On their first date attending a football game Mom asked Dad “Which ones are the goalies?”
After all, my parents met at a hockey game.
My Dad, an athlete and huge sports fan, wasn’t offended by her lack of football knowledge. He married her not long after.

One of the wonderful aspects of art, is you don’t have to understand it to be a fan.
Professional Art appraisers primary advice is “art should be a passion buy.” In other words, love it? buy it.

People purchase music, clothes, homes, cars, confidently without worrying about or justifying their choice, yet confidence can dwindle quickly when it comes to art.

Learning about art can be enlightening and offer a bonus confidence boost.
Having a glimpse of the work involved, process, or meaning behind it, can lessen the fear of art, and bring open-mindedness.
Plus, it’s a transferable skill.
Appreciating varying art forms boosts your own creativity, innovativeness, decision making ability and understanding new perspectives.

Like music, there is so much to enjoy about art.
Whether it be Carr’s emerald forests, Rothko’s smokey colour transitions in Four Darks in Red to Jean Paul Riopelle ’s incredible kaleidoscope design in “Composition Blue.”
Don Berger’s florals unfold in absolute beauty.
Julia Hargreaves stunning “A Warm Afternoon in May”, the first painting I see each morning, brings me tremendous joy.
Allen Sapp and Maude Lewis were storytellers of personal life experiences.
Daphne Odjig, a pioneer in bringing First Nations Art to the forefront of Canada’s art world. *
Tom Thomson’s pure raw work feel as by the hand of one connected to the wild. Van Gogh’s uninhibited love of the earth radiates from his work.Then there are Monet’s brush stokes melting into one another and Lawren Harris’s clean edges.
The list is endless.

Exploring can be fun with the wealth of information available. The internet can be a doorway to discovering and learning about art process, exhibits, biographies, and stories. Art experienced live may be the ultimate gift. If you have an opportunity to do so, venture beyond the screen.
Approach artists, dealers and gallery representatives knowing they are usually happy to share their expertise and stories. It’s within inquisitiveness appreciation is gained.

Not long ago, I was taken by a simple sketch series in a gallery. A woman was portrayed in a series of four portraits, gracefully moving forward in confident, dance like steps. It looked as thou in each one she aged, her figure a little more stooped, yet the same lengthy kick to her heals. I found them joyful. The dealer explained the drawing, by a bronze sculptor, was a working sketch to achieve form for a piece located in the sculpting gallery.
The sculpture was delightful. Had I never asked, I would not have seen it, nor made the connection.
We are all students.

~
*Wikipedia.

New Work now complete:
Forest Path – 3ft x 4ft acrylic/ oil on canvas ( shown in natural and studio light).
Beach- 8×10 oil on canvas board.

Note: While on the theme of asking questions, a few of yours from this week.
• I always stand, never sit to paint.
• I don’t have a dog, but I agree, they are good company.
• Art is my sole income, I work full time as an Artist.
• I have explored a variety of subjects, nature is where I feel I can most contribute.
• I work in a variety of sizes to keep stimulating & challenging my composition skills, also to prevent injuries from repetitive motion working on the same spacial surface can cause.
• The new Red Sky painting is my happiest place in the world. Wild grasses and sage blanket the valley crest at Manitou. You can feel the ancients wishing happy tidings on the breeze.

The Huichol tribe greet the rising and setting sun daily.
It’s one way to relieve stress and connect with ‘Kupuri” or “Life Force”.
For them, nature is, like in many indigenous tribes, a direct source of life power & essence.

They transform fear by “going out into nature at night, watching stars above, embrace darkness, silence & nature sounds.” In daytime, they “employ the light of the sun by bringing the light into body, soul and spirit.”*

‘Quietening the Mind’ is a form of meditation practiced in nature.
Exercise outdoors is also a way Huichol people face stress with calmness. They focus on this while planting crops of corn one kernel at a time.

Living in the Sierra Madre Mountains, the tribe has no history of war.

Do you greet the sunrise and sunset daily, taking a moment to breathe deeply, quietening your mind?

Where is your happy place in nature?

