Basics

Channel:
Art
Genres:
Abstract, Collage, Decorative, Mixed Media
Role:
Artist
Specialties:
Recently debuted the "All about LOVE" collection.

Biography

Donna Dowless grew up in a military family, moving around the United States. While growing up, she lived in many different states, including Florida, Texas, South Dakota, California, and Washington D.C. She started working in the entertainment industry straight out of high school. Throughout her four decades in the entertainment industry, Donna met many influential people, including The Beatles and Andy Warhol. Andy Warhol told her, “If you are an artist in your heart, so be it!”

Donna is a self-taught multimedia artist. She currently focuses on acrylic paint mixed with pastels, found objects, India inks, glazes, and occasionally block printing. She has also experimented with clay sculpture, wire sculpture, and jewelry making. She enjoys collaborating with other artists.

Hearts have always been a constant theme in Donna's art. She wants to promote love and spread love one heart at a time. To her, hearts make a statement about living. She trusts that if you believe in your heart that things are possible, you are determined, and you have a passion or desire, you can accomplish many things. Hearts are in most everything she does even if it is a face, angel, or female figure.

Donna uses many layers in her paintings. She uses layers to give her art depth. This makes the art like telling a story: you start with one thing and build upon it until you have the finished product.

Even though hearts are Donna's main theme, she also paints the female face and figure, and angels. She is highly fascinated by the female form and is interested in the strength and determination of women. She doesn't paint angels very often, but she believes that angels are among us and represent goodness, kindness, and protection. Most of the angels she painted were right after 9/11.

Donna describes herself as being constantly inspired. She is inspired by design, nature, people, places, architecture, and fashion. She expresses her interest in fashion through her own style, and has been described as dressing the way she paints: with lots of layers, colors, and texture.

Techniques

My approach to painting varies with each piece. The richness and depth of tones and textures are achieved by applying layers of color washes, acrylics, oil pastels, India ink, and translucent glazes with various tools. My finished work reveals itself after the layers settle into one. My art is meant to extract an invitation to the viewer to visualize special moments in his or her own life.

Exhibitions

Current: "All about love..." City Arts Factory: Orlando, FL

Specialties

Recently debuted the "All about LOVE" collection.