artist statement
I grew up in a religious culture that left me spiritually empty and unsatisfied. This experience inspired a lifelong fascination with philosophical questions about time, existence, and the nature of reality, and ultimately fueled my work as an artist. My paintings are about reflection and exploration, the longing for spiritual connection, and the practice of looking inward; something that many people, myself included, struggle with.
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.
I put a great deal of thought into a painting before I ever pick up my brush and I work quite slowly, enjoying the gradual build of layers that evolve and sometimes shift direction as the work progresses. In many ways, this process mirrors my own journey: I peel back the layers of the onion, looking for answers to unanswerable questions.
Artist 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.
Organizations and Activities
-- Member, Portrait Society of America
-- Member, Montgomery Art Association
-- Member, Loudoun Sketch Club
-- Member, Women's Art Collective
upcoming exhibitions
-- Spring Art Show and Sale: April 12th - 14th 2024; 7931 Connecticut Ave, Chevy Chase Maryland
-- Artists in Middleburg (AIM) Juried Exhibit: January 13th - February 11th, 2024
-- Strathmore Mansion Exhibition 2023; Feb 14th - March 11th
-- Windridge Vineyards, 2023 Frost and Snow Juried Exhibition, January 18 - April 16th. 15700 Darnestown Rd, Darnestown, MD
-- Hill Center Galleries, 2023 Regional Juried Exhibition; Jan 11th - April 16th; 921 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20003
Awards & PAST Exhibitions
--1st Place, Best in Show, Montpelier South Atlantic Juried Exhibition, 2021
--2nd place, Oil Paintings, Chevy Chase Women's Club Art Show, 2022
-- 2nd place, Small Works, Chevy Chase Women's Club Art Show, 2022
--Honorable Mention, Portrait, 2022 Paint the Town show (MAA)
--Honorable Mention, Still Life, 2022 Paint the Town show (MAA)