cruising along on I-25 and had just crossed back into New Mexico when somewhere between Raton and Springer something way overhead caught my eye: Wait... what is that? Dozens and dozens of birds, gliding at an impossible altitude. What ARE they?.... I had never...
creating 60 paintings in 30 days and other bad ideas
Back in September — because evidently planning to be away for a month on a 4000+-mile road-trip wasn't time consuming enough — I decided to set a challenge for myself of creating 60 paintings in 30 days. Lots of artists do this sort of thing from time to time,...