Art has been an intrinsic part of the human experience for millennia—etched onto cave walls, painted in ancient temples, and woven into mythologies that define our cultures. Mystic Dawn’s mixed media painting continues that timeless tradition, creating a modern mythology that speaks to the soul.
Through mixed media techniques that echo the craftsmanship of the old masters, she weaves together elements of the mystical, magical, and surreal—evoking a sense of nostalgia, curiosity, and wonder, offering viewers a glimpse into dreamlike worlds that exist beyond the tangible.
Each piece is an invitation to step into an unfolding narrative, a portal to the divine, where beauty and mystery intertwine. Her work resonates on a deep, emotional level, sparking contemplation about existence, memory, and the eternal nature of art itself.
Her art speaks to those who dream of new possibilities while holding a reverence for history and fine art. It is for those who find meaning in myth, who long for a connection to something beyond the present moment, and who seek to infuse their lives with beauty, wonder, and timeless storytelling.
In a world that often feels fleeting, fragile, and transient, Mystic Dawn’s art provides moments of awe and connection—reminding us of the magic that lingers in the unseen and the stories waiting to be discovered.
Mystic Dawn (aka Dawn Roberts) lives in Port Saxon, Nova Scotia and honours the traditional Indigenous lands and unceded territory of her ancestors, the Mi’kma’ki First Nation, in what is now known as present-day Nova Scotia, Canada.
I am inspired by history, magic and mystical realms of the subconscious. I love the old Masters, and how their portraits had a mysterious and enigmatic presence, inviting the viewer to wonder about the person being painted.
I’m particularly interested in Mannerism (15th-17th centuries), where the subjects are “exaggerated by the qualities of proportion, balance, and ideal beauty, often resulting in compositions that are asymmetrical or unnaturally elegant… which privileges compositional tension and instability rather than the balance and clarity of earlier Renaissance painting. Mannerism is notable for its highly florid style and intellectual sophistication.”
Through my mixed media art, I hope to capture some of the transcendence of the early masters, yet through modernist techniques including image transfer, collage, painting, inks, found objects, as well as textures and patterns, to piece together elements and create new meanings and associations, thus giving them new life.
My intention is to create art that evokes a sense of wonder, mystery, and introspection.
While I mainly work in 2D paintings, I also enjoy working in assemblage and altered books. I enjoy pushing the boundaries of traditional art, and experimental techniques, with multiple layers of mediums, that reflect the surreal images I seek to create.
I am bipolar and often struggle with depression and anxiety.
Creating art sets me free.
For a short time I am able to immerse myself in a story, a fantasy, a mystery, a memory that evokes nostalgia, so I temporarily forget my fears, my worries, my pain, and am able to feel a sense of inner peace.
That inner peace sets me free, if for only one moment in time.
I live for those moments.
When I am able to transcend my corporeality and really feel alive, connected to the infinite nature of life, mystery, magic and the universe.
I paint portraits of women who have similar stories to mine, who have gone through hard times, but are able to overcome the obstacles in their lives. As I create them, I connect to their stories, their mythologies, their histories, and feel the power of their resilience through their ability to transform.
One of the most important aspects to me when painting a portrait, is their eyes. As I gaze into their eyes while I paint and contemplate them, it is like they come alive. Through their eyes, which act like portals into their past–their soul– they show me their story–or what I imagine it to be. That’s why their eyes the focal part of my paintings, or sometimes, veiled from view, signifying the mystery that is hidden within.
I often use symbols and metaphors in my work to trigger the idea of transformation, the ability to overcome, even in hardship. Some of these symbols show the chrysalis before transformation, reminding that this moment is only temporary, and that we have the ability to break free and change. Others show the moment of transformation, the moment of becoming, when the butterfly struggles out of its cocoon that finally stretches its wings into the light. Finally, others may illustrate the final state of rebirth, the moment of transcendence, when the butterfly is free to fly away, and become who they truly are, and live their bliss.
For me, these moments of bliss do exist and I attempt to capture them in my art.
