Dawn Howell: Healing the Spirit
Dawn Howell is a Texas-based artist known for her ethereal, pastel-infused paintings that bring color, joy, and calm into everyday spaces. As a mental health advocate, she believes in the profound impact of art on emotional well-being, creating work that uplifts, soothes, and inspires. Her paintings are a celebration of color’s ability to evoke happiness, nostalgia, and wonder, offering viewers a space to pause, reflect, and find beauty in the present moment. Her joyful personality and quirky energy are effortlessly reflected in her work—organically whimsical, completely colorful, and filled with beauty. Dawn is her art; she lives and breathes it.
How did your creative journey begin?
As a very young child I sat on my mothers lap as she painted, a memory forever instilled in my heart. I have been in love with color since then. In school I decided to major in fashion merchandising to combine my love of art, color, and fashion with my other more “responsible” interests of business and math.
After I received my Bachelors degree I went back to university to take fine arts and graphic design courses, my truer passions. I worked in many fields throughout my adult professional career to find my true path, which is still revealing itself. Customer service, fashion sales, and tech sales encompassed most of my professional time before winding down to start a family. I was never able to use my creative talents in my career and that ended up eating at my soul. After the birth of my first son I was invited to “Painting with a Twist” with some girlfriends. That was the first time I painted for fun and realized I had a hidden passion and gift. I have painted whenever possible ever since then. Starting with drip paintings and rapidly evolving to abstract, then portraiture, I fell in love with everything I was creating and continued to push and challenge myself artistically. My mother became my artistic mentor and enabled me to fully expand and grow. To this day she offers advice and wisdom I didn’t even know I needed. I am so grateful for these influences I had to begin my artistic journey.
You describe color as your guide—how do you decide where to begin a painting when there's no sketch?
I always start my paintings with an underpainting in a hot pink or purple, unless my mood is drawing me to mix it up and experiment, which it often does. I tend to do many underpaintings at once on canvases of varied sizes and even shapes, because I do not have a plan and love to have options.
I am mainly drawn to the sky and nature, with nostalgic memories holding keys to other times. I start with mediation and clearing my mind so that I can be in the right headspace and let go of my power. I often paint a cloudy sky at various times of the day, with a sunset, rainbow, stars, sun or a moon, then add all of my favorite aspects of nature. Butterflies, caterpillars, moths, flowers, mushrooms, spiders and ladybugs are all common themes. Sometimes a distant memory, and sometimes I paint the flowers from my garden. I am very drawn to the celestial realm and feel most connected when sharing the innate images that come to me, or come through me. I get many more ideas while starting a piece, so I will start a few at once so I can play out all of these ideas.
I have been painting what I refer to as “nature dreamscapes” for almost 2 years. I love to experiment so I will dabble in whatever I am called to do. I continue to make abstract work as mental breaks of calm after long stretches of art that is more representational. Again, color leads the way here and nature and nostalgic memories inspire the work. My color palette never changes. Pastel rainbow hues and neon accents are balanced by dark purples and greens. I may not always use all of these colors, but I never add new ones.
What does a typical day in the studio look like for you, and how has your art practice grown or changed?
I start my day around 5:30 am so that I can get my head clear before the house wakes up. I started doing this recently after learning I work best when I have that alone time in the morning. Of course sometimes I sleep in, and those days are never as good! I begin with prayer and meditation while stretching and doing yoga and physical therapy exercises. I never would have done any of this in the past. But 2 years ago I was diagnosed with a slipped disc in my neck that caused a pinched nerve in my arm leaving me unable to paint, or even write. The numbness in my arm and pain in my body led me to have an ACDF neck fusion, totally transforming my life. Unable to even hold my own 11 month old, I had to lean on my family and friends like I never have. I got full feeling back in my arm, but live with chronic pain. Loosing my ability to paint left me in a state of darkness.
When I healed from the neck surgery and was able to paint again, I realized my art needed to be my main focus outside of my family. I have been given a gift and it heals the spirit. It continues to heal me emotionally and mentally, which in turn helps me physically. My practice evolved from learning I could paint, to continuing to push myself artistically, and finally finding out what gifts I was holding inside of me.
I had a full year when I did not paint and it truly affected my psyche. When I got the feeling back in my arm and the nerve to paint again, we turned a room of our house into my art studio. Since then I have been on a spiritual journey that is incorporated into my art practice, because it is incorporated into everything I do. My experience with chronic pain and depression shines the light on what I need to do today to stay well in all areas of my life. Throughout my journey I have discovered what comes naturally to me, and what I like and do not like about creating. I am not one for strict lines and measurements. As a mom of 3 I find my time limited, and like to use it getting something down on the canvas. My process is very intuitive. This is also because color and energy are the driving forces behind my work.
Cameos and antique frames carry personal meaning in your work. How do you decide when and how to incorporate those symbols?
My dad is an antique dealer and finds the best vintage frames for me. They are all unique in size and shape. I am drawn to specific frames and will make a painting just to fit in the frame if I love it. The juxtaposition of vintage and modern day speaks to who I am as an old soul.
Cameos are a nod to my mother and the nostalgic moments of my childhood. Antiquing with my parents since a young age, I have a fondness for the vintage. In the past I have made resin cameos, just like the ones my mom used to wear, except these are filled with holographic glitter and metallic mica powders. I create a piece around the vintage-inspired cameos, balancing them with more contemporary dreamy abstract backgrounds.
Recently I have decided to step away from using resin for many reasons, both environmentally and personally. My artistic and spiritual journey has now led me to incorporate mica powder, selenite powder and crystal chips into my work. The natural crystals have an undeniable energy as well as the sparkle and 3-dimensional quality that I love. As a young girl collecting rocks and being inspired by the amazing qualities of them, this transition feels nostalgic and full circle. My art has the power to heal and uplift the viewer, just as it does for me.
How has social media impacted your work?
Social media has provided me with a way to connect to people all around the world. It is totally invaluable. I find it also holds me accountable in a way. I am currently doing a painting a day challenge and make sure to stay true to my word and post a painting everyday. Social media feels like my virtual art space where I can share as I like. I have to make sure not to get wrapped up into the outcome. Likes comments, and shares are not an accurate representation of your success and can feel defeating at times if you let it.
What role do you hope your paintings play in someone’s home or daily life?
It is my hope that the energy I put into my artwork reflects onto the viewer. The dreamy color palette and scenes inspired by nature, nostalgia and distant memories evoke feelings of wonder, joy and calm, even excitement and a sense of the familiar. I often add crystals that hold certain energies, and those energies are felt by the viewer. A sense of grounding, love, inner knowing, and abundance are just some of the energies the crystals provide. I aim to evoke emotions in the viewer, depending on how I feel while creating the piece. Not every painting has the same mood, but they all have a mood and a feeling, often meditative, joyous, and uplifting. My art is not only a place you can go to let your mind wander, but also a place you can come home to, over and over again.