Gk's Universe: Interview with Artist, Dawn Breeze

Dawn by Gretchen

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Gretchen by Dawn

I met Dawn Breeze several years back when she owned the best vintage women's clothing shop called Casa Mia located in Hudson, NY. If there was anybody that I would choose in the world to be my personal stylist, it would be Dawn. I love her style. She mixes up genres and always adds that touch of sparkle that we both like. Besides that she is an Artist, a private chef, a mother, wife, and what I would call a Renaissance woman. She reinvents herself and her life constantly. She has a lot of courage and no fear. I am fortunate to have her as a part of my creative and life support systems. We have worked together doing the Artist Way for years along with another friend, Wenonah, and all of us have made tremendous strides in our Creative and personal lives with the support that we provide for each other. I would say that Dawn had a direct influence on me starting my devoted practice of making my Artwork a little over three years ago. I saw her make a decision to do her ART work and thought to myself, "yeah, that's what I want to do too. What's stopping me?" Dawn has sold her work steadily for the past 5 years that I have known her -in galleries, in local home decor shops, online, in shows + through dealers. She even had her own gallery here in Hudson for a year...but closed that when she wanted to focus more on home life last year. Her Art is going through a major shift at the moment where she is doing some conceptual and performance + video pieces along with her paintings.

Here's a picture of Dawn in the early 1900's with her sisters in Martha's Vinyard where she grew up- it's tea time.

I asked Dawn to answer some questions:
Q- Choose words to describe your Artwork:
Emotional, Alive, Beautiful

Q- What is your process?
When I paint, the pieces emerge through the process of painting. I do not set an intention or see what I will make before I begin. Through the multiple layers of mediums, a picture begins to form, and I just carve it out.
In the new work I am creating, 'Bird Girl Project' I have specific inspiration for the pieces and a clear vision which I act upon. These pieces, I see first in my minds eye, like flickering glimpse's and then I just "do" as quickly as possible! The process of making the art is not rigid, and much is determined during the physical creation. The finished artwork is not attempting to prove anything or answer questions, it is purely an expression of my inspiration. The feelings invoked and interpretation of the work are open to the viewers unique relationship with the work.
Visit Dawn's blog:http://dawnbreezepaintings.blogspot.com/

Q- What motivates you?
The compelling drive of inspiration, which when ignored becomes distress in all areas of my life

Q- Tell me about the colors in your work:
I am not formally trained, so all colors are chosen intuitively, usually guided by my mood in the moment.

Q- What is the hardest thing about doing your work? The easiest thing?
The hardest thing is creating time and space, the easiest thing is I don't set any rules to follow in my practice.

Q- How long have you been pursuing your Art career?
Professional Fine Art, aproximately 4 yrs

Q- What recent shows have you been in?
So far this year; Take Me To The River, Riders Mills, Grasmere, Making a Mark-NYFA Hudson Valley Mark Artists, Carrie Haddad Landscapes

Q- What are you working on now? I am working on a large body of work, called 'Bird Girl Project' this large body of work is comprised of different pieces and smaller groups all exploring my relationship to my sisters life and death, love and grief. So far, I have completed a performance art piece, that I then made a video from, Walking. Two sculptural installations, Catch and Shrine of Summer Shells. A large Enviromental Sculpture, Free Now and am about to begin a series of sculpture/paintings. There are many exciting aspects to this body of work, including that I am working in multiple disciplines.

Q - In 5 years where do you see yourself as an Artist?
Here, and everywhere:) Creating art!

Q- Creating balance is not easy these days, where do you find serenity?
I spend one hour every morning writing "morning pages" and doing "Loving Kindness" meditation, and usually read some poetry. This hour, helps me to align with god, who always has great ideas for me and my day:)

Q- Tell me something important that you have learned...
I am learning about love. To love myself first, to honor myself and needs, to give myself gentle care...so that I may better serve others. I am learning about the power of love and the power of death that re-births the purest strongest love amongst us. I am also learning patience, instead of hitting the roof when I can't have what I want when I want it, I'm practicing thinking bigger...like maybe not this second, but sometime in my life.

Q- Is there anything I did not ask that I should have?
What inspires me-Beauty, which is in everything and can be found freely, everywhere in every moment. Beauty=Truth=Love

These are some of my favorite paintings and pieces of Dawn's. She doesn't do a lot of figurative work but I always like it very much when she does do it. I see her in the images of the person she has literally "uncovered" from the paper. I love her colors too. I feel like I want to be in the colorful paintings of Spring colors in some magical abstracted ethereal other-world dimension.

I own this one!

"Free Now!"

"Shells" on the left and say Hi to Gianni and Sunny on the right-

Here's a video of "Walking" which is part of the Bird Girl project.

Dawn + her family travel alot to Italy where her husband is from

I love when Dawn dresses up

Let' snoop around the house....

When you walk through Dawn and Gianni's house, there are vignettes on the surfaces. I love the way every thing is placed with intention and care.

Here's Gianni, Dawn's husband. He 's cooking up some dinner. The meals at their house are always the best simple delectable basic home-cooked style with local finds from HudsonValley farms and filled with love.

The circular painting to the right is an Earl Swanigan
- Hudson's own King of Outsider Art

Funny boys snacking, Sunny on the right and his cousin on left. Dawn said that she has to keep the oranges in the basket covered or Sunny demands to eat all of them. He is an orange addict.