Mother Nature is my Muse...

and my partner in design

Dawn Wilkins thrives on the endless inspiration provided by our amazing planet. With an artist’s eye and a naturalist's perspective, her work expresses a beautiful elegance with a whimsical touch appreciated, enjoyed, and collected by many.

"The Earth Laughs in Flowers"    

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson~    

About the Work and our Process:

Ocean beaches, coral reefs, tropical jungles and gardens, northern forests, fields of ferns... Outrageous leaves, ferns, fish, flowers and corals, all inspire Dawn to celebrate the amazing designs created by Mother Nature in her original hand made mixed media prints and textile designs.

Utilizing a technique called Nature Printing, Dawn makes accurate reproductions from natural forms such as plants or fish by painting and pressing them.

The images are preserved by burning them onto silk screens. Over the years, she's developed a large library of specimens on screens with which she creates her  compositions. Summers spent in northern mountains and lakes, and extensive travels in the Hawaiian Islands inspire the inclusion of a growing variety of temperate and tropical ferns in the collection. 

Classic botanical lithographs, nature studies, and scientific illustrations are favorite forms of art inspiring me to create fresh and contemporary representations of these revered art forms.

Our mixed media hand made prints on paper begin with multiple screenings of nature prints. Over painting and adding details with colored pencils deepens their dimension. Augmenting my nature prints with extensive illustrations in watercolor and colored pencil allows me to tell a story, typically demonstrating nature’s interconnected relationships. Careful observation of, and direct interaction with the enchanting world around us inspires the subjects in my art. Japanese signature seals aka chops are designed to identify this series as Helio's, which means Sun in Latin.  

Textile Design

In addition to her prints on paper, Wilkins’ oversees the business, Helio Graphics, offering a collection of botanical and coastal designs, hand printed and painted on fabrics and functional art products such as pillows, bed scarves, and table linens.