dawnwinterart.com

During my formative years while growing up in the Midwest, I was encouraged to appreciate our natural environment through many family activities such as camping, gardening and hiking in state and national parks during each of the four seasons of the year.  I developed an appreciation for the awe inspiring nuanced colors, patterns and beauty we find in our natural settings…whether it be intricate, and delicate or exuberant and vibrant. Each season’s distinct colors came to represent unique emotional associations. Simultaneously, a passion for architecture and interior design led to my fascination with the influence of color within our living and work spaces. I discovered how the use of color can also represent emotions. During my teen years I lost track of time while pouring over architectural plans and imagining home interiors.

 My creative passions were reignited in my early 40’s while visiting art galleries in Santa Fe, NM. I found myself compelled to explore painting in a manner that was both energizing and intuitive. I quickly rediscovered my love for expressing myself through painting and the pleasure of creating art after several years of ignoring these longings. I was captivated by acrylics and the tactile process of creating texture and building layers to create depth and intrigue. A new, yet familiar world opened up and I found joy in once again exploring my own interests. My earlier fascination with color and its impact on our surroundings along with my passion for our environment all began to come together to create intuitive paintings reflecting my emotions, hopes and memories.

 My art practice centers around subtle and non-representative paintings in which I invite viewers to speculate and use their imaginations in order to interpret the work within each painting.  Beginning with an image in mind by using palette knives, create subtle, multi layered textures, both opaque and translucent layers. The soothing motion of gliding the palette knife back and forth over a canvas is comforting. There comes a point when my intuition tells me the painting is finished. My love for color motivates me to explore color combinations and to express myself in  ways in which are easier by painting rather than using words.I am a self-taught artist who continues to explore my painting career, selected classes, self-introspection and by my curious nature by asking myself “I wonder what happens when…”.

I believe each painting is an honest exploration of my recollections and a manner in which to share emotions which can be difficult to describe otherwise. It is my hope that others find a connection with and are stirred by my paintings and to possibly even evoke treasured memories. Whether it’s lighthearted and playful or depicting longing and deeper felt sentiments, I hope to convey the various emotions we all experience. My landscape paintings may capture memories from a long-ago travels, childhood memories, or of our natural surroundings in which people’s lives were forever influenced. It is my belief that each painting tells its own story.