Local Artist Links Life’s Layers Through Paint And Pastel

Highland’s Dawn Diamantopoulos (say that three time fast!) is more than an artist; she’s a literary abstract figurative expressionist. That’s right, she’s talented, original and deep. Now, it occurs to me that I probably just offended 90% of the art world by making up my own terminology, but I am an end-user, and that’s how I see it. I am the guy who looks for something for his office wall that makes an impact, raises the senses, and above all, tells a story. Dawn’s work does just that. I will let her describe it a little more for you:

My pastel drawings and paintings are figurative abstracts. In each piece I try to capture a moment in time, like a snapshot. My artwork is really about the feelings, both expressed and hidden, within that moment, rather than an obvious depiction of a scene. My color choices are used to enhance those emotions.

I use the human figure or, more often, a part of the body as a starting point in every work. Each piece has a figure or foreground and a background. However, I like to create a tension between the two, often by reversing traditional spatial relation cues. I enjoy finding ways for the background to bleed into the foreground, and vice versa, using similarly valued colors at the crossover. Color has always been an important aspect of my work.

Here is an example of one of her more recent acrylic works entitled: “Safe Harbor”

Safe Harbor: acrylic on canvas, 2011, 36″x48″

This is the most recent painting I have completed. It begins a new series, tentatively called Safety. My older son has special needs and caring for him can be exhausting. I also have some friends who are caring for aging parents, which is similar in many ways. At one point my son’s doctor explained that I was his safety person, meaning he knew that no matter what happened or what he did to me, that I would love him and take care of him. Caregivers also need a safety person. This painting is not so much about my son’s issues, as it is about me finding a way to take care of myself, about finding ways to nourish my own soul.

Born in Plattsburgh, NY, and raised in rural Pennsylvania, Dawn attended the Pratt Institute and graduated with a BFA in Fine Arts for printmaking and art history in 1992. Her work has been shown in numerous galleries and exhibits from Brooklyn NY to Southern California. She is also currently featured throughout the Chicago and NW Indiana area including ongoing placement in Paul Henry’s art Gallery in Hammond.

Another side of her creativity is expressed in smaller format ink on paper and includes words that add to the expression.

My ink drawings are layered levels of writings. I began the first series, entitled “All the Things I Never Said,” about a specific time in my life. It has evolved recently to include more aspects of my life’s secrets. The layering of writings and washes allows for some pieces to be visible and some to remain hidden. All of the layers support the theme of each piece, which is masked as the first layer, and therefore easily read.

Love: ink drawing on paper, 2010, image size approximately 6″x5″ The ink drawings tackle many of the same issues as my paintings, just from a different angle. This piece is from the series All the Things I Never Said. Photos of this process can be seen on my Facebook Page I use a watercolor mask for a resist under ink washes combined with pen and ink writing. The supporting writing on this piece refers to seeing someone’s imperfections and loving them anyway. This drawing is currently at Paul Henry’s Art Gallery.

These works and represent Dawn’s re-emergence into the art scene after some time away spent raising her family. She lives in Highland with her husband and two sons. Her work is being featured in several places locally. You can see the full schedule here.

I encourage any of you out there who enjoy supporting local artists to join Dawn on her Facebook Page where you can see her works as they are completed, or engage with her and commission a custom piece.