Featured Artist Margaret Dobbins

Artist Margaret Dobbins presents a collection of diaphanous abstract paintings filled with light and movement. Find more of her portfolio by visiting her website.

 

 

For me inspiration is everywhere if you just look and imagine, “What if?”  Many of my paintings are derived from abstractions of landforms, moving water, aerial views or close inspection of nature.

 

 

I work intuitively, in various ways depending on mood or project. Starting with a few basic shapes or lines helps me find a direction to start layering in color. At first it may look a bit messy, then I jump in intuitively to solve the challenge before me.

 

 

I work in several layers, having a dominant color in mind. While I am well known for my abstracts, I allow my paintings to evolve into something unexpected during the process. Recently a series of abstracts transformed into horse paintings.

 

 

Usually, I work in large formats (36″ x 36″ or larger) because it feels like I am “inside” the painting. Music is another motivation for me, as it helps with the rhythm and movement during the process of painting.

 

 

By the time I was in the 5^th grade, I knew all I wanted was to be an artist. I love being out in nature and spend most of my time gathering ideas for art. During school years art was the only thing that was easy for me. Math and reading not so much. At the age of ten, I was classically trained and learned how to mix any color using only red, yellow, blue and white.

 

 

I worked in watercolor early on, then tried oil painting, but it did not dry quickly enough. Even using extra drying medium and a hair dryer did not move the process along to my liking. I wanted to move quickly as ideas came to me and I felt they may fade away.

 

 

Discovering acrylics was the answer. During my university years, I found design class just made perfect sense to me. Also during that time, a new way of thinking about art came from watching the original Jackson Pollock movie showing him creating his abstracts.

 

 

My artwork spans many techniques, from painting and drawing to printmaking and collage. Some are included in numerous corporate collections in the U.S. and abroad.

 

 

I’m always looking forward to a challenge design-wise that keeps me experimenting and exploring. Earlier this year, I created a book cover design for a mystery novel.

 

 

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