As a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Art, I have visited the Botanical Gardens countless times over the years, drawing inspiration for my work. Whenever I need a break from the fast paced adventures of everyday life, I take reprieve in the gardens, wandering the paths and witnessing the beauty of nature while in the city.

The design of The Truth Lies Beneath the Surface combines two series. In the first, I highlight both the fragility and strength of the flower. Working with ephemeral materials from my garden as well as photos I have taken, I press, compose, and encase parts of the plants and photos in wax. The ability to study the texture and pattern of the plant is mesmerizing. My goal is to translate that into a work of art.

In the second series, I explore landscapes observed driving home to South Bend, Indiana. Transplanting to Cleveland over 15 years ago, I’ve traveled the same road hundreds of times, witnessing as the terrain both evolves and erodes. In addition to a visual record, the work is also an account of my emotional journey starting in my early college years and continuing through adulthood. It relives the joys and hardships that come with life, as I’ve driven that same stretch of road, feeling it grow with me.

 

The Truth Lies Beneath the Surface

Encaustic and Collage Paintings by Dawn Tekler

February 1 – March 9
Guren Art Gallery, Cleveland Botanical Gardens
11030 East Boulevard
Cleveland, OH 44106

http://www.cbgarden.org/
216.721.1600

 

Dawn Tekler
216.906.2501
dawn.tekler@gmail.com
dawntekler.com/