From the time when she was first able to hold a pencil, Dawn has loved art and drawing. Her talent with a pencil and paint showed in her success and enthusiasm for art throughout her days at school.

Dawn began her formal training in the arts at the age of 20 and successfully completed a Commercial Art Certificate and a Certificate of Art. One of the areas covered in her certificate course was pottery, which she developed as a major art form, gaining a Diploma of Ceramics through the North Adelaide School of Art.

Despite her success as a professional potter, with her own retail studio, Dawn returned to her first love of painting, undertaking extensive courses at the North Adelaide School of Art and Adelaide Central School of Arts. In 1990 she entered the University of South Australia and completed a four-year Bachelor of Arts degree in Visual Arts with honours, and was awarded membership of the elite Golden Key Society.