Today we’d like to introduce you to Dawn Whitelaw.
Hi Dawn, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
mystory3.pages.pdf
At age 35, my life took an unexpected turn when saw an original painting in Washington DC. That chance viewing set the course for the rest of my life. My background was graphic design. I painted some, but not often or seriously. My uncle was a professional artist and my mother painted. I guess I assumed everyone painted some, not a big deal. The painting was Cecelia Beaux’s portrait of her uncle, a dapper man in a white suit with a cat in his lap. It was not so much the subject that made me swoon, but the way the paint and colors were used. I had never seen a painting like this. I did not know that paint could be that expressive. I knew without a doubt that I wanted to learn to use paint in this way. Here I am 56 years later and still happily working toward this goal. Most days I am in my north light studio in FrankIin, TN with a brush in my hand. I am more excited about painting and more hungry to learn than ever before. I don’t feel limited by a particular subject matter. I love painting people, places and things equally. I was fortunate to find Everett Raymond Kinstler as a teacher. He was the closest to Beaux that I could find and he was a generous mentor to me until his death in 2019. Early on I was interested in just painting portraits, so he sent me out to paint landscape on site. This was another life changing move and opened up the world of plein air painting to me. His instruction and encouragement, lead me to be passionate about sharing this view point of painting with others. Teaching and learning at the core of who I am as an artist. I learn so much from my students. I spent 30+ years as adjunct instructor at Lipscomb University in Nashville . Now I teach workshops and instruct at events like Plein Air South,Plein Air Convention and Expo, the Portrait Society of America’s annual conference, and for many years at the Peninsula School of Art in Wisconsin.
Looking back over the years as a painter, I am sure that the teaching/ mentoring of other artists will be my most significant contribution.
What role has luck played?
You can call it luck or good fortune or just say that I have been blessed. My life and my pursuit of making and teaching art have been richly blessed in ways too numerous to name. The blessings have mostly come in the form of people that have crossed my path at just the right time, or with just the right message. A favorite quote is a line from Tennyson. “I am a part of all that I have met. ” My art and life have been shaped by teachers, students, family, friends, colleagues, mentors, and patrons. The community of artists in the broad genre of realism is huge and available for inspiration ,encouragement and instruction.I am ever grateful for the people in my life.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The greatest challenge has been the late start. A start down this path at age 18 would have looked different than a start at age 35.
How do you think about luck?
What role has luck played?
You can call it luck or good fortune or just say that I have been blessed. My life and my pursuit of making and teaching art have been richly blessed in ways too numerous to name. The blessings have mostly come in the form of people that have crossed my path at just the right time, or with just the right message. A favorite quote is a line from Tennyson. “I am a part of all that I have met. ” My art and life have been shaped by teachers, students, family, friends, colleagues, mentors, and patrons. The community of artists in the broad genre of realism is huge and available for inspiration ,encouragement and instruction.I am ever grateful for the people in my life.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dawn.whitelaw/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dawn.whitelaw.3
- Other: leiperscreekgallery.com and portraitsinc.com
