jpdawes artist

Studio Gallery Space

| JP Dawes Artist

I have an application in for a regional studio tour. I have been in it in the past so I am keeping my fingers crossed. You don’t ever know what a jury is going to do! Hoping they publish jury results soon.

Whether it is for the tour or having some personal art open house events, I need to reconfigure some studio space. I have one corner that I used to store wool for weaving and rug hooking. Since I do neither any longer, I am making it into a gallery space. I am painting the walls and getting ready to make a hanging system. Boy are they expensive! I did a lot of research and found that I can buy all the parts needed to make my own gallery rail system for a tiny fraction of the cost. When the parts get here I will do a step by step tutorial on how I am making the system. I have nylon cord with ferrals to make loops that will then hang on the picture rail hooks. Those funny things are adjustable hooks for the cords. I will be able to use one cord and hang multiple small things from it.

Unforgettable art advice

| JP Dawes Artist

Paint ( draw, sketch, sew, render, create) what you see; paint what you love; paint what trips your trigger; paint what you have an emotional response to; paint what is in front of you; paint with your heart. I am sure I left a few things out but I think you get the drift.

Three Sisters. This painting was created in gouache on a very wet camping trip in early spring. The trees were in front of me and the sun had finally come out. I love trees! The stark white tripped my trigger so I wanted to capture the image. The painting can have a lot of interpretations by the viewer. I won’t bore you with what it means to me, but I am one of 3 sisters. Can you guess which one?

from Photo to sketch to painting

| JP Dawes Artist

The spent sunflowers had a graceful swoop. I wanted to capture that before cutting them off. ( Don’t worry, we keep the seed heads for the birds) I had a toned canvas waiting for my interpretation in oil. Any time I work from a photo or en plein air , I always edit the scene for a pleasing composition. After simplifying this photo I sketched with pastel onto the toned canvas.

Oh I love a mini

| JP Dawes Artist

Teeny, tiny minis. They all are painted from photos I took while painting en plein air. I like to have these on hand for purchase anytime I sell in person. They are easy for people to grab for a corner in their home, to liven up their cubicle at work or to slip into a padded envelope to mail to a friend.