Irrepressible Expression
Atlanta designer Dawn Trimble creates her next chapter as a watercolor artist
Growing up in Albany, Georgia, Dawn Trimble was always creative. However, when she enrolled in the interior design program at Auburn University, her innate talents were tapped. “I learned to see in a different way and how we respond to it when I began to study design at Auburn,” says Trimble. After completing her Bachelor of Arts, Trimble pursued her master’s degree in architecture and entered the world of commercial design.
Trimble’s life unfolded with a marriage, children and a career; however, as busy as she was, something was hollow in her professional life. “I was seeking inspiration, and remembered the beginning days of my design and architecture training focusing on space, composition and light,” says Trimble. “My design training informed my painting—it’s a back and forth relationship.”
In 2018 Trimble posted her paintings on Instagram and the response was immediate. She was soon invited to participate in a group show at Kennesaw State University as well as pop-ups at West Elm and Ponce City Market. This year, like many affected by the pandemic, Trimble lost her job. However, she immediately pivoted and embraced life as an artist, and she’s never looked back.
Trimble now creates watercolors that are equally bold and delicate. She balances negative space with strong punctuations; subtle and sublime colors with punches of black. Trimble’s most recent collection, “Resilient Landscapes,” speaks to the events of the past year. “The world felt so uncertain in the spring of 2020 with the racial and health pandemics, and I wanted to express the rawness of those emotions in a creative way while pointing to hope,” says Trimble. “We must possess a resilience from within to move through this space we all share.”
Trimble is now fulfilled personally and professionally as she pursues her passion while working from her home studio. “I’m an introvert, so I strive to make my thoughts visible with painting,” says Trimble. “When I paint, I’m in a pure place of expression.”
See more of Trimble’s work on Instagram, @dawnmtrimble_art, or on her website, dawnmtrimbleart.com