Today we’d like to introduce you to Dawn Trimble.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My career in painting was revealed to me during the pandemic after a layoff.
In April 2020, I was laid off from my job as an interior designer (my educational and professional background is in interior design and architecture). While the pandemic brought its uncertainty, a job loss should have, too, but it did not. When I felt ‘joy’ from being laid off, I took that as a sign. Before 2020, I was painting as a hobby and would occasionally sell a painting. With the world shutting down and more free time on my hands, I began painting more, experimenting with techniques. For me, the practice of painting offered a reflective and calming outlet that stood in beautiful contrast to the life changes I was experiencing in that season. In the summer of 2020, I began a collection called ‘Resilient Landscapes.’ It was a response to the unrest the world was experiencing, as well as a cathartic but hopeful expression of my personal life. This collection, which was about 35 original watercolor paintings of various sizes, sold out in a few days.
The response to my very first collection was indeed a surprise to me, and I began to wonder if I could paint as a career.
Over the next two years, I dedicated myself to the practice of painting. I was blessed enough to be recognized by magazines, art collectives, and art-focused retail establishments who wanted to feature my work.
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?
I think the pandemic provided the perfect buffer – it was easy and comfortable for me to be cocooned in my home, creating out of the simple desire and pleasure to create. With all of the transitions experienced over the past few years, the challenge for me has always about expressing myself in ways that feel authentic – that capture specific moments in a journey. I started with small paintings and I am now wanting to express on larger canvases and papers.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am an abstract expressionist artist, and my medium is mostly watercolor. I love the very ethereal and calming expression of watercolor. Watercolor invites a ceremonial approach to it and at times, it is an extension of my thoughts and feelings. My background in design taught me to view a ‘canvas’ as a spatial construct; so working with light, space, and movement are inherent in my work. My faith is also a foundational element of my work – I am forever in awe of the grace I am given and strive to convey that through my paintings.
How do you think about luck?
I believe more in purpose. During my time in design firms, I enjoyed seeing projects come together, but I never felt as if I was in the right place; doing the work was indeed a struggle because it was not natural to me. During the pandemic, when I should have been my most anxious due to all that I was going through, I found I had the most joy. I found my purpose – which was inspiring others creatively. The struggle I had quietly been experiencing for years ceased.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dawnmtrimbleart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dawnmtrimble_art/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dawnmtrimbleart
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawn-m-t-a86501a/
- Other: https://www.areaenvironments.com/dawntrimble?rq=dawn%20trimble
Image Credits
Dawn M Trimble
