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. . . .
santa fe landscape
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...
if expletives are uttered in a forest and no one hears them, do they make a sound?
This is a 'creepy' forest tale that happened to me late June 2019. And it might have repeated itself this year of 2020, had I not learned my lesson! (More about that soon....) My 'Tuesday Revelers' may recognize this tale, as I shared a version of it last year in...
santa fe september
Summer has been protracted this year. ~ sigh ~ I’m ready for the days to cool and the colors to heat up into hues of fire. Maybe sharing this painting of an earlier Santa Fe September view will entice Mother Nature to pull out her autumn colors…. (Please?) I began...
when painting isn’t fun anymore…and getting over it
I work well under pressure. I like deadlines and due dates. At least that's what I've always thought. I remember a few years ago getting ready for a solo show of my abstract/textual landscapes and, just a couple of weeks before the show opening, I realized with...
the unusual transformation of a landscape
It's a few hours away from the first day of winter and I suppose I should be writing something solstice-y or festive-y or fa-la-la-la-la-lish But as much as I love this time of year, with the relentless sunshine we've been having this month where the skies look more...