About

DAWN CROTHERS
Artist & Storyteller

For almost two decades, Northern Irish artist Dawn Crothers has been creating a world of colour, imagination and wonderfully quirky characters through her distinctive oil paintings.

Working from her studio in Belfast, Dawn’s art is instantly recognisable. Her paintings are joyful, expressive and full of personality, bringing together animals, landscapes, people and places with an unmistakable sense of humour and imagination. From her much-loved collection of whimsical snails to colourful depictions of Belfast, the Northern Irish coastline, animals and nostalgic childhood memories, Dawn has developed a visual language that is entirely her own.

But beneath the colour and playfulness is something deeper.

Dawn is a storyteller.

Every painting begins with an idea, an image or a feeling. Some are inspired by places she has visited, animals she has encountered or memories from her childhood growing up in Belfast. Others seem to arrive from somewhere much more mysterious — fragments of imagination, dreams and subconscious thoughts that gradually find their way onto canvas.

Rather than simply painting what she sees, Dawn paints what she imagines.

And that is perhaps what makes her work so engaging. Her paintings invite the viewer to step away from the everyday and enter a world where anything seems possible.

A World of Imagination

Dawn has always been fascinated by the overlooked details of everyday life.

A garden snail. A family pet. A familiar Belfast landmark. A childhood memory. A beach, a tree or an old building.

She has an extraordinary ability to take something ordinary and transform it into something unexpected.

Her famous snail paintings are perhaps the best example. Over the years, these charming creatures have become a signature of Dawn’s work, appearing amongst flowers, plants, landscapes and fantastical settings. Yet the story of the snail goes much deeper than simply being a favourite subject.

Growing up on Belfast’s Shore Road, Dawn remembers discovering seashells and spiral-shaped fossils in the ground around her. The spiral form repeatedly appeared in her sketchbooks while studying art at the University of Ulster — long before she consciously understood its significance.

Today, the snail has become almost a character in Dawn’s artistic universe: curious, gentle, humorous and quietly adventurous.

And eventually, that character stepped off the canvas and into a book.

 
Dawn painting one of her Snail Tree original oil paintings in her studio

From Canvas to Storybook

In 2025, Dawn embarked on an exciting new chapter in her creative career with the publication of her debut children's picture book, The Snail Artist.

Written and illustrated entirely by Dawn, the book brings together two of her greatest passions, painting and inspiring children.

The story follows a small snail who steps beyond his comfort zone and discovers the joy and confidence that creativity can bring. For Dawn, the book is much more than a children's story. It is an extension of the philosophy that has shaped her work for many years: that everyone has an imagination, and that creativity can give us the confidence to express it.

Every illustration was originally painted by Dawn in oils, allowing the book to retain the richness, texture and authenticity of her original artwork.

For Dawn, becoming an author didn't mean leaving painting behind.

It meant finding another way to tell the stories that had always been inside her paintings.

Inspiring the Next Generation

Alongside her career as a professional artist, Dawn has spent many years sharing her passion for creativity with children and young people.

Through school visits, art workshops, children's classes, summer art camps and online teaching, she has introduced thousands of young people to drawing, painting and the possibilities of their own imagination.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dawn took her teaching online, delivering art demonstrations and classes to families across Northern Ireland. Her online sessions became hugely popular, with up to 1,500 children and their families joining some of her virtual classes. She also appeared as an art tutor on the BBC's Culture Café.

This connection with children has become one of the most rewarding parts of Dawn's career — and one of the driving forces behind The Snail Artist.

She believes passionately that art isn't about being perfect.

It's about having the courage to imagine.

Art with a Sense of Place

Although Dawn's imagination takes her anywhere, Northern Ireland remains an important source of inspiration.

Belfast, the North Coast, the countryside, the coastline and the familiar places of childhood frequently appear within her work. Her paintings of places such as Portrush and Helen's Bay capture more than simply a location; they evoke memories, atmosphere and a sense of nostalgia.

Animals are another constant source of inspiration. Dawn has created extensive collections featuring dogs, birds, puffins, zoo animals and other creatures, often giving them the same personality and individuality that she sees in the people around her.

Her love of animals and her ability to capture their character also led to a dedicated exhibition supporting The Barn Animal Rescue in Newtownards.

Art That Gives Something Back

Throughout her career, Dawn has also used her creativity to support causes close to her heart.

She has donated artwork to organisations including the Royal Victoria Hospital for Sick Children, Cancer Fund for Children at Daisy Lodge, Tiny Life and Cancer Research UK, among others.