You may be fortunate to enjoy several surroundings that fill your spirit.
Environments which delightfully challenge your body in movement, hiking, paddling, climbing, cycling, and make your spirit sing.

Happy places can be filled with active adventure, be a meditative sanctuary, or both.

While visiting your joyful niche outdoors, observe sounds, scents, colour, patterns, texture, light, and shadow. Tune into natures essence. The more present and mindful, the more heightened your experience and vivid your memory will be.
Feel happiness seep in and welcome the warmth of the sun into your heart.

~ * “Fit Body, Fit Soul” by Brant Secunda and Mark Allen.

New Work!

Two large new paintings above are in the home stretch of completion.

Yet Untitled, ( sunset & forest morning) they are 3 ft x 4ft original, acrylic & oil.

Also shown : Mountain Light, 22×28 oil on canvas & Mountain 4ft x3ft oil on canvas.

To purchase work, please email me dawn@dawnbanning.com

“Art, because it is so easy to do, but so difficult to do well, encourages humility in the human soul.” Robert Genn. “Art”, he said, “is an event.”

A million different decisions contribute to the evolution of one painting. Creating isn’t a linear process, nor is it automatic. Whatever genre an artist may work in, there is deliberation, conscious planning, and if practiced long enough, on a good day, flow that contributes to the magic factor.

A friend believes the more a painting looks like a photograph, the more skilled the artist. He spoke about efficiency, thinking artists have ability to wake up, decide to paint a specific subject, then just slap it together.
Before you roast him, I encouraged his questions & thoughts.

Artists do become more adept with tool handling, understanding mediums & their limits, as well as trying to push our own. Creating art also requires intention and work. Wonderfully, creating may be one of the most mindful activities there is. Skill level may be determined by mature style, execution, design, and evolution of their work, researching an Artist’s history, asking professional sources such as dealers and gallery representatives.

After our lively chat, I realized a key point, viewers these days may not see art beyond their cellphone screen.
For those who are physically unable to visit galleries and museums, online galleries make art accessible. The world wide web is a fantastic way to expose art and the world’s diverse culture to a global audience.

Thou like many things viewed on a screen, or like a travel brochure offering a glimpse of your holiday, it won’t compare to real life experience.

As Genn said, “ Art is an event”.

Among online galleries websites/ social media benefits ( artist run websites, art museums, commercial art galleries) is educating the viewer on an artists portfolio of work, history, etc. Previewing an exhibit online first offers the opportunity to think of questions for the dealer or artist, which pieces you wish to view when you visit, layout of the gallery, etc.
The web allows you track galleries, artists ,their sales, exhibits, industry news. Following galleries & artists on social media can be inspiring and help abreast of new work, future exhibits, etc.

I have gained international clients from the web. Their most popular comment? “Wow. It’s SO much better in person.”

These comments are common because viewing work online:
Electronic devices display colour uniquely, perhaps not true to life.
Size of the painting may be difficult to conceive.
Zooming in on images, especially on a phone can distort your cognitive experience and affect emotional connection to the work.
With impressionism, and large format paintings, proper distance in personal viewing is required to achieve it’s affect.

One hope with online galleries/ presence is to invite the viewer to explore and incorporate art into your lives.
The real ones.
Art is meant to be lived with, engaged in, .. it’s a wonderful personal conversation you alone have with each piece. To take advantage of the magnitude and scope of that conversation, reality takes the cake.

I encourage you to explore art beyond the screen. Visit museums & galleries, view a variety of genres, even ones you may not like. Feel free to ask questions. Questions are welcome when addressed in curiosity and kindness.
Gaining an understanding of different genres encourages an open mind, appreciation of different perspectives, and diversity.
There is quite nothing like the thrilling flutter when a certain piece captures your heart, or when you finally view the masterpiece you once only saw in history books. It can be transcending.

Spend your lunch hour at a museum. ( Interestingly, a study that had professionals doing just that resulted in lower blood pressure & HRates, AND resulted with increase of random acts of kindness). Meet friends for coffee near a gallery and take in the exhibit. Wander a studio tour or an art fair. Shake the hand of the creator.

Art exposure feeds our cognitive skills, communication, problem solving tasks and heals not just emotionally, but physically as well. Art can illuminate and feed the soul.

