Doug Dawson was born in Oak Park, Ill. He attended Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota and Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. He taught science and art for the Denver Public schools for 6 years. He has taught art for Colorado Institute of Art, Colorado Christian University, and The Art Students League of Denver. He is a founding board member for the The Art Students League of Denver, where he presently teaches a Plein Air class and a Studio Landscape class. He teaches 8 to 10 workshops around the country each year.
Doug Dawson has received numerous awards from a number of different art organizations, including but not limited to: The Pastel Society of America, American Watercolor Society, Knickerbocker Artists, The National Academy of Western Art, Southeastern Pastel Society, Pastel Society of West Coast, Audubon Artists, Kansas Pastel Society, Pastel Society of the Southwest, and the International Association of Pastel Societies. To honor his achievements, he was given the title of Master Pastelist by the Pastel Society of America (NY, NY) in 1985 and awarded the title of Master Circle by the International Association of Pastel Societies in 2005 (California).
