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musings from the studio and beyond ~

dawn chandler’s reflections on art and life. . . .

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the moreno valley & me – part two

[This the second of a two-part series. Read the moreno valley & me, part one here.] When my friend Carol asked me to paint their view of Baldy from the Moreno Valley, it was not the seemingly obvious view from the meadow near the main cabin that I and others had...

the moreno valley & me, part one

The first time I entered and crossed the Moreno Valley was in July, 1982. I had just completed a Rayado Trek at Philmont. My brothers were both working as Rangers at Philmont that summer along with some other Scouting friends from back home. My parents and another...

letting go of home

Wednesday, June 19, 2019 would have been my parents' 65th wedding anniversary. It's also the day that I learned my childhood home has been destroyed. My home of 42 years. My tiny bedroom with the astonishing bookshelves wrapping around two walls and concealing a...

georgia o’keeffe & me

My first time visiting the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum was in 1997, soon after they opened. Yesterday was my first time back. Did I mention the Georgia O’Keeffe museum is two miles from my house? Yet it took me twenty-two years to walk through the doors again. Two...

working & walking in the new mexico mud

I had in mind an altogether different blog post for this installment. But then something happened to me today. On my early morning run through my neighborhood I noticed a sign…. I like labyrinths. In fact I've even written about labyrinths before on this blog, about...

celebrating grace: the art of migrating home

Last week at this time I was sipping coffee while looking out across the early morning light glittering off a tributary of the Potomac River. I’d gone east to the land of water and trees to visit again the home of a beloved elder, who offered my spirit sustenance and...

how to paint yourself free

Have you wanted to travel to the unknown*? Have you wanted to expand your boundaries* Are you yearning for freedom*? Photo collage of passages of several Joan Fullerton paintings. Then I encourage you to sign up for artist Joan Fullerton's wonderful online painting...

being scared. but doing it anyway.

A few days ago I released to the world my latest creative project. I put it out there not knowing if anyone would be interested. That’s the scariest thing about being an artist: Putting your very soul into something you’ve made and not knowing whether it will be...

the grace of trivial projects

Snow has been falling for hours. And though there doesn't seem to be much accumulation — it's too warm — it's been beautiful to watch. Beyond quenching the earth and sogging the dirt roads, mostly the snow has served to bury my To Do List. There's so much I planned to...