~

New Work: Field #1, 2 & 3. Each 16×20 acrylic/ oil on canvas.

New work, using the same reference, same size canvas, same prep, for these three paintings, painted in three different styles.

On the left in the group photo Field #1is a more abstract composition, meant to have pizzaz, exhibit the feel of clouds moving toward the viewer and swirling in the sky, it’s an energetic piece, true of the beauty of prairie skies.

#2 Middle is impressionistic. It’s meant to streamline the composition, eliminate fuss and ‘noise’ of detail, the intention is to feel the power of colour, of movement in the sky, and the rich contrasts of the scape. it’s meant to be a direct emotional experience, and spark imagination.

#3 far right is a realistic composition. It’s more illustrative, with blended transitions, detail in grasses, trees, clouds giving the viewer more information.

Which is your favourite? vote 1,2 or 3.
To purchase these or any new work please email me dawn@dawnbanning.com

Caliente is Benjamin Moore’s 2018 colour of the year.
Media may dwell on architectural & interior fashion trends, however, there is an exciting movement with primary focus not to trend, but inhabitants.

While this isn’t a new concept, Wellness Architecture is currently gaining recognition.
“The Wellness Architecture initiative brings together diverse thought leaders with the purpose of raising awareness on how our surroundings directly, and profoundly, impact us psychologically, physically, energetically, emotionally, and spiritually.”

“The trend is based on the Well Building Standard, a checklist of seven categories: air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort and mental health. Developed by Delos and the International Well Building Institute, these are the blueprints for a healthy building ”

Beyond what Benji chooses for wall colour, it’s about how we live, work, move and inhabit space as individuals. We spend 90% of our lives indoors, it’s critical to orchestrate our living/ working environments for vital health & wellness.

Little Architecture explains:
“The connection between space & wellness”
“As living beings, we are our environment.  Design plays a significant role in human health, and the way that we configure and manipulate elements in a space can mean more to its inhabitants than whether they like the color of the walls, or the texture of the carpet.  On the most basic level certain environmental factors have universal effects on all of us – i.e. daylight & circadian rhythm.  In other cases these environmental factors are very personal and specific, based on our genetic wiring.  Genetics set the stage and the environment activates those genes in different ways.
Our bodies respond to queues in our environment – as our evolutionary responses developed – and much of what is designed today is giving our systems the wrong message.  The most unfortunate thing is that very few organizations and even design professionals recognize the benefits of salutogenic design (designing for wellness).  Salutogenic design isn’t something that’s “cool” or “good for PR”.  It’s a measurable aspect of design that can help a building’s inhabitants operate at their peak of effectiveness, maintaining physical and mental well-bring, actually helping them to lead healthier, and therefore longer lives.  It is the ultimate investment in people, in an architectural sense.
The way that we design space has a direct impact on physical and mental fatigue, awareness, memory cognition, depression, cardiovascular & musculoskeletal health.”

Research across a variety of studies strongly suggest nature views and nature art play a strong part in wellness surroundings.
It’s makes sense, humanity has an allure to nature. (a topic in my upcoming presentation).
“Views of nature have been shown to increase feelings of meaningfulness and connection to others & nature.” WH Magazine2018
Running magazine discovered people who worked out in front of pictures/ art of their favourite holiday location proved optimum for motivation and increased endurance.

We are all born with a little spidy sense, influenced by our surroundings even on an unconscious level.
Every space we dwell in, interact in, move thru, even transition areas, have significance. What you pass by in a hallway may not come immediately to mind, but your body will have reacted to the pattern, shape, light, colour, scent of everything in your midst.
Creating spaces with awareness can be life altering and enhancing. As Little Architecture states “It’s the ultimate investment in people”.

~

Meaning of amaryllis flower, click here
See how Benjamin Moore comes up with its colour of the year. click here  Surprisingly, calinete is the colour of an amaryllis flower.

All work is available for purchase, please email me for details. dawn@dawnbanning.com
Amaryllis   30×40   2700.00
Bay   22×28   1500.00

In reality, most of us are a work in progress.
The arts have long wrestled with perfection persona.

