musings from the studio and beyond ~
dawn chandler’s reflections on art and life. . . .
07.20.13 ~ morning light on trail peak
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| morning light ~ trail peak ~ by dawn chandler ~ oil on panel (en plein air) ~ 8 x 10 inches ~ copyright dawn chandler |
One good thing about rainy weather out here, is that sometimes the clouds break. When that happens in the early morning, you can get some lovely rosy light and interesting tattered shapes in the clouds. I caught this when perched on the Cattle Headqurters’ overlook early Wednesday morning.
Funny, in all my years staring at this mountain, I’ve never climbed it.
How about you Philmont readers? Anyone climb Trail Peak?
7.16.13 ~ of glorious rain and paint
On Monday morning the Ranch awoke to rain. When was the last time that happened? No one could remember. The color of the day was grey, but few of us “old timers” were complaining; after five months of record drought, it was the most gorgeous, wet, shade of grey a person had ever seen.
The rain continued all morning, with only occasional breaks. I headed up to the lookout above Cattle Headquarters during one of them, and attempted to capture the look of Urraca Mesa engulfed in the clouds, my paint box sitting on the hood of my car.
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| rain consuming urraca mesa ~ by dawn chandler ~ oil on panel (en plein air) ~ 9 x 11 inches ~ copyright dawn chandler 2013 |
While up there, a Philmont vehicle pulled over to see what I was doing; it turned out to be Philmont’s Ranch Manager, Bob Rickleffs. Good to catch up and share impressions of the rain. We agreed that “back in the day” (1980s) the rain always seems to move in and settle for at least a few days straight each July. The kind of rain where you’d wake up and fall asleep to rain. But we haven’t seen that kind of rain in years, maybe even decades. Indeed, when I drove through Colfax County just ten days ago, the grass in the plains wasn’t even brown, it was white, parched the pallor of death.
And here now, overnight, the grass had turned green again. A deep, lush, verdant, velvety green. Astounding.
By afternoon the rain had pretty much subsided, though the clouds still threatened, and by evening I was back out painting off the hood of my car, this time on the road in front of the Villa.
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| evening west across the pasture ~ by dawn chandler ~ oil on panel (en plein air) ~ 8 x 10 inches ~ copyright dawn chandler |
7.15.13 ~ artist in residence at philmont scout ranch
How blessed am I?!
Arrived at Philmont Scout Ranch Sunday for my week of being an “Artist in Residence.” This is in conjunction with the Gift of Inspiration exhibit currently on display at the Philmont Museum, that highlights the art of former Philmont staff. The Ranch has graciously provided me with room and board for the week and in return I am “doing my art thing” and interacting with participants.
With my little Subaru packed to the gills, I unloaded quantities of art and supplies and set up a makeshift studio in the covered alcove behind the museum.
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| Setting up [painting!] shop at the Philmont Museum. |
Because my painting Have You Gazed… in the exhibit is of mixed media, that’s what I’m working on while camped in the alcove. This way people can get a sense of how my big painting was made. When not working on mixed media at the picnic table, I’m out and about at the Ranch, painting en plein air — as I did Sunday night after dinner, under the portico of the Villa. Here’s a quick (c. 1 hour) painting of the view looking west, with rain clouds building for what was to become an epic overnight storm.
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| Evening View from the Villa Portico ~ by Dawn Chandler ~ oil on panel (en plein air) ~ 8 x 10 inches |
While focusing on this painting, I was mildly aware of people gathering a few feet behind me, in the assembly hall. Soon I was sharing quite a large audience with the Philmont Training Center’s opening campfire ceremony that was forced inside due to the threat of rain. At one point a young girl came out and inquired as to my name, and when I told her, she proudly announced, “We have TWO of your paintings!” She went back and fetched her mom, who, it turns out, discovered my art online last summer and, after a lovely email exchange did, indeed, buy two of my paintings! What an unexpected pleasure to meet one of my patrons in person — and under such cool circumstances.
I love this place!
7.07.13 ~ on the trail to crooked creek — traditional landscape….rEcOnSiDeRed
traditional landscape . . . .
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| the trail to crooked creek ~ by dawn chandler ~ oil on panel ~ 12″ x 24″ ~ copyright dawn chandler 2013 |
. . . reconsidered . . .
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| do i listen? ~ by dawn chandler ~ mixed media on panel ~ 12″ x 24″ ~ copyright dawn chandler 2013 |
In the coming weeks you’ll be seeing more of these landscapes with passages of words.
Wordscapes.
Poemscapes?
Thoughtscapes…..
And the vertical lines. . .
What do they mean?
Your guess is as good as mine.
But for some reason I’m compelled to put them in there. It’s like an itch; the painting doesn’t feel finished until I’ve etched these long slender marks.
They’re a recurring compositional element in my work, haunting my paintings here and there for some twenty years.
In this new body of paintings, the vertical lines seem to sequester off or frame areas of the landscape portrayed.
Much like our memories.
Whole passages of our memory of a place fades under mental rust and dust. Our recollections narrow. Sharpness softens.
Or we forget altogether as our focus is diverted with the ping of devices.
What’s left?
some details:
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| do i listen? ~ by dawn chandler ~ mixed media on panel ~ 12″ x 24″ ~ copyright dawn chandler 2013 |
Incidentally, just as in my first painting in this series, Baldy Mountain from Wilson Mesa ~ Have You Gazed, most of the words and phrases in this painting come from the Robert Service poem, The Call of Wild.
Also, this view of Crooked Creek was shared with me by way of my dear friend and Philmont legend Mariah Hughes, who spent a summer exploring these meadows and pathways as one of Philmont’s first women camp directors. As I learned this weekend, Mariah requested this photo of our friend, Jim MacGillivray. (Nice job, Jim!)
Today is Mariah’s birthday, so it only seems appropriate that I post these paintings today. Happy birthday, SS! 😉
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| the trail to crooked creek ~ by dawn chandler ~ oil on panel ~ 12″ x 24″ ~ copyright dawn chandler 2013 |
6.30.13 ~ 2 weeks, 4,089 miles
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| Early morning along Route 9 between Fair Play and Buena Vista, Colorado. |
Sunday, last day of June…. just back yesterday from…..northern New Mexico -> southwestern Colorado -> Utah -> southern Idaho -> Oregon coast -> Portland -> into Washington, abandon Vancouver (thanks RAIN!) -> northern Idaho -> western Montana -> western Wyoming -> Frisco, Colorado -> home to New Mexico
Lots and lots of hours passed in the car [praise be to my little red Subaru!] through miles and miles of wrenchingly beautiful country.
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| The Oregon Coast, north of Yachats |
Some highlights:
— every nook and cranny of the Oregon coast
— the road through eastern Oregon and Bend and Eugene to get to said coast
— the Oregon State Park system
— Portland. Every. Last. Thing. About. It.
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| Camping in Oregon |
— Route 12 all the way from western Washington to Montana
— northern Idaho
— US Forest Service campgrounds
— the green banks of Montana sewn in along blue rivers and mountain forests
— the Yellowstone River
— the rugged, jagged, sweeping wall of the Grand Tetons
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| Cruising the eastern flank of the Grand Tetons |
— early morning light on the Rockies, welcoming us home
— wildflowers along the Continental divide
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| Morning in Wyoming |
— reading
— drawing
— thinking
— dreaming
— hooking up with long-ago friends
— being completely unplugged and newsless for two weeks
— every last bakery, eatery, coffee house, brew pub and food truck between here and Portland and back again
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| Descending from Hoosier Pass down into Alma, Colorado. |