I knew I needed a break. I knew I needed to unplug. I knew I wanted to remove myself from the familiar, and just paint, just read, just write. Just think. Just not think. Just be. Without chatter. Without pinging and lights and alerts and the...
musings from the studio and beyond ~
dawn chandler’s reflections on art and life. . . .
art studio practices
of painted hearts, painted joy, and…. a bit of billie
Thank you everyone who expressed concern and relief after reading my last blog post with the tale of my birthday/new year car accident. I'm blessed — and grateful — for not only the non-tragic outcome of that event, but for all of you. Thank you. And thank you, too,...
of car crashes and thwarted resolutions
I've always loved the turn of the new year. I know some who people eye it with dread or sadness with the reminder of the passage of time. Their sad focus is on aging, and regrets. But for me the turn of the new year is a time of excitement and cheerful anticipation....
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...
figuring: words and value and color and play
One of the many things I love learning from other artists is what their daily studio practice entails. What rituals they embrace to get into the flow of creativity. Often when the subject of creative flow and ritual, comes up, writer Stephen King’s name is mentioned....
being an art student again
"The answer is 'YES!' If you are asking me a question about your painting, the answer is 'YES'!" His point being that most of his students are looking for permission to paint the way they want to paint — the way they've always dreamed of painting — but were too...
creative change: shaking things up
To say I was in a funk is too strong. I guess you could say I'd kind of painted myself into a corner. However you want to describe it, I was ripe for a creative shakeup. Much as I love my work and love my life, earlier this year I was in need of a creative change of...
of pith, sharp vicious teeth, and free art
My high school senior English professor used to wear a pith helmet. I don't remember the specific circumstances required for him to don the pith helmet, but they had something to do with intellectual pithiness. I also remember that it was rarely donned, but when it...
where art lives . . . .
What art offers is space — a certain breathing room for the spirit. ~ John Updike Who doesn’t love venturing into an artist’s studio? Even I — myself an artist — love visiting other creative’s studios. I delight in seeing the...
how a landscape painting evolves
It's always a little amazing to me how a landscape painting evolves. Even though I'm intimately aware of the stages, it still surprises me every time when, in the end, I have something I can actually recognize and identify. Between the first dabs of paint and my...