Visual art rose as a form of communication. Skilled artists were often respected as Shaman. This divinity persona weighed on artists thru history. Michelangelo burned his working sketches. Ideas formed from devotion to work and practice, not from pure ‘ divine enlightenment’ would have been deeply frowned upon.

Yet, the most famous, celebrated painting in history is not without flaws. Leonardo Da Vinci’s portrait of “Lisa”, Titled “Mona Lisa” (meaning My Lisa) a brilliant work of art, has hints of overworking, mismatched horizon and hands, among other little ‘flaws’.
The portrait took 4 years to complete, and he didn’t feel it was his finest work.
4 years. Think of how much Lisa’s looks would have changed.*
Perhaps the artist, with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and improvement may have been evolving too?

In an era of perfection pursuit, its comforting that with flaws, great achievements may illumine and perhaps, imitate life.

Conductor and Co- author of “The Art of Possibility” Ben Zander suggests one slightly off musical note played with sincere emotion is more powerful than a technically emotionally absent performance.
“If we include mistakes in our definition of performance, we are likely to glide through them and appreciate the beauty of the longer run.” Benjamin Zander

A well known artist told me as soon as a painting goes ‘south’ it must be discarded, urging my agreement. I rarely completely trash work. I like to see what may be possible, put it aside, ponder what may lie yet undiscovered. Not ‘rework’ it but resurrect it. Morphing the work may far exceed expectations, built on ‘flaws’.

I learned this lesson early in my career. Working on my last canvas for a group exhibit, it all ‘went south.’
Dismayed, my budget didn’t allow for purchase of more supplies.
The stress of failing to meet the show requirement haunted me for days. One evening after work, I decided to see if the canvas could be salvaged, maybe, just maybe if I combine mediums, acrylic and oil, maybe if I sand it down.. maybe…

The piece was a turning point in my career.
Because I was restricted from overworking it, it felt light and bold. It had spark. In effect, the flawed work beneath gave it life.

The day after the opening, a collector reserved the gallery to wander at his private leisure.
Of all the work in the show, unknown to him, he purchased a painting initially designated for the trash.

Revisiting work, or contemplating work that didn’t pan out isn’t a mark of perfectionism. It’s optimism born from personal non judgement.
We take the seat of self criticism seriously, with great respect of the process. Remove pride from the equation, and you embody energy and power of possibility.

~“I settled on a game called I am a contribution. Unlike success and failure, contribution has no other side. It is not arrived at by comparison.” Benjamin Zander.

* Reference: Robert Genn “The Letters” page 542

~ All new work is available for purchase.  I have been revisiting, and breathing new life into pieces I am so excited to share with you today!  please email me at dawn@dawnbanning.com

One side note, I have not taken a break from posting, or painting for nearly a decade. If you have not received these letters on a regular basis, the system on occasion may stop sending letters to those it believes are spam. I apologize for this inconvenience. If ever in doubt, please  go to my website, click on “NEWSBLOG” to see all new work & posts.

I am still technically restricted, without access to my computer, files & contacts or from using my camera for the photos. These were taken with an iPhone.

Optimism can add 7.5 years to your life.
Silver lining attitude can go a long, long way.

In sport and art, the path to improvement involves physical, mental & emotional elements.
The spark of belief limits can be surpassed fuels the fire.

For some, that means bumping up training, nutrition, seeking coaches, new materials, new environment, genres or sport, moving or taking up a new hobby to unlock ultimate potential. Change can spur growth, even if it’s not directly related.

For others, the search is internal, reflecting inward, seeking a different kind of mentor.
Ironman triathlete Mark Allen’s compelling story “Fit Body, Fit Soul” credits his success to recognizing the power of spiritual and emotional health. Shaman Brant Secunda helped him tap into his internal power, enormously impacting Allen’s career and life.

Artist Emily Carr’s work dramatically changed at the age of 58. Until then, historians dubbed her work mediocre at best. What happened? Most of the credit goes to her meeting Lismer, Harris and members of the famous Group of Seven. Her letters corresponding with Harris still exist.

A little sleuthing uncovered a unique series of events that I think also fueled this change.

