Heart of Art: Dawn Gerety

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March 07, 2022

Meet Dawn Gerety, a lifelong Alaskan who creates whimsical interpretations on canvas of the natural world that surrounds her – mountains, wildlife, rivers, wildflowers and outdoor activities. Her paintings are known for their bold style, colors and and view of the land through her use of unconventional interpretations and layered organic elements. The diversity of Dawn's commissions and collections resounds with a diverse audience and is timeless in its messaging.

Can you tell us about your process?

I love painting on huge canvases, like three to four feet or more. My originals are large — I can’t put them in a backpack or go head out into the mountains so I do all of my work in my studio. I paint with acrylic on canvas that I lay flat so that I can make my work really watery and wet. And then I let it dry and I keep adding layers on top of layers. As the layers stack, I use dryer paint and create the details.

What is your favorite Medium?

My crafting obsessions since youth include everything from pottery to custom painted shot skis, colored pencil drawings to pregnancy belly casting & decoration, soft sculpture, pottery, colored pencil drawing, jewelry making, digital art and fine art painting. I love them all!

When did you first start creating?

For as long as I can remember—going all they way back to elementary school—crafts and creating and making things has just been a part of my life, what makes me tick. So I did as many classes as I could in high school. Eventually, the introduction to computers and adobe software allowed me to go into graphic design. After college, I was freelancing graphic design out of my home for over 20 years. For a long time, digital design was my outlet for creating. About 10 years ago, I realized I needed another outlet for my creativity, so I taught myself how to paint.

What inspires you to create?

I was raised traveling the world with my family, seeking unheard-of destinations known for hard adventure and some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world. When I wasn’t creating art, I was thinking about creating art, connecting with cultures and collecting influences and inspirations that are prevalent throughout my entire body of work.

What’s your favorite thing to see/do in Alaska

My town is nestled in the Chugach Mountain Range and these peaks are very recognizable, so I love incorporating them into my painting. Where I live in Girdwood is the northernmost rainforest in North America, and the amount of precipitation we can get in our area is epic. When it snows, it’s so inspirational to see the snow stack up on the trees. That’s what I love to represent.

But place, community and art all feel like one to me. Art keeps me in the game in terms of being recognized for being in the community and enjoying all the things that that delivers. I am more social and connected because of it. And conversely, the community and surroundings are my inspiration for art.

What advice do you have for aspiring artists?

If you have ideas in your head for producing art, do it. Nobody else has that idea and if you don't execute it, it will never come to existence. I also believe that if someone enjoys creating things, they will find time for it. That could be sketching, wood working, glass blowing, painting, etc. Even if it's free time in the evenings vs an artist career, you will never experience the process if you don't make the time for it and see if it evolves.

I read somewhere that the healthiness of a civilization can be measured by the art it produces. Meaning that if a society or group of people are producing art that means their survival needs are being met and they have time for self-expression and personal growth. This is in contrast to civilizations that are working with the tools to survive and have no time for play, crafts or expression. Art is a reflection of the experiences happening and will help define this time period for that part of the world. I like the idea that art mirrors society and helps keep a long-lasting record of history from many different perspectives.

We are grateful to carry such incredible work from artists here at Forests, Tides & Treasures, and consider many of them family. Thank you to Dawn Gerety for interviewing with us and bringing us through her artistic journey. It is our goal at FTT to bridge the gap between artist and consumer and embrace the humanity that we all share. After all, we are better together.

To view (or bring home) Dawn's work currently featured here at Forests, Tides & Treasures, click here.

Heart of Art: Dawn Gerety

Can you tell us about your process?

What is your favorite Medium?

When did you first start creating?

What inspires you to create?

What’s your favorite thing to see/do in Alaska

What advice do you have for aspiring artists?

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