I am a painter, designer and writer in Illinois. I have over twenty-five years of experience in graphic design and painting. Currently, I am the full-time Senior Packaging Designer for Blick Art Materials. I'm also elected to the New Lenox Library Board and a member of SCBWI. All of my current work since 2021 is gouache on paper or procreate illustrations. New work is posted on Instagram dawnwheat2020.
My passion is art and nature. Both were nurtured at a young age, as I grew up on a 15-acre farm near Cedar Rapids, Iowa. My father was a horticulture and agriculture teacher at a community college, and my mother was an illustrator and wildlife painter. Her name was also Dawn, and for several years she was artist for Hallmark. My parents founded a business called Wildlife Country, and we traveled around the midwest selling their hand-crafted items as I was growing up in Iowa.
My debut novel "Ghosts of Pino Altos" is represented by a literary agent. I'm currently working on a new novel, and an illustrated book for children that should come out later in 2025.
