Sandra Dawson

Tweet 1989 B.F.A. University of Illinois Chicago, IL 1983 Fort Lewis College, Durango, CO Lives and works in Chicago Artist Statement In my work I unite objects from the natural environment with symbolic imagery and text from past and present cultures. Layers of paint are etched, scratched and subtracted to convey depth and to conjure memories. Pattern movement and form are all essential components, which balance the dynamic of the piece. The images in my work evolve from an observation of our natural world, our social circles and our internal psyche. Archetypes, Icons and mythological figures share space with childlike scrawls, poetry and graphic images. Interwoven, these elements convey a multilayered content partnered on a scarred yet sensuous surface. I paint, etch and draw both abstracted and figurative elements onto my panels. I combine techniques and materials which include: acrylic and oil paint, photographs, sheetrock, objects from nature, glass, gold and silver leaf. My work evolves spontaneously and intuitively. My paintings suggest a belief in the interconnection between all living things. I envision my work to communicate the paradox, the beauty and the mystery of life in its many layered complexities as well as in its most humble simplicity - taken for granted in the enormity of a fallen leaf, the transience of life, a moment in time. My work explores the reflections of duality: the connection between the past and the present, the fluctuation and the balance of never ending cycles. View Biography Animal Tree, oil and mixed media on panel, 48x48 Crazy, oil and mixed media on panel, 36x32 Invisible, oil and mixed media on panel, 38x38 Morning, oil and mixed media on panel, 24x48 Albatross, oil and mixed media on panel, 24x24 Nine, oil and mixed media on panel, 24x24 Open, oil and mixed media on panel, 24x24 Baking Bread, oil and mixed media on panel, 11x11 Boys Bad Year, oil and mixed media on panel, 11x11 Cowgirl, oil and mixed media on panel, 9x16 Wide World, oil and mixed media on panel, 9x12 Lotus, mixed media on panel, 36x32 How to Cross a River, mixed media on panel, 38x38 Continue to Dawson, Page 2