About the Artist, Dawn Schmidt Ventimiglia

Dawn's Background Dawn has been creating commissioned works since the age of 15. She is a seasoned performer, composer, artist, and published writer who spent almost 27 years singing and playing guitar and keyboards across the Midwestern and Eastern United States.

After "semi-retiring" from the music business, she opened an antiques store in central Wisconsin. She wrote articles and gave presentations about antiques, music, and decorating throughout Wisconsin. After moving to Green Bay, WI, she painted signs and billboards, as well as doing marketing and web work for an ad agency there, all while performing in her band and tattooing!

She moved to Florida in 2000 with her best friend, and they opened an imports store which showcased Dawn's art when they both tired of corporate life. People loved the good vibes in this funky shop, which sold everything from Buddhist prayer flags to African percussion. She has attended functions in traditional tribal costume, teaching about henna's 5000-year-old symbolism, and applying henna designs on clients. >

Dawn's life changed dramatically when she was robbed at knifepoint in her own store on April 4th, 2003. This incident along with others, were a catalyst for PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), but she has found coping skills through her great friends, music, and her art.
The Present
A "few" years ago, Dawn picked up an airbrush, and fell in love with this new medium. She started painting 40' race boats, and has moved on to creating custom airbrush art on bikes, helmets, clothing, and furniture. She still schedules hand-painted murals and canvases in between airbrush projects, and loves to pinstripe purses.

Dawn has her hands full with art, events, photography, motorcycle riding, and writing, yet finds time for fun adventures like camping, flea markets, or museum haunting. A traveler at heart, she loved visiting Maui for it's "major snork action", and adores the beach and Florida waters.

She's won many awards for her airbrush work. Her "Mermie" motorcycle (now in CA), which is a total coverage mural of waves, water, dolphins and a mermaid, won "Best of Show Honda", at Biff Burger's Bike of the Year Show in St. Petersburg, FL, which had over 100 entries. She has also won a "Top Runner Up", and numerous second place awards at venues around the Tampa area. Two of her bikes have appeared in major motorcycle magazines, and Tourer garnered a second place award in its first showing, and recently won a "Best Overall" trophy.

Dawn married her riding, painting, and adventures partner, John, in April, 2006. They moved to Danville, Virginia, in January, 2007, with their crazy Min Pin, Bella.

WORDS FROM THE ARTIST
"I am, therefore, I paint...I am motivated to create when I see the 'simply intricate' that surrounds us, so I paint forms and colors that intrigue me. To see someone's face light up when they 'get it' gives me a great feeling!

I strive to portray my subjects in an intimate way, and my goal is to capture moments that we may miss or take for granted: a creature basking in the sun or the unhurried stretching of a wing...the beauty that is around, and within, not only us, but also each other. The blood that flows through the trees also flows through my veins, and my breath will someday cradle a bird in flight. I paint, therefore, I am."

A final thought: "I wish for you to play daily, begin your dreams, say 'I love you' often, eat the oranges mindfully, and make your lives a prayerful dance of peace. Peaceful Journeys...Pass it On."

Accomplishments

The CB750 bike project with Dawn's airbrush art wins Best Paint at Bogie Burgers Bike Night, August, 2009

Dawn's airbrushed and customized Honda Shadow ACE Tourer wins Best Bike Overall at Bogie Burgers Bike Night, Sept. 2009

Dawn's Honda Shadow 1100 Tourer appears in "Hot Bikes Baggers" magazine, December 2008.

Exhibit of Nature and Buddhist works at the Danville Yoga and Meditation Center, November, 2008.
Dawn's Honda Shadow ACE 1100 Tourer motorcycle project wins 2nd place at the Crane Tire Bike and Car Show, Danville, VA, May, 2008.

Honda CB750 painted by artist appears in 12/07 issue of "The Horse" custom motorcycle magazine. 12/2007

Artist invited to display motorcycle airbrush art in Rick Doss' Danville, VA, custom motorcycle shop. 11/2007

Artist and her work are featured in a Madison, WI, News 3/UPN 14 story (done by journalist Teri Barr about the Little Explorer's Preschool). 9/2007

Dawn's non-fiction book published: "Intimate Nature - Musings and Memories Celebrating Life's Circular Journey" 4/2007

Exhibit: "Art on the Lawn", Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History, May, 2007

Member of Danville Art League, 2007

Selected to be a featured artist in Airbrush Technique Magazine, 2007

Contacted by White Star Publishing, National Geographic's partner in Italy, for images of her custom motorcycle for a book on customs. Jan. 2007

"Mermie" ocean bike is "Best of Show: Honda", at Biff Burger's Bike of the Year Show, St. Petersburg, FL, March, 2006, over 100 bikes were entered.