Feeling frustrated with her own work, nearly penniless, giving up painting for over a decade, Carr took up pottery and opened a rooming house for funds. A call from the National Gallery had her traveling east, but before she took her long train ride, she was sent a book, on the new ‘modern’ painting. It included work the Group were doing. She had heard stories about modern painting, and was CURIOUS.

Key: Frustration and curiosity can fuel passion. It exhibits wanting to improve and open mindedness to learn.

Carr’s curiosity peaked after reading on the long train ride east.
Away from her rainforest and experiencing new places,( change of environment) meeting peers,( sense of community) like the Group,( mentors) and being asked to exhibit in the National gallery,( confidence).
I personally believe all fed her fire to return to the easel with hope, knowledge and inspiration, and perhaps happenstance meetings had a dramatic impact on how she worked and her style.
It’s in this same period that happened to meet Georgia O’Keefe, saw and exhibit by Arthur Dove, and another artist who’s bold style caught her interest.

O’Keefe apparently did large sketches with inexpensive supplies. It’s possible, O’Keefe shared her process with Carr. Some believe, this sparked Carr to creating brilliant sketches known today.

This is a critical point in artistic freedom & creativity. Carr was low on funds. The fear of ruining good supplies strikes most professional artists. This fear can override taking creative risks, and stall progress.
Carr writes about her sudden joyful freedom to ’sketch’ with cheap housepaint, mixed with gasoline on inexpensive newsprint. Her creative fire no longer stamped out by fear of not having supplies to explore, her brushstrokes and style evolved. Coupled with encouragement from the Group of Seven, corresponding with them, exploring exhibits of other artists and the internal drive to evolve her work, at the age of 58, she did just that.

Some say artistic vision dropped out of the sky and into her lap. I say, she was a spunky, knowledge seeking, forest loving, thou perhaps at times cranky ( who wouldn’t be breathing in gasoline in confined spaces?) individual.

Advice in art can be contradictory. Loosen up your stroke, tighten up areas, bold colour, less colour, more value, be free with stroke and composition, be a careful with your brushstrokes & make them count.
So it goes.

Perhaps the solution in any journey to improvement & success, is to find balance. Change spurs improvement, courage feeds confidence, open mindedness offers room for growth. Community can bolster mood, collectors encourage, peers may inspire.Mentor, spiritual guide, or coach, may help with your brushstroke, run splits, or personal evolvement.

Listen externally with an open mind, internally with an open heart. Know when to quiet the noise,retreat to your sanctuary and instincts. Remain steadfast in your pursuit, dwell in possibility and reach for the stars. You might just surprise yourself, and add years to your life.

~
I am writing you from a borrowed laptop after experiencing a complete crash of my own.
In midst of completing several months of work in an art presentation, my tech world went black.
I have hopefully, temporarily lost your contact info/ research photos/ and my entire presentation, along with the name of an artist that happened along in Carr’s career.
The silver lining, I chose this week away from tech stuff to be uninhibited with my creative exploration, continuing to reach for what lies shimmering beneath the surface. Hope you enjoy the new work. I still have access to update Instagram, Linked IN, and email. I would love to hear from you.

Inspirational Song on repeat this week in the studio: “Storm Comin”  by the Wailing Jenny’s.

New Work: Windswept Tree – 60×40 Oil on canvas
Prairie Skies 1&2 – both 16×20 acrylic ( #1 shown on left in double photo-# 2 – shows progress to final pic with tools. possibly still in progress. :0)

What was fun when you were 8?

Experts say children naturally do what they love and pursue it with gusto. Personality can shine like a bright new penny in youth.

We may lose a little of that shine from life demands, expectations and inhibitions that weigh on us as adults. If you are searching for your fun groove, think about what you enjoyed when you were 8.

Personality is a big deal in art, some would say, in artists too.

Artists need to entice buyers and establish their personality or ‘brand’ solidly among a massive sea of available art.

With demands to create prolifically, post often on social media, exhibit process and who is behind the brush, without compromising style or boundaries…

How to stand out?

Answers can be found creating art authentically unique in personality, with an unquenchable thirst to improve and evolve. Historical research can help pave the way, with consistent locked in studio time. Lastly, experiment fearlessly knowing failure is a huge component of growth. Thou staying on course isn’t easy, it’s worth the effort.

