My husband Gerald and I lived in Saskatchewan all of our lives except for the wonderful 10 years that we decided to live on the ocean in Nova Scotia. We called 2007-2017 our extended holiday. Nova Scotia is where my creativity got reactivated. I originally started painting in 1978 so I could cover my walls with vivid memories of good times. I love taking pictures and, after a holiday, I would always find a few pictures that would inspire me to create a special painting for myself. With working full time and having three children, it left me very little time to paint. So, after we moved to Nova Scotia, leaving our three grown children behind, to live in a wonderful place with awesome scenery and many creative artists, I started painting full time. In 2012, I started selling my work and attending plein air painting events. In 2015 I opened up Donna’s Galley in Bayside, Nova Scotia, where I had my own blue sign out on the highway from Halifax to Peggy’s Cove, and was in the Doers and Dreamers tourism book and on Nova Scotia’s tourism website. After 10 wonderful years and grandchildren starting to arrive, we decided it was time to move back to Saskatchewan. In July of 2017, Donna’s Gallery moved to Buena Vista, Saskatchewan. Then in August of 2020, we purchased a quarter section of land on Fur Lake, in the RM of Canwood, near Mont Nebo, where we now reside.
I feel art is a very personal thing. In my paintings I like to capture a special memory or feeling. My home is full of paintings that I enjoy looking at each day, to relive holidays and create that wonderful feeling of peace and serenity. I especially like painting water and the landscape. These scenes make me feel so in awe. I love the beauty of nature. I sometimes add family members to a landscape painting to make it more personal. I paint in both oil & acrylic, and I’m always ready to try something new and different.
Here is a little history of my painting career, which is mainly self-taught. In 1988, I took my first oil painting class with Rigmor Clark. In 1999, I attended the University of Saskatchewan; Emma Lake Workshop, with Degen Lindner. Over the years I took a few more classes and continued to paint for myself. It wasn’t until 2012, I decided to take my painting to a whole new level.
The following are events and shows that I have been a part of since 2012
2022 My art is hung and for sale at Sandra’s Framing Gallery & Gifts
2022 The Canadian Judicial Council used a picture of my painting, Calgary Skyline, for their CJC September 2022 invitation
2022 Paintings displayed at, On the Avenue Artisan’s Gallery in Prince Albert, which was part of the Thickwood Hills Studio Trail, advertising.
2022 My Covid Series of Paintings displayed at the Shellbrook Library
2022 The Red Chair Project, Station Arts, Rosthern, Saskatchewan
2021- Present Became part of the Thickwood Hills Studio Trail Thickwood Hills Studio Trail
2021 Was juried for participation in the Station Arts, Red Chair Project
2021 Received Honorable Mention from the CMHA 2022 Cash Calendar Artwork call
2020 Paintings display and for sale at Leask Wapiti Library
2020- Present Paintings at Mister Print in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
2020 Added to OSAC website under OSAC Artist Listing
2019 Last Mountain Lake Culture Centre, Art Show and Sale
2019 South Shore Art Guild Show at Last Mountain Lake Culture Centre
2018 Paintings hung in the halls of The Neil Balkwill Civic Art Center, in Regina, Saskatchewan.
2018 Last Mountain Lake Culture Centre, Show and Sale
2018 Culture Days Saskatchewan, Painting the heartbeat of the city, at Early Learning Centre
2018 Painting and a show of my paintings at Green Falls Landing, Revera, Grand Opening, with Scott Nicholson Fine Arts
2018 South Shore Art Guild show at Last Mountain Culture Centre
2018-Present paintings for sale at Rudy’s in Regina Beach
2018 Valley Art Show in Lumdsen, Saskatchewan.
2018 – 2019, Regina Crossing, represented by Scott Nicholson Fine Arts, as one of their fine artists
2018 Brushworks Art Guild Regina
2017 – 2018 Plein Air Painters of Regina, which met every Thursday to Plein Air paint during the summer, and sketch during the winter.
2017 Paintings for sale in the Last Mountain Lake Culture Center art show
2017 Joined the South Shore Art Guild
2017 Dalhousie Medical School Water Week Art Exhibition
2017 Art Show at the Prospect Community Center
2017- 2019, Granite Spring Golf Course had my paintings displayed for sale
2016 – 2018 Tripp’s Gallery in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia
2016 – Present, Shaw’s Landing in Nova Scotia has my paintings displayed for sale
2016 Uniacke Estate Museum Park, Mount Uniacke, NS, displayed some of my paintings, for their 200-year celebration
2016 My work was displayed, at the RBC in Tantallon, NS
2016 HANSARD DEBATES AND PROCEEDINGS Speaker: Honourable Kevin Murph, Friday May 20, 2016, recognition of my being a prolific artist.
2015 My art was juried into Xanadu Gallery
2013 Conducted a show called “Our Wilderness” with three other artists at 1313 Hollis Street, Halifax, NS
2012 – 2017 Participated with a group of plein air painters in Nova Scotia that went out regularly to plein air paint
2012 – 2017 Member of the Peggy’s Cove Festival of the Arts as a part of their Studio Tour and participated in the plein air event. Peggy’s Cove Festival of the Arts, Granite Spring Golf Club displayed my paintings, for the 2017 Studio Tour, as we had just moved.
2012 – 2016 “Paint the Town” plein air painting event, Annapolis Royal, NS
2012 – 2015 Member of the Lunenburg Art Gallery
2012 “Paint Sea on Site”, Lunenburg, NS
Donna March 2020 Newspaper Bio in Last Mountain Time