2nd place, Best Bike, Sneaky's Weekly Bike Night (2 for 2), Largo, FL 2006

"Mermie" ocean bike is "Top Runner Up", Biff Burger's 9th Annual Toys for Tots Bike Show, December 2005

Nebraska Archeology Society commissions artwork depicting Clovis culture mammoth hunt. 2005

Airbrushed high performance boats (including OSS's T. Werner's 40' Super Cat racing boat) at Performance Plus Marine, Largo, FL, 2004. Also designed and airbrushed the "Colorful Round Candies" boat, and other boat graphics there.

Consistently in Top Ten on ArtWanted.com, amongst 10,000+ members, 2003-2005.

Juried into Celebration of the Arts convention, Tampa, Florida, 2004.

Contest: "Our Florida Home" design chosen for the Tallahassee Door Project, March 2004.

"Naptime" large format painting shown at Kelsey Keller & Assoc. Fine Art Dist., Tampa, 2004

"Endless Journeys" photo book; "Turtles In The Mist" included in anthology, 2004.

Exhibit: Indian Stuff, St. Petersburg, nature and native art on exhibit, 2003/2004.

Exhibit: The Rack, St. Pete - 3 nudes on exhibit - 2003/2004.

Featured full page artist in "Creative Minds" book published by ArtWanted.com, 2004.
Dawn was selected as one of 20 artists to jury art from several hundreds artists portfolios for the publication.

A blonde Dawn hamming it up with Ani Crane on her radio show, "Ask the Blonde", chatting about love, life, and art.

Exhibit at Art Arbor, Boyd Hill, St. Petersburg, 2003

"Artists at Work" Native American Exhibit, Hillsborough Community College, Tampa, one of only two non-Native Americans invited to show. Nov/Dec/03

Featured guest on Madame Ani's radio show: "Ask The Blonde", August, 2003

Featured in Watermark Magazine (Central FL arts/entertainment publ.) 2002 (EDA store)

Interview in Tampa Tribune, 2002, 2003 (homelessness)

NEW St. Pete News, multiple features, 2002, 2003, (EDA store)

Northeast Neighborhood News, multiple features, 2002, 2003 (EDA store)

Featured on Tampa television news: Ch. 10, '02 (henna art), Ch. 13, '02 (homelessness)

Member of Homeless Task Force, St. Petersburg, FL, 2002

Featured on Bayside News, 2002, 2003 (EDA store)

Exhibit: Circus McGurkis, The People's Fair, St. Petersburg, 2002, 2003

Herb'n Yoga, St. Petersburg, 2002 (henna art presentation)

Viva La Frieda, Tampa, w/The Tribe, 2002, 2004 (henna art presentation)

Exhibit at Java Jane's in Gulfport w/The Tribe, 2003 (tribal accessories)

Featured on Downtownpete.com, 2002, 2003 (EDA store)

Local Bellydancing Winter Hafla 2002 (henna art presentation)

St. Pete Downtown Map and Guide, 2002 (EDA store)

Featured on Sterling Powell's "Art of Living" website, 2002 (EDA store)

Wisconsin Poet's Calendar, "Sparrows on my Porch" poem published, 1995.

Chamber of Commerce "New Business of the Year" 1991, "Service Award" 1992, Waupaca County

Published in various WI newspapers, short articles, various topics, '90-'96.

Private Clients
Private collectors and bike owners across the USA, as well as Canada, Nepal, Thailand, Great Britain, Spain, and Israel. Corporate Clients
Roman Eagle Memorial Home; Little Explorers Preschool (Madison, WI); AZ Roller Derby: Holly Would #411; Orde Advertising; Dollylocks Salon; Indian Stuff; Performance Plus Marine; JeckleArt; DustiCat Creations; Pier 1 Imports; Nebraska Archeology Society; BikerBuddy.net; Temple Terrace Youth Basketball; and other corporate accounts.