LuAnn Dunkinson

Artist Statement

When asked about how they became an artist, one thing that stands out in the mind of this painter is a day in their 6th grade art class in their hometown of Hanover, Pa. when their teacher, Mr. Miller, took them aside to tell them quietly that “you should be an artist”.

This stuck in their young mind throughout their childhood with many friends and relatives observing that they always had their nose in a sketchpad.
After a distinguished career in Interior Design with a focus on Architectural Design and raising their children in the New Jersey area, this award-winning watercolorist relocated to Jacksonville, FL in 2016 and currently resides there full time.

For them, working in a watercolor medium is like solving a puzzle. When all the moving pieces of color, form and value come together they create a complete image whether suggestive or representative.

Using the dynamic medium of water, planning an approach is critical and the results can be surprising. The organic nature of water will not follow the traditional boundaries of paint and is actually sculpted and redirected on the page. Therefore, capturing the fleeting moment of a beach at sunrise, or a dancer’s gaze at her partner require keen observation and careful translation of the material to the paper.

Their artwork features beautiful landscapes with interesting light and iconic familiar places, as well as colorful characters from everyday life as well as from their travels. They’re as comfortable outside in plein air as in the studio and they have a knack for capturing a place and time while telling an engaging visual story.

Currently in their fourth term as the President for the Jacksonville Watercolor Society, after serving several years on the Board, they continue to mentor and help other artists grow in their profession and is a sought-after facilitator and demonstrator.

The artist exhibits throughout northeast Florida with several groups and invitational solo shows, participates in regional plein air events and is represented currently by the Butterfield Garage Gallery in St. Augustine. When not making art, they enjoy playing pickleball, volunteering in a food pantry, and spending time with their spouse and their Great Dane, Heidi.