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Biography

Terry Lawson Dunn was born in Los Angeles, California and was immersed in a world of art from day one. With two commercial artists for parents, art materials and large tables were always available as playthings. Although she pursued wildlife science and environmental communication as a career, creating art has been a way for her to capture the natural places and wild animals she loves. Soon after undergraduate school, she worked on bird research in Panama. During the afternoon siestas, she would pick up her pen and inks or watercolors and visually record the colorful birds she studied each morning. When she moved to Costa Rica, she continued to spend time in tropical rainforests, drawing and painting what she saw. In more recent years, she has traveled to the Amazon basin and back to Central America in search of striking new subjects. Her detailed tropical bird portraits can be found in homes from Latin America to the United States. Upon moving to Albuquerque in 2001, she quickly became infatuated with the wide open spaces and clear sunlight. By switching to soft pastels, she was better able to capture the rich colors and dramatic lighting that she found in the New Mexican landscape. Using archival sanded paper as a surface, Terry layers numerous colors of pastel one on top of the other, sometimes wetting sections of the piece midway to create an underpainting. She primarily selects realistic colors for her paintings, but will also choose a few unexpected. The unusual desert plant life of the Southwest inspired her to paint furniture with bold botanical themes. Her “canvases” are pieces of furniture she finds at auctions, used furniture stores, or pieces she refinishes for clients. Occasionally, she will paint a new or used piece of wood, then work with local blacksmiths to create hand-forged table legs. For each painted piece, she uses several coats of latex house paint as a base color, then paints the design using high-quality acrylic paints, and finishes it with layers of polycrylic to protect the surface. The end result is a piece of furniture that is either partially or fully “recycled” and ready to liven up any interior space. Terry hopes her paintings will not just be a record of beautiful places, but an expression of the affection she has for these special areas. By sharing the beauty of the outdoors with others, she hopes to inspire them to appreciate the importance of nature...whether it’s a sweeping wilderness or a special corner of a backyard. In addition to creating her own artwork, Terry also curates shows for the New Mexico Cancer Center, organizes an annual group trip to the forests of Panama, and is working on a book about artists and the National Parks. Terry Lawson Dunn Albuquerque, New Mexico Dunn27 _at_ juno.com Curator of Art, New Mexico Cancer Center January 2009- present Solo Shows Framing Concepts Gallery, Albuquerque, NM 2010 (Two person show with David Schwindt) Galerie Esteban Solo Show, Santa Fe, NM 2008 Corrales Winery Solo Show, Corrales, NM 2007 Corrales Winery Solo Show, Corrales, NM 2006 Juried Shows Little Gems Show, Albuquerque Open Space, Albuquerque, NM 2012 New Mexico Arts and Crafts Fair, Albuquerque, NM 2011 Masterworks Show, Albuquerque, NM 2011 (1 piece) Pastel Society of New Mexico National Show, Albuquerque, NM 2009 (1 piece) New Mexico Arts and Crafts Fair, Albuquerque, NM 2009 Masterworks Show, Albuquerque, NM 2009 (1 piece) Paint the Parks Mini50 winner, 2008 New Mexico Arts and Crafts Fair, Albuquerque, NM 2008 Masterworks Show, Albuquerque, NM 2008 (2 pieces) Pastel Society of New Mexico National Show, Albuquerque, NM 2007 (2 pieces) New Mexico Arts and Crafts Fair, Albuquerque, NM 2007 Masterworks Show, Albuquerque, NM 2007 (1 piece) Open Space Art Competition/1% for Public Art Program exhibit 2006 (2 pieces) New Mexico Arts and Crafts Fair, Albuquerque, NM 2006 Masterworks Show, Albuquerque, NM 2006 (1 piece) Pastel Society of New Mexico National Show, Albuquerque, NM, 2005 (1 piece) New Mexico Arts and Crafts Fair, Albuquerque, NM 2005 Pastel Society of New Mexico National Show, Albuquerque, NM, 2004 (2 pieces) Placitas Artist’s Series, Placitas, NM, 2004 (6 pieces) New Mexico Watercolor Society Show, Albuquerque, NM., 2001 Montgomery County Juried Art Show, Bethesda, MD.1995 (2 pieces) Group Shows Solstice: Select Artist Group Show, Arroyo Gallery, Telluride, CO 2013 Pastel Society of New Mexico Signature Members Show 2012 Guest Artist, Corrales Bosque Gallery, Corrales, NM 2012 Botanica, Arroyo Gallery, Santa Fe, NM 2012 Six Pack O'Pastels, Framing Concepts Gallery, Albuquerque, NM 2012 New Mexico Cancer Center Winter Show, Albuquerque, NM 2011 Pastel Society of New Mexico Signature Members Show 2011 New Mexico Cancer Center Spring Show, Albuquerque, NM 2011 Pastel Society of New Mexico Signature Members Show 2010 New Mexico Cancer Center Winter Show, Albuquerque, NM 2009 New Mexico Cancer Center Summer Show, Albuquerque, NM 2009 Small Works Show, Sumner & Dene Gallery, Albuquerque, NM 2007 New Mexico Cancer Center September Group Show, Albuquerque, NM 2007 Gardens of New Mexico Art Show, Sumner & Dene Gallery, Albuquerque, NM 2007 New Mexico Cancer Center Spring Show, Albuquerque, NM 2007 Special Honors/Articles Signature Member, Pastel Society of New Mexico Presenter, Pastel Society of New Mexico, June 2009 Casa Esperanza Painted Hope Chest Auction invited artist 2009, 2010, 2011 “Nature Artist” Creatives section, Albuquerque: The magazine, Feb. 2009 Bernalillo County 1% for Public Art Program purchase “Unique Boutique” New-Mexico products, New Mexico magazine, Nov. 2006 “Lush Environment: Painter’s love of nature reflected in the furniture she redecorates”, Albuquerque Journal Feature Article, Home Style section, August 12, 2006 Published Art Thirty-eight pen and ink drawings for the Albuquerque Biopark Rio Grande Heritage Farm curriculum. Fourty watercolor paintings and pen and ink drawings for Earth’s Birthday Project educational materials. Thirty-six pen and ink drawings for the New Mexico Natural History and Science Museum’s Proyecto Futuro life science curriculum. Twenty-six small watercolor paintings for the Giant Panda Teacher Loan Kit, Smithsonian National Zoo, Washington, DC. Gallery Representation Arroyo Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico (Canyon Road) and Telluride, Colorado Home at the Range Too, Bernalillo, New Mexico Sumner & Dene Gallery, Albuquerque, New Mexico (past) Galerie Esteban, Santa Fe, New Mexico (past) Mark Ziegler Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico (past) Pura Vida Gallery, Jerome, Arizona (past) Education 1992 M.S. Environmental Communications - University of Idaho 1984 B.S. Wildlife Science - Oregon State University