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...
musings from the studio and beyond ~
dawn chandler’s reflections on art and life. . . .
dawn chandler santa fe artist
the very large triptych, part 5
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
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
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
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
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...
making space for grace
Hold space and invite grace is the opening passage of Chip Conley's A Year of Wisdom. He speaks of creating spaces of time and environment in your life for magic to happen. For me, my best time to achieve glimmers of grace is in the early morning. This is why silence...
go ahead, walk through it
Thirty minutes ago I emerged from the mall where my PO box is. I had just dumped my massive annual springtime greeting card mailing at the post office and was feeling a bit jubilant. Thirty minutes before that, an all-day soaking spring rain (a rarity out here)...
6 x 3 x 60 = peace
I stepped outside, crouched on the pavement and sat down on my dusty front door stoop. In my nine years living here, I don’t think I’d ever sat on the stoop. Maybe because the view from that angle is mostly pavement, concrete, stuccoed wall and taillights. This...
another cup of tea
I get to….fix myself hot teahold a steaming mug in my handspull a wool shawl around my shouldersshift my weight in my cozy chairsip and gaze out my windowunbroken by bullets I get tostep into the showerturn on the wateradjust the temperaturelet hot water lavish my...