Like formal family photographs from the turn of the century, Lita Dawn's charcoal portraits are tomorrow's heirlooms.

A native of Gig Harbor, Lita Dawn is the author of a sophisticated charcoal-on-paper method that enables her to produce paintings of amazingly fine detail. By creating a sort of paper palette, the charcoal particles are lifted and applied with a tortilion (rolled up paper) much like paint is applied from a brush.

Lita Dawn's studio is located upon one of the few remaining working docks on the city's historic waterfront where, for generations, her family has owned and operated commercial fishing boats. From it, she records the familiar sights and smells of her youth as she renders the old boats, netsheds, and a bit of history.