Dina Gardner has always been fascinated by how artists, whether they are painters, musicians, writers or anyone with artistic gifts, work through their creative process. She is fascinated that the process of 'creating' is different for every artist, regardless of their medium.
Her process for painting with pastels starts with music and her musical taste is wide and varied. Once the music is on in her studio, there is a lot of singing and dancing (neither done particularly well) that happens while she paints. She usually works from a photograph which she sketches on a sanded piece of pastel paper. She takes a lot of creative license, often adding or deleting objects in the photograph. Dina’s first layer, commonly referred to as the underpainting, is applied in dry pastel and then washed down with a paintbrush dipped in alcohol. Once this layer dries, she lays down layer upon layer of pastel, often letting the original underpainting peek through. Once in a while there are happy accidents. Sometimes there are tragic outcomes. But all the time she is grateful that she found this creative outlet at this stage of her life.
Dina’s paintings reflect objects she is drawn to: oceans and water, skies and clouds, trees, rock formations, marshes and meadows. When she paints from a photo reference or even when painting plein air, she is not painting what the subject looks like but rather what her response is to the subject.
Dina splits her time between Boston, MA, where she has lived for more than 40 years and her home in Manhattan Beach, CA, close to where she was raised. Both places provide her with inspiration and untold amounts of visual stimulation. Dina’s goal is to capture the beauty she observes around her and to express that beauty through her paintings.
Irish Bells - Impressionist Forest and Flower Pastel Painting
By Dina Gardner
Located in Boston, MA
Irish Bells 9.0 x 12.0 x 1.0, 2.0 lbs Pastel on archival paper Hand signed by artist Artist's Commentary: "I've had this photo reference in my 'To Paint' file for over eight year...
Pastel
Fleur - Pastel Bouquet Still Life Painting
By Dina Gardner
Located in Boston, MA
Fleur 18.0 x 24.0 x 1.0, 4.0 lbs Pastel on archival paper Hand signed by artist Artist's Commentary: "I created a small study for this and I fell in love with it and knew I had t...
Pastel
Wildflowers - Yellow + Purple Flower Pastel Landscape Painting
By Dina Gardner
Located in Boston, MA
Wildflowers 9.0 x 12.0 x 1.0, 1.0 lbs Pastel on archival paper Hand signed by artist Artist's Commentary: "Whenever I paint something that has a lot of yellow, I like to start wi...
Pastel
Wallflowers - Pastel Daisies Painting
By Dina Gardner
Located in Boston, MA
Wallflowers 8.0 x 8.0 x 1.0, 0.1 lbs Pastel on archival paper Hand signed by artist Artist's Commentary: "Recently I've been intrigued by cast shadows. These little daisies creat...
Pastel
Savoring the Day - Pastel Path Painting
By Dina Gardner
Located in Boston, MA
Savoring the Day 10.0 x 8.0 x 1.0, 1.0 lbs Pastel on archival paper Hand signed by artist Artist's Commentary: "We’ve all had those days that we just didn’t want to end. This par...
Pastel
Time Traveler - Impressionist Pastel Wave Painting
By Dina Gardner
Located in Boston, MA
Time Traveler 16.0 x 12.0 x 0.1, 1.0 lbs Pastel on archival paper Hand signed by artist Artist's Commentary: "Once in a blue moon, a painting just paints itself. That was the ca...
Pastel
Crash Course, Original Signed Contemporary Impressionist Landscape Painting
By Dina Gardner
Located in Boston, MA
Crash Course, Original Contemporary Impressionist Landscape Painting 8" x 8" (HxW) Pastel on Paper Hand-signed by the artist. This modern impressionist seascape features a square co...
Pastel, Paper
Dream Catchers, Original Signed Contemporary Impressionist Landscape Painting
By Dina Gardner
Located in Boston, MA
Dream Catchers, Original Contemporary Impressionist Landscape Painting, 2020 8" x 8" (HxW) Pastel on Paper Hand-signed by the artist. An impressionist, almost abstract, landscape pa...
Pastel, Paper
Moondance, Original Pastel Landscape Painting on Board, 2021
By Dina Gardner
Located in Boston, MA
Original Pastel Landscape Painting on Board 12" x 9" (HxW) This moody landscape painting features a set of tropical palm trees glowing under the moonlight of a deep blue desert sky. Artist Commentary: I think the moon is pretty magical and I love watching...
Pastel, Board
Bare Naked Ladies, Impressionist Landscape Painting, 2020
By Dina Gardner
Located in Boston, MA
Artist Commentary: I am enamored by trees of all kinds. On my RV road trip this fall I fell in love all over again with birch trees, the first trees I ever ventured to paint when I ...
Pastel, Board
Ladies In Waiting, Original Still-Life Painting, 2020
By Dina Gardner
Located in Boston, MA
Artist Commentary: I have painted this scene many times and I could honestly paint it dozens more. Each time I paint it I find new ways to express what I see, be it from a color per...
Pastel, Board
Savoring The Day
By Dina Gardner
Located in Boston, MA
Artist Commentary: We’ve all had those days that we just didn’t want to end. This particular day began with several hikes followed by late afternoon at the beach and ending with a b...
Pastel, Board