Halley Dawn

Just rearranged my studio to start off the new year with some fresh energy! 🌿 I moved my easel over to the window, hung some finished art on the walls and set up this reading nook. 📚 I am definitely inspired to stay in here and get all my work done now!

Do you believe a new year is a new chapter? It’s true we can do it any day of the year but I’ve always felt something special about January 1st as a marker in time. Like it or not at the end of the year we are always called to reflect on the blessings and lessons, what we wish to carry with us and what we wish to leave behind. I feel deeply that the energy going into 2024 is completely different. Too many of us had a less than stellar 2023, let’s open a new chapter. 📖 I drove the kids down to Clearwater Beach to make sure we begin this one in a space that feels fresh and fun because that’s the energy I wish to attract this time. 💫 Cheers to you and wishing you all a healthy, joyful, and fulfilling New Year!

Shades of Green is almost finished. 💚🌿

The truth is I’m not where I want to be yet in life. No where close. Every time I take a few steps forward life throws another curve ball and sets me a few steps back. The truth is I didn’t think it would be this hard. But the truth is also, I wouldn’t change my journey for anything. A good friend told me yesterday that “The day you wake up and know exactly what your day is gonna look like is the day you stop living.” Well that’s one thing I can say for sure is I’ve always felt very alive. So there’s that! I definitely hoped that by this point in my career I’d be showing at Art Basel this weekend but as a single mom art exhibitions are not easy right now, so here I am still trying to gain reach on social media. For now! And there’s always next year. Just remember, if you haven’t given up yet then you haven’t failed. You’re just in the process. And the process is the whole point…. It’s why we’re here. 💚🌿

‘Tis the holiday shopping season… here is a selection of the work you will find available on my site for deeply discounted prices THIS WEEKEND ONLY. ✨ Please note that because I have priced them so low, shipping will be calculated separately based on location. If you live in Atlanta, or any surrounding areas I am happy to deliver for FREE! Thank you for supporting small businesses during this time of year! 🫶

I am most interested in people who think outside the box. It’s easy to follow trends, it’s much more difficult to just be yourself. Definitely not limited to artists. Just people who do things in their own way, and aren’t afraid of how the world perceives them. You’re the ones expanding the universe. 💚

Commissions are now OPEN. ✨🪄 If you’re interested in having a custom piece created for you or a loved one for the holiday season the time to inquire is NOW. 🤩 Every piece includes genuine 23k gold details. Pictured here are details from one of my latest commissions, Frangipani (Plumeria) trees.

You are not: Your relationship, your home, your clothes, your job, or even your appearance. If it was all stripped from you tomorrow… you’re still you… so who are you then? 🍃🍂

“Midnight” is now listed and available. 🖤 24k gold and matte black paint on stretched canvas, featuring one of my original designs. 🌿 Because the price includes shipping, if you live in the Atlanta area, please contact me first for a special discount! ✨ I am happy to deliver, free of charge. 😌

“No Rain, No Flowers”, one of my favorite pieces from this year. 🖤 The rain is going to come. But it’s what is needed for true growth. 🌱 (This original painting is still available, and free local delivery is included with the price.)

I finally realized that you have to just wake up in the morning and decide to BE the b✨tch you wanna be. Not think about her. Not dream about her. Not fill your mind with reasons why you *can’t* be her. Just be her! Just do the things she would do and carry yourself the way she would carry herself …and most importantly, speak to her kindly; the way you would speak to someone you love… and then one day… you look in the mirror… and you see that b✨tch looking back at you….😍

Well, so, that’s that. 🌿 The house is officially sold and I’m being pushed to move in a new direction. It’s scary in a way, because I do not yet clearly know what that new direction is… but I continue to trust in divine order, and I know that this is the way it’s meant to be, for now. ✨ Instead of looking at this move as a loss, I’ve decided to maintain the mind frame that it was actually a huge accomplishment. As a single mother on a full time artist’s income, I’m proud of myself for pulling off homeownership at all. I cannot describe the amount of growth these past almost 6 years have gifted me, and I am just so thankful. What an experience. What memories. 💫 I made the kids take one last shot in the garden with me, before I liquidated it all, including the peacock chair. On to the next chapter. Thank you, thank you, thank you. ✨

Day one, setting up my new (for now) studio area. ✨ Thankful to still have a space with plenty of natural sunlight!! 😍 (By the way- no! The house has still not closed! 😩 This process has been extremely frustrating and taking waayyy longer than I planned on, but I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and the future looks bright. ☀️)