These are some of my continuing goals. What’s new for you in 2018? What’s happily the same?

Whatever your dreams, may you find your groove and the fun factor. May you thrive in the face of challenge and excel. May you be well, peaceful & happy.~

2018 projects include:

ART: So excited to share this new work with you!

New : Sunset Lake 14×18 oil on canvas. ( Thanks Tim M. for sharing your photo)

           Wood Door– 24×36 oil on canvas.

PRESENTATION: “Connect to nature in the way of an artist”. . without picking up a brush. Showing in spring at the Hockley Valley Studio of Al Pace, as part of their lecture series. Other locations yet to be determined.

EXHIBITS: Exhibiting in the fall at the Shurniak Gallery in Assiniboia Saskatchewan! After communicating with Bill Shurniak for 3 years, it’s an absolute dream to be showing at his beautiful legendary venue. To read about Bill’s incredible personal collection and vision behind his gallery, click here. And here.

With the workload ahead & to focus on what I do best.. paint, I will post on professional social media where my collectors are most active, Linked IN and my newsblog. Fairly new to Instagram, for now, you can find the art  @dawnartworks.

You are welcome to share the news/ social media links and web with friends. To purchase art, (2017 pricing applies presently) please email me at dawn@dawnbanning.com or my representatives at the Hambleton gallery, Kelowna BC. info@hambletongalleries.com

Visiting my newsblog for the first time? Welcome! 6 of the most popular posts among readers, click below links.

http://www.dawnbanning.com/newsblog/a-month-in-the-wilderness/

http://www.dawnbanning.com/newsblog/elements/

http://www.dawnbanning.com/newsblog/the-runner/

http://www.dawnbanning.com/newsblog/habitat-vitamins-effects-of-viewing-art/

http://www.dawnbanning.com/newsblog/creative-mobility-part-2/

http://www.dawnbanning.com/newsblog/intention/

Do you make New Year’s Resolutions? How is training going?

Canadian resolutioners will be pursuing a goal, or kicking a bad habit in one of the coldest, darkest months of the year. Training early might be a good plan.

Some Canadians believe we go into a form of hibernation during our chilly winters. That doesn’t exactly set the foundation for motivation.

Experts say it takes 90 days to establish a habit. October would be a good time to start prepping for next year’s goals.

Before you remind me it’s December, don’t dismay. You can still set the stage for success.

What advice can an Artist offer who has never made a New Year’s resolution?

1. Research. Gather documentation and set a game plan.Wish to expand your creative reach? What tools/training do you need? What gym will you join? Which programs will you sign up for? Looking for a job or location change? Is your your resume current?

2. Establish routine. How will this change affect your routine? Visualizing life goals in detail sows the seed for change.

3. Test run. Wean off an unhealthy snack. Try a free trial at the gym, an afternoon workshop of your desired instructional course. Can you see yourself attending on a regular basis?

4. Consult experts. Nutritionist, creative coach, volunteer coordinator, book editor, personal trainer, Doctor, etc. What do they suggest to make your goal possible? Can they be an active part of your plan? Ex: a creative coach may help with one aspect of your business you wish to grow: a Doctor may order a physical before suggesting fitness/weight loss ideas.

Equipped with a researched plan, expert advice, and testing the waters, you set a path to success for the winds of change.

You may even avoid hibernation all together. :0)

~

Wonder why I have never made a New Year’s resolution? I believe Opportunity for growth (change) exists daily. Read here http://www.dawnbanning.com/newsblog/renewal/

One of my most popular posts ever among readers is on the topic of New Year’s resolutions. Read here. http://www.dawnbanning.com/newsblog/intention/

P.S on a poetic note: Robert Genn relays a reader passage in “Letters” on the topic of Resolutions (pg 317)

“I will follow the internal river that roars in my ears and flows, sometimes not noticed, past my psyche of what I “should” paint for sales. I’ll step into the river. I’ll trust that the weight of what I have to say will remain buoyant and that the river will take me where I need to go.”