In 2022, she was commissioned by Belfast City Council to create A Day at the Zoo, a colourful elephant sculpture for Elmer's Big Belfast — a major public art trail created in partnership with Wild in Art and Northern Ireland Children's Hospice. Inspired by Dawn's own childhood memories of Belfast Zoo, the sculpture remains on public display at the zoo.

For Dawn, art has always been about connection — connecting with people, places, memories and emotions, and hopefully leaving a little happiness behind.

An Established Northern Irish Artist

Dawn's work has been exhibited extensively throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland, as well as internationally. Her exhibition history includes solo and group exhibitions across Northern Ireland, England, Scotland and Ireland, as well as participation in an exhibition at the Agora Gallery in Chelsea, New York.

She is a member of the Ulster Society of Women Artists and was awarded the Society's President's Award in 2023.

Her paintings are held in private, public and corporate collections, including works associated with organisations such as A&L Goodbody, the Royal Victoria Hospital for Sick Children, Daisy Lodge, Cancer Research UK and other private and corporate collections.

Her work continues to evolve, but the philosophy remains the same.

Create with imagination. Paint with feeling. Never be afraid to be different.

Today

Today, Dawn continues to paint from her Belfast studio, developing new collections of original oil paintings, limited edition prints and bespoke commissions, while continuing to inspire the next generation through her art classes, workshops and creative projects.

Her world has grown from canvas to books, exhibitions, public art and education,
but at its heart it remains wonderfully simple.

A blank canvas.

A picture in her imagination.

And the excitement of discovering where it might lead.

Exhibitions
2026 Ulster Society of Women Artists Annual Exhibition, Belfast
2025 The Snail Artist - Exhibition and Book Launch, Glenmillan Press Ltd, Belfast
2024 Ulster Society of Women Artists Annual Exhibition, Belfast
2024 Ulster Society of Women Artists Spring Exhibition, Antrim
2023 Solo Dog Exhibition, Whalley Fine Art, Belfast
2023 Ulster Society of Women Artists Annual Exhibition, Belfast
(WINNER of President's Award)
2022 Solo Exhibition, New Works, Whalley Fine Art, Belfast
2021 Solo Exhibition, Staycation, Whalley Fine Art, Belfast
2020 Solo Exhibition, Christmas, Whalley Fine Art, Belfast
2019 Solo Exhibition, Clowns of the Sea, Whalley Fine Art, Belfast
2018 Solo Christmas Exhibition, Whalley Fine Art, Belfast
2017 Solo Exhibition, Cameron Landscapes, Belfast
2016 Birthstone Solo Exhibition, Whalley Fine Art, Belfast
2015 Opening Group Show, Art Care, Belfast
2015 Group Christmas Show, The Art Agency, Surrey
2015 Group Christmas Show, The Gallery Kinsale, Ireland
2015 Solo Exhibition, Christmas, Whalley Fine Art, Belfast
2015 Group Show Lavelle Art Gallery, Clifden, Ireland
2014 Solo Exhibition, Arts for All Gallery, Belfast
2014 Edinburgh Art Fair
2014 Liverpool Contemporary Art Fair
2013 Group Christmas Exhibition, Whalley Fine Art, Belfast
2013 The Mulberry Tree Gallery, Dorset
2013 The Inchmore Gallery, Inverness, Scotland
2012 Solo Exhibition, McAllister Fine Art, Surrey
2012 The Agora Gallery, Chelsea, New York
2010 Group Exhibition The Millbank Gallery, Templepatrick
2010 Group Exhibition Killarney Art Gallery, Ireland
2010 Group Exhibition the Whalley Gallery, Holywood
2010 Irish Interiors Ulster Tatler, Exhibition, Belfast
2009 Group Exhibition, Whalley Gallery, Holywood
2008 Group Exhibition, Grand Opening of Whalley Gallery, Holywood
2007 Group Exhibition, The Yard Gallery, Holywood

Collections/ Corporate
A & L Goodbody, Belfast
Royal Victoria Hospital for Sick Children, Haematology Ward, Belfast
Daisy Lodge, Cancer Fund for Children, Newcastle, County Down
Tiny Life, Belfast
Cancer Research, UK
Dame Mary Peters LG, CH, DBE, DStJ
Wee Care, Day Nurseries, Belfast
Sir Hugh Orde
Dillon Bass Ltd
Mercer Dental, Bangor, County Down
Hamilton Road Surgery, Bangor, County Down
Coast Restaurant, Holywood
Hope House, Whitehead, Northern Ireland
McHughs Bar, Belfast
Cosmetech, Kings Road, London
The Neptune Group, London