Dawn Davis

Watercolor artist and teacher, Dawn Davis, has had a passion for creating art since childhood. She studied, painting, drawing, teaching,  and jewelry design and silversmithing in college at Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa.  Her dream of becoming a professional artist led her to Santa Fe, NM in 1994.  Santa Fe is a place known for it’s amazing high altitude light and has inspired artists like Georgia O’Keefe, Ansel Adams and others since its discovery by modern artists in the early 20th century.

Hiking in the high desert New Mexico mountains and forests has been inspiration for much of Dawn’s work until the last several years when she began traveling to Hawaii and Florida for a “water fix”.  Bright, tropical colors and subject matter began to flow onto her saturated watercolor paper.  Dawn is drawn to the colors of water and the magnificent “flora and fauna “ of Florida and loves to spend as much time as possible with friends and students in the “Sunshine State” .   She loves places like Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Myakka River State Park, the Ringling Museum and Bayfront Gardens, and Jungle Gardens, along with all of Florida’s natural and man-made beauty and the inspiring coastline.

Dawn has achieved signature membership status in both the New Mexico and Kansas Watercolor Societies, where she has received many awards.  She has also been juried into shows ofthe Southwest Watercolor Society in Dallas and the Western Federation of Artists exhibits. Far beyond exhibiting and awards, Dawn feels that teaching art is her calling in life and her goal is to share the gift of painting with others.  See testimonials from her students on Artshow.

Her many careers in artistic fields include jewelry design, interior design, fashion consulting, painting, and teaching watercolor classes and workshops.  Her grandmother, who was born in a sod dugout in western South Dakota, taught her to sew at a young age.  Dawn spent many weekends at her grandparents farm learning to sew and playing “Barbies” with her “Aunt Kathy”, as they were the same age.   She says this is where her original excitement for fashion emerged. 

Being involved previously with Bealls Florida in the world of fashion was a combination of many talents combined.  Dawn’s goal is to “create beauty” and hopes all who wear her fashion will remember to be creative in their own lives, to be inspired by nature and to protect both.