Wind of change- music

New Work:

“Sunrise Reflection” 11×14 oil on canvas ( now complete)

“Mist” ( island) 11×14 oil on canvas

“Note the distinct difference of pine and spruce. Now draw them,” Dad instructed as we wandered northern boreal forest. Happy to be with my Dad in the park, surrounded by the scent of pine, I dutifully turned to my paper.

I don’t remember the detailed lessons of pine & spruce he taught that day when I was a child. But I do recall the spread of his wide shoulders under his kaki shirt swooping down to scoop a pine cone in his calloused hand. I remember the timber of his gentle voice and the easy manner of which he walked. I remember that moment so clearly, my love for him shining in my heart as it does today. Sharing shyness and a love of wilderness, we walked to the sound of chickadees in the bright summer sun.

You may not remember if the tree branches reached skyward or dipped toward the lake, as you paddled the shoreline that day. If you were lucky, you weren’t wearing a watch. Maybe it was 6 am or closer 7:30.

You do likely remember colour blossoming as dawn illuminated the forest.

The welcome heat on your face, with light bursting from behind scattered clouds.

You may remember the sound of a distant loon and waves lapping the rocky shore. Lake or river gently rocked your craft, lulling your heartbeat to a peaceful rhythm.

Remember how you felt in peaceful stillness immersed in the warmth of day’s awakening. This is what art does.

~

Note: If I have done my job, art can simultaneously spark internal reflection, memories and beckon you outdoors. It can illuminate the emotion of nature engagement. It’s this wonderful balance of internal, and external, all the while considering why lies beyond the edges.

~All new work is available for purchase. Email dawn@dawnbanning.com

Sky over Lake 12×24 ( now complete) oil on canvas

Northern Shore 24×36 oil on canvas

A thought struck after studio visitors voiced familiar questions. I had a few of my own.

Are you curious about inspired subject matter, or why I create?

Thou I struggle with these kind of self involved posts, I will take a reprieve from my usual story telling post narrative & answer your pressing questions and share factors that may make my work unique.

Subject matter: People, wildlife, dogs, houses and children’s murals have been explored by my pencil and brush, thou I am utterly compelled to paint the natural world.

It’s human connection to nature I seek. When asked why I don’t put people in the paintings, my answer remains,

”I do. I put you there.”

I feel very fortunate to have lived or traveled beautiful locations in this country and beyond. Growing up, Dad’s work as a conservation officer led us to residing in several Provincial Parks, offering a wonderful opportunity to experience diverse wilderness.

This leads to three key strengths to paint location variety.

One: Adaptability.

Two: Appreciation of diverse regions.

Three: Creativity is not my top strength. It’s 4^th.(discovered thru testing) First is Emotional Intelligence, next Empathy.

I can emotionally connect, and have varied wilderness experience.

Where are the paintings from? Sometimes, but not always site specific, I paint from photos, or plein air when available. The focus is to infuse the work with emotional connection, rather than illustrate.

Why Impressionism? Because my work is emotionally driven, impressionism suits it well. Every style has its challenges. I have dabbled in technically difficult realism. Impressionism is challenging in thought process. Compare impressionism to sharing a story in 5 words or less. Word choice needs to be important, well thought out and impactful.

My goal in the work is to develop highly emotional content that’s masterful in brushstroke & palette, and ultimately connects with you.

~

Note: An example of how the work isn’t necessarily site representative, is the SOLD Algonquin painting below with Kyra’s photo.

p.s Another common question “Is art your job?”: Yes. I make my living entirely on the sale of my artwork. No sponsorships, grants, etc.

It’s been an incredible journey that finally led to self employment. I thank you for helping make art possible by collecting and sharing the work.

Please feel free to make an appointment to visit the studio, or pop into the Hambleton Gallery in Kelowna, we would love to see you! Thank you for your collection of the work, and informative, supportive, inquisitive letters! J

New work available for purchase: Shown above in varied light. 

Forest  Nook 14×18 Oil on canvas

Sky over lake 12×24 oil on canvas ~ on the easel, it will rest before I decide if it’s done. Posting it is a way to not overwork the piece.

Special thanks for photo references to  Julia Hargreaves.