Tag Archives: landscape photograph

Peace of the week, Feb 20

February 20, 2012 by Chris | 0 Comments

Today I am taking a day away from the studio to select artists for Art in the Park in Columbia, MO. Mostly a regional show, I am excited to see what my fellow Missouri artists have to offer. I will also get in a bonus visit at one of my favorite galleries, the Perlow-Stevens Gallery. A great day in the making for sure.

(And my drive to and from Columbia today, 250 miles round trip, will be a little warm up for our drive to Florida next week.)

Mile Marker 275, 16x22

 

This and other pieces like it can be found right now in the “Currently available” tab at the top of the website.

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Warming up to spring

February 15, 2012 by Chris | 2 Comments

I added a show to my schedule and didn’t tell anyone – until now.

For many years our first shows of the season have been in Florida. With the copious amounts of sunshine, the beaches, the warmth, who could resist it this time of year? And because we do love all of those things – and we do love the patrons and friends we have made there over the years, our annual pilgrimage is still on. But why should the warm, tanned people of Florida always get the first look at the new work coming out of the studio after my winter’s creative bout?

How about those of you still in ear muffs and longjohns? Why must you wait until the sun gets high enough to warm your northern climes to claim some of the soothing golden prairie as your own?

So on the appointed day please pour yourself a glass of wine and enjoy the show! Let me know asap which one I can mark sold for you because on February 28th it will be packed up and on it’s way to Florida!

Warming up to Spring

Friday, February 17 – Tuesday, February 28
Right here at chrisdahlquist.com
byob


Peace of the week, Feb 13

February 13, 2012 by Chris | 1 Comment

Happy Valentines Day.

My valentine and I are busy in the studio getting ready to begin our show season. Two weeks until we leave for Florida, but who’s counting?

Mile Marker 262, 15x29 (x 4 pieces)

 

Please contact me to check availability.

 

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Architecture as Teacher

February 1, 2012 by Chris | 1 Comment

There are a lot of poets in Guanajuato

I have been thinking about the poets a lot this last week. Having never known an ex-pat community anywhere else, I don’t know if this is unusual or the nature of those prone to leave the US. Perhaps poets are just naturally drawn to the magical town of Guanajuato. Or perhaps it is something about studying and living amongst another language. I know that Kyle and I have been speaking in a type of shorthand, both in English and in Spanish. When I am uncertain of the pronouns and all the little connector words, it seems that ideas get distilled down to the most basic elements. So much so that all of the complex ideas I had about life here in Guanajuato spilled out of my head in four simple lines this morning.

The Teacher

silently yield to one another.
move slightly to make passage.
patient in the steps.
there is room for everyone.

 

silently yield to one another

move slightly to make passage

patient in the steps

there is room for everyone

 

What do you think? Have you lived as an ex-pat?

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Pick of the week, January 23

January 23, 2012 by Chris | 0 Comments

My languages are so jumbled up right now all I have no words to offer, but please enjoy the piece of the week.

Mile Marker 220

Contact me to check availability.

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I have a confession

January 19, 2012 by Chris | 15 Comments

I have a confession

Besides being late with another blog post, and having my languages so jumbled I can barely speak or write in english or spanish, I am also having a hard time photographing in this city. I had the same difficulty last year and perhaps that is what has drawn me back.

Yesterday Kyle was feeling a bit under the weather, so I took a short walk to get him some pozole verde (the sure cure for whatever ails you). The best source of this miracle is a restaurant, Tapatio, approximately 400 yards from our apartment. I can’t adequately describe to you how much life there is between here and there. Imagine within the length of four football fields is the symphony hall, 3 basilicas, 1 major state university, 1 garden, 1 plaza, a dozen street vendors, 100’s of homes, dozens of restaurants, and smells of both open sewage and fresh tortillas. Now line all of these items up and paint them each a unique bright color and insert 100’s of people making sounds that you are trying desperately to understand. This is just a simple errand to pick up a cup of soup.

 

Look at all those textures!

