The colourful and collaborative strokes of Donna Swain have returned to Nadine’s Fine Art and Frames for the month of January
“Donna has been a regular contributing artist in my gallery for over a decade, she has also taught many workshops at Nadine’s and has inspired several local artists to further and grow into well established artists,” said Gallery owner Nadine Wilson.
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Swain was born in Chilliwack and spent her early years in the Okanagan Valley before moving to Vancouver in her early 20s. Her earliest explorations began with a fascination in drawing images, which evolved into creating illusions in form, colour, texture and design.
To enhance the translation of her visions, Donna continued her art education through courses at UBC, Langara College and the Fine Arts Program at Okanagan University College. She currently paints with her choice of mixed media, utilizing acrylic, charcoal, conte, pastels, collage papers, and sometimes oil to enhance the visual stimulation. Her painting process is to see and feel the subject matter, exploring and studying its form, which then translates to sensing of marks and lines, departing from reality and moving forward to an expression of the essence. Her strong sense of design is evident in the collaboration and integration of spatial relationships, form and colour. Each painting surface reveals its’ history of the search for the expression she feels needs identifying.
See: Artist puts her designs on in Vernon
“My painting process is to see and feel the subject matter, exploring and studying its form, sensing of marks and lines, departing from reality and reducing to the essence,” said Swain. “My inspiration comes from looking at everyday surroundings from a different viewpoint. I consider all the information and pay attention to what speaks to me and desires to be expressed. Translating everyday visions, and creating new stories of visual images through mixed media excites me.
“My objective is to allow a viewer an opportunity to engage and connect through this choice of mixed media painting expression.”
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