Hi, I’m Dawn!
I paint to capture more than just what a place looks like—I paint to capture how it feels. My journey as an artist has been shaped by years of traveling through our national parks, immersing myself in some of the most extraordinary landscapes in the country. Through traveling, I’ve learned to see not only their extraordinary vistas, but also the quiet magic woven into them—the way light shifts across a canyon wall, how colors change with the weather, or how stillness can feel alive. These travels not only deepened my connection to the Great Outdoors, but also led me to choose the Greater Yellowstone Area as my home.
Much of my work begins outdoors, painting directly from life. This practice roots me in the present, where everything is fleeting—clouds drift, shadows stretch, winds stir the land. In translating these moments onto canvas, I’m not aiming for perfect representation. Instead, I seek to create a kind of magical translation: real spaces reimagined through atmosphere, emotion, and memory. Each painting reflects both the grounded beauty of the spaces I visit and the wonder I feel within.
Ultimately, my paintings are about connection—between artist and land, and between viewers and their own sense of wonder. I hope they serve as lasting reminders that the world around us is full of beauty and magic, waiting to be seen.
My travels continue to shape my artistic vision. Each place I visit leaves a lasting impression that becomes part of my work: Yellowstone’s geothermal wonders, the red rock expanses of the Southwest, the lush forests of the East. These landscapes remind me that art, like nature, is a way of holding onto moments that are otherwise impossible to keep.
Pepper& me in Glacier National Park!