This city is in every way the antithesis of my artwork. The close proximity of everything and everyone, the brilliant colors stacked one upon the other, the cacophony of sound and smell has my brain on overdrive. And while the research on sensory processing by my good friend Dr Winnie Dunn has allowed me to understand intellectually why my brain is short circuiting I still find it disconcerting that I can’t “see” this city.

So yesterday as I was leaving for my walk, I gave myself an exercise to focus my eyes. What I am unable to do in this bombardment of stimuli is to focus, so by giving myself strict boundaries, I could begin to see. Using only my Iphone camera (so I would not get caught in technicalities) I would photograph anything yellow that I encountered. Things became more clear (and Kyle got rather hungry)!

A few selections from my yellow walk:

dahlquist_yellow1.jpgdahlquist_yellow15.jpgdahlquist_yellow8.jpgdahlquist_yellow10.jpgdahlquist_yellow11.jpgdahlquist_yellow12.jpgdahlquist_yellow14.jpgdahlquist_yellow3.jpgdahlquist_yellow7.jpgdahlquist_yellow4.jpgdahlquist_yellow5.jpgdahlquist_yellow6.jpgdahlquist_yellow9.jpgdahlquist_yellow16.jpg

 

What tricks have you learned to help you “see”?

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Future tense?

January 11, 2012 by Chris | 2 Comments

So here I am in Mexico speaking only in the present tense while updating my show schedule for the coming year.

Yesterday I sent in a digital contract for a show in Denver, paid my 2011 sales tax in Illinois after speaking with a tax agent via skype, and paid a booth fee in Michigan by telephone (not to mention the meeting Kyle had, also via skype, with three people in KC about an upcoming project). Something is either so wrong or so right with this picture and I can’t quite decide which.

It is fantastic that my show schedule is coming together so nicely for this season. I do love it and have a lot to look forward to – Cherry Creek here I come! And it’s great that last year’s sales in Chicago warranted a sum transferred to the state of Illinois. But what happens to the present tense, and its reminder to be present, when the business is so easily at the fingertips?

This access is what allows for an extended trip, isn’t it? Or is it the bane of it?

 

Our house

Just look at all the callejons there are to discover!

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Staying present

January 10, 2012 by Chris | 2 Comments

Day one back in spanish classes went better than I expected. I am getting my ears back and one of our friends said she could hear that our speech was improving. Which is great considering the server at lunch on Friday said, “Please just speak in English.” Hurrah!

I also realized that one of the best things about studying a language while on vacation is that it requires you to stay in the present. At least for now – as that is the only verb tense we know! Not a bad way to be while traveling.

Taking a small break from study

 

Do you think I can use that as an excuse for not learning the other tenses?

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Back to regular programming

January 9, 2012 by Chris | 1 Comment

Pick of the week – Jan 9

I started spanish classes today in Escuala Mexicana in Guanajuato and boy do I have a lot of studying to do. So with that I will return you to your regular blog programming and present you the piece of the week.

Mile Marker 29, 16x22

Have questions or want to check the availability of this piece? contact me

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Best of 2011 #6 – Artistic Expedition

January 6, 2012 by Chris | 3 Comments

Terra Nullius = No Man’s Land

Every year I try to schedule at least one gallery exhibition, preferably with my long time partner, the Perlow-Stevens Gallery in Columbia, Missouri. Jennifer Perlow and I have the best type of gallerist/artist relationship, one based on a long-standing mutual trust. We are both able and willing to schedule a show up to 18 months in the future with neither of us knowing what my work will be at that point. This year PS Gallery moved to a beautiful new location and I was able to show with them twice. My second show of the year with them, Terra Nullius, I used the opportunity to showcase new work, to push myself further and to explore new questions.

Thank you Jennifer, this was one of the highlights of my year!


Terra Nullius Tryptich

 

The show Terra Nullius just closed at Perlow-Stevens, but there are still a few pieces remaining. Are you interested in one of these inaugural pieces? We would love to find a home for them all. Please visit the entire series and inquire with Jennifer about pricing and availability. (Although not hanging, they will stay in Columbia until I return from Mexico.)

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