Dawn Michaelis

A compulsion to create drives resin artist Dawn Michaelis, whose appreciation for all of life’s glorious wonders shines through in her begged-to-be-touched, mixed media relief art.

As a child, Dawn explored her creative side by making tissue-paper evening gowns for Barbie dolls, and later crafting sculpted flowers from mashed white bread and glue. Even as a working wife and mother, she designated an area in her home where she could “hide my mess and immerse myself in my creations.”

A few years ago, Dawn immersed herself in a different battle — successfully treating, recovering and beating a diagnosis of Multiple Myeloma, an incurable, but treatable blood cancer.

“Having cancer has given me the insight of how important it is to fill my life with the things that bring me joy,” Dawn says. “I have taken the opportunity to focus on my art and develop a body of work that reflects my dedication and inner passions.”

Hiking Indiana’s amazing trails and parks gives Dawn great joy, which she brings to life in her “Walk in the Woods” collection. In this creative series, she combines different mediums (painting, relief sculpture and epoxy resin) to create an alluring depth and texture. The relief (or 3D aspect) combined with the resin’s glassiness makes the viewer want to reach out and touch the trees.

A lifelong Hoosier and former avid hiker, Dawn says the wooded landscapes of Indiana continue to inspire her.

“Even though I’m a lifetime Hoosier, I was not prepared for the beauty that shelters our state,” she says. “The peaceful serenity that fills my soul when surrounded by nothing but the sounds of nature, while towered by the majesty of our native woodsman, is nothing less than spiritual.”

Just like her Endless Knot designs, Dawn’s journey to create only changes, but never ends.