Palm fronds in 2023 ➡️ 2022 ➡️ 2021. 🌿 Many times I hear emerging artists talk about “how do you find your style”, but the truth is you really don’t find it; it finds you. Just keep painting, and the more you paint and paint and paint you’ll find subject matter, colors, and ways of working that you are drawn to and feel like a natural fit. 🎨

Not me just out here painting in my swimsuit. 💚 It took me 37 years to love my body. 🎨

When I get a shot I really like, I’ll often reuse the same photo to create several paintings with different color variations and compositions. 💚 This is my newest piece, “Clearing Space” (now listed!), swipe to see last years version of the same picture, and the original photo in the third slide. ➡️

Thank you .trenae for putting together such a lovely event! Y’all go check out Fleurs en Juliett (Flowers in July), which will be up until the end of the month. 🌺

Has anyone else been super distracted by these past few days?? I kinda forgot Instagram existed. 😅 Something about the very simple text and photo based format has just been a huge relief for my brain after IG transitioned to mostly video based content. 💙 Anyways! Here’s a new painting I started. ☺️🎨

What if your seemingly sad ending is really just a happy new beginning in disguise? 💚 What if the universe knew you needed a little PUSH for a step that you were afraid to take on your own? 🌿 What if everything had to fall apart in order for your new life to come together? 🌱 Am I talking to myself? Yes. Yes, I am. but feel free to take what you need. 💚

I had a breakthrough in the creation of this piece, regarding my own understanding of my work and the real message behind it. For a long time, I’ve sought to capture the essence of “beauty”… not shying away from vibrant colors, lush scenery, and gold. Ive always loved the gold… but didn’t really know why I was so drawn to it. In reading “The Secret Lives of Color” recently, I recalled that the symbolism of gold, has always been VALUE. And the use of gold in my work, is to highlight our most valuable commodity….. which is actually the earth itself. I am in constant awe of the incredible and beautiful variety of plants and animals that inhabit her. My work serves as a reminder that our real riches is not in gold… it’s in the planet itself. Let’s value and take care of her. ✨

What a freeing feeling it is to know that you are allowed to change your mind, and change it again, as many times as you wish. Yes, we only get one life, but we can live many different lifetimes within that span. 🤍

Just taking my time, and doing it right. 💚 (Work in progress.) #

This is one of those pieces that I just really wish you could see IRL… these tiny squares don’t give justice to all of the details or subtleties in color. 🌿Summer Haze is now listed and available. If you live in the area and would like to come see it in person first DM me, delivery is also available. 💖

Just liked the way the sunlight was hitting this one. 💜

You know me as a painter. Which I am, with my whole heart. I am also a mother of two young children, an avid gardener, and so much more. It’s all connected, and it all feeds into each other. I paint scenes of the outdoors because this is where I most enjoy spending my time. I paint with with bright, vivid colors, and my children inspire me to keep that sense of wonder and curiosity alive. 🌿 (Scenes from life lately, and what I’ve been creating.)

I was absolutely blown away to have the opportunity to create this painting for of . 🌹 Just wait until you hear the story behind it. 🙏❤️

I read that after giving birth, flamingos are so drained they temporarily loose their pink… But I feel like I’m finally getting my pink back. 💖🥹🦩

Hosting my recent Q&A was a real eye opener for me! I was thrilled to discover that by opening up more about myself, I was actually able to get to know all of you better! I was previously under the impression that my followers were mostly artists themselves, but one thing I learned was that many of you are actually single moms (or just busy women!) like me, hoping to develop a creative practice yourself! I’ve decided it’s finally time for me to create that online course I’ve been talking about for years and today I took the first step and downloaded the Teachable app and also started preparing some content. You guys I am reeeaaally excited about this. Unlike other art courses that are structured around skill only, mine is going to be more mindfulness based, teaching simple painting techniques and mindset shifts to keep you inspired and get you started on your creative journey! Drop a comment if you are interested and want to be notified when it’s all set up, or tag a friend who you think might be!
🌸

Had to do a quick little sketch today. 💜 Continuing to make time for my sketchbook while also working on larger pieces not only keeps my skills sharp, but also inspires new paintings. 🌿

Will I actually be able to complete TWO giant canvases at once? (With a 5 mo old?!) We are about to find out…. 🌿