Dawnielle Castledine makes art to both sooth and agitate. Her work is dark, focusing on a natural subject matter with bold lines and steep contrast. She abstracts patterns found in nature using whichever art or printmaking technique – intaglio, wood blocks, or lithography – fits the content. She learned to hone her voice and technique under master printmaker, Terri Goodhue.
As a child, nature was Dawnielle’s safe haven, and as an adult, she has returned to it time and time again to grieve and heal. The patterns found in bark, stone, clouds, and shadow provided her mind a place to focus and inspire awe and connection to something bigger than herself. Composition and shape play a significant role in the planning and creation of her works.
Material and technique are Dawnielle’s first considerations when deciding what images to use. For example, a tall piece of plywood fit nicely for a composition of aspens that had been playing in her mind for years. Plate shape and its interplay with the paper or canvas she will be using are the second. Then, she abstracts the patterns to their base shapes and adds just enough visual texture to provide a feeling of intimacy.
Bio
Dawnielle started taking her visual art journey seriously at age 24, after her mother, a silversmith, passed away from a lifetime of substance abuse. This was the same year she came out to her family. She began with a painting class at the Dougherty Arts Center in Austin, TX, during the summer of 2014. She found her way to printmaking through an art fair and enrolled in the fall. She immediately fell in love with each different technique she was taught under the direction of Terri Goodhue.