Becky Dawson - One Lane Road

My work is rooted in a love of the strange, the whimsical, and the wonderfully ordinary. I’m inspired by the Pacific Northwest landscape I’ve grown up around, the creatures and characters that seem to belong to it, and the small, often overlooked moments of everyday life. I’m especially drawn to the feeling of discovering something unexpected tucked into a familiar place. Nature, nostalgia, humor, and imagination all find their way into my work. Growing up with the visual language of 1980s fantasy, I developed an appreciation for things that are a little mysterious, a little spooky, and completely unapologetic about being weird. I like combining that sense of fantasy with the warmth and familiarity of everyday life, creating work that can feel both nostalgic and new. Whether I’m painting, illustrating, or working with clay, I’m interested in giving personality to things that might otherwise go unnoticed. A forest creature, a garden plant, or a peculiar little character can become the starting point for a story. I often allow happy accidents and unexpected details to guide the work rather than trying to control every outcome. At the heart of what I make is a desire to bring a little more curiosity, humor, and wonder into ordinary spaces. I want my work to make people smile, look twice, or briefly imagine that there might be something magical hiding just around the corner.