Dawn Whitelaw is one of the artists in residence at On Track Studios in Franklin, Tennessee. The opportunity to paint “en plein air” with her artist colleagues adds richness and honesty to her studio work. Most of her formal instruction came from a long-term mentorship with New York painter, Everett Raymond Kinstler. Ms. Whitelaw is currently on the faculty of the Portrait Society of America, where she holds the office of Vice Chairman. She is a frequent instructor for Plein Air South and the Plein Air Convention. For over 25 years she taught painting as an adjunct instructor at David Lipscomb University. She continues to teach throughout the country by conducting workshops in oil painting principles and drawing. Dawn received 2nd place awards in the Door County Plein Air Festival in both 2014 and 2015. In recent years, she has won awards in The Olmsted Plein Air Invitational, the Piedmont Plein Air Paint Out and in Plein Air Richmond. Other Awards and accomplishments include:Recipient of Fine Art Connoisseur’s Lifetime Achievement Award, November 2024 Recipient of the Portrait Society of America’s Excellence in Fine Art Education Award, April 2024 Invited artist in the inaugural Plein Air in the Smokies Event 2022 Feature Main Stage demo at PACE 2022, Santa Fe, NM First Place Master Member Award – AIS All Associate Member Online Exhibition, 2021 Plein Air Magazine Special Feature, “Five Artists to Admire All Over Again”, Feb-Mar 2021 Award of Excellence, Oil Painters of America, Eastern Regional Exhibition 2020 Masters Award of Excellence, AIS Small Works Show 2020 Award of Excellence, Associate and Signature Division, Oil Painters of America Eastern Regional Exhibition 2019 Podcast interview with Eric Rhodes on Plein Air Podcast American Art Collector’s Master Award of Excellence AIS Annual Juried Exhibition 2017 Master’s Award of Excellence AIS Small Works Showcase 2017 Award of excellence AIS National Exhibition 2016 Award of Merit, AIS National Exhibition, 2015 2nd Place, Pastel/Dry Medium: Richeson 75: Figure/Portrait International, 2007 Award of Excellence, Oil Painters of America Regional Show, 2002 Best of Show Award, International Portrait Competition, 2001 Avalon Award for Creative Excellence -Awarded by Lipscomb University, 1997 In 2012, 2013, and 2015, Plein Air Magazine included her work in feature articles. She was honored by The American Impressionist Society in 2016 when she was elected to Master status. Whitelaw was one of ten American women artists invited to exhibit in “Inspiring Figures” at the Butler Institute of American Art in 2010. She recently had a painting accepted into the permanent collection of the Rahr-West Art Museum. www.dawnwhitelaw.com