Artist Statement
Much of my work is about the search of a “none” (no religious affiliation) for spiritual connection.
I grew up in a landscape of wide open spaces, so it is perhaps not surprising that I became someone who valued the freedom to roam, to question, to explore. This eventually led me to wander beyond the boundaries of the religion — and many of the values — of my childhood home. And yet, like many “nones” (a term coined by a recent study on religion by The Pew Charitable Trusts), I retained a lifelong interest in philosophical questions about time, physical existence, and the nature of reality.
These interests provide endless fuel for my work as an artist. Water and reflective surfaces are motifs that appear frequently throughout my work, as are people engaged in quiet contemplation or some act of spiritual connection, such as making music.
Human beings naturally attempt to translate the world around them into something understandable. This is a key function of religion. To be fair, this is also what I'm doing when I paint -- seeking to describe the indescribable. Something so big and complex and beautiful that it can't possibly be reduced to words or images. So… perhaps I didn’t roam as far as I’d like to think.
Bio
Nan Dawkins is an artist who paints contemplative works that explore overarching themes of transcendence, time, and spiritual connection. Her two favorite subjects are soulful portraits and the sea in its various states of calm and tumult.
Nan is a graduate of The Compass Atelier Master Artist Program and has studied at notable art institutions around the world, including The Florence Academy of Art (Florence, Italy). Her award-winning portraits, still life and water paintings can be viewed in shows and exhibitions in the Washington, DC area and elsewhere in the mid-Atlantic region.
Originally from a remote region of West Texas, Nan left the oil wells and ranching culture of her childhood behind in her early 20’s. Her love of travel led her to many places around the world and she still spends as much time as possible in her happy place, Brittany, France, (where she finds plenty of her favorite subject matter). She currently lives in the Washington, DC area with her husband, Len, for most of each year.
AWARDS
Honorable Mention
Portrait, 2022, Paint the Town Show (MAA)
Still Life, 2022, Paint the Town Show (MAA)
2nd Place
Oil Paintings, Chevy Chase Women's Club Art Show, 2022
Small Works, Chevy Chase Women's Club Art Show, 2022
1st Place, Best in Show
Montpelier South Atlantic Juried Exhibition, 2021
10 Fun Facts About Me
1.) I have crossed the Ironman finish line multiple times (and I have an ill-considered tattoo to prove it.)
2.) The second most common type of footwear in my closet is cowboy boots.
3.) I have 5 children (FIVE). Three grandchildren. Three grand-dogs. One grand-cat.
4.) My happy place is Brittany, France (you can have Provence, although I admit that it can be lovely).
5.) My favorite dessert is a chocolate pie that my Grandmother created. I make it once per year and eat the entire pie myself because no one else likes it.
6.) I started one of the first SEO firms in the U.S. and spent many years in digital marketing, working with big brands and international nonprofits.
7.) My favorite paint color is cobalt blue.
8.) I love dogs but I don’t own one because I love to travel, so feel free to hit me up for dog sitting (he or she will sleep in my bed, eat at my table, and come home with all the bad habits that grandmothers are notorious for.)
9.) I consider nice jeans more than appropriate for formal occasions.
10.) In 2014 I took a sabbatical and went out to travel with my husband for what was supposed to be one year. Four years later, we returned to the United States, completely transformed. What I learned: Shake up your life every once in awhile (travel is one way, but there are many others). You won’t regret it.