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| Beaufort Pirate Invasion Poster 2012 |
After
graduating from Carnegie Mellon, there were other opportunities and
responsibilities, but I "did art on the side." Now I’m able to devote
full time to the study of painting and am a self-employed artist.
I
began with photo realism, because that opportunity knocked. I loved the
challenge, but as I got more accomplished something was missing...
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| "Wooden Boats" |
Finding
a book at a yard sale changed my direction—a complete overhaul in my
artistic focus—still realistic, but infused with brighter color and more
brushwork. Opening that book, I was greatly inspired by a
painting by David Leffel. I had no idea who he was but had to find out. Three
weeks later, I was attending a workshop at the Scottsdale Artist’s
School in Scottsdale, AZ with David Leffel, Sherrie McGraw and
Jacqueline Kamin, learning about abstract realism. 2014 was full of
learning and experimentation with new products, theory, and putting some
mileage on my brush.
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| "Barn Cows" |
This shift to abstract realism seemed
natural and even more real to me than photo realism. Photo realism
depicts the objects realistically; abstract realism creates the reality
of those objects—the smell, touch and taste. The texture and
quality of the brush strokes add immense impact over that of a purely
representational image.
Originally from Providence, RI, Donna made Beaufort her home in 2007.
