Dana Hawk was raised in a small rural town west of St. Louis, MO. Nature and animals were always at the heart of her childhood play, especially with the family dogs, who became her daily companions as she explored the countryside — and later one of her favorite subjects to paint. Hawk attended Missouri State University, initially as a fine arts student but in her sophomore year, she changed her major from art to science and biology. subsequently, she graduated with a B.S. in Cell & Molecular Biology. Furthering her education in the clinical sciences she attended the University of Colorado where she received a M.S. in Physical Therapy and practiced in the field for over a decade. In 2003 Hawk returned to painting and led a dual-life for about nine years until she was able to concentrate on painting full time in 2011. Although she is primarily a self-taught painter she has attended workshops on painting and drawing with many of today’s top realists including figure painters, Jenny Morgan, Lee Price, Paul McCormack, Koo Schadler, Adam Miller, and Stephen Bauman. Today Hawk considers herself a portraitist, whether it be a portrait of a person, dog, or other critters she finds this area of painting the most intriguing. Dana Hawk’s work has been featured in Artist’s Magazine, Metropolitan Magazine, and the New Barker. She currently lives and works in New York.