Donna began painting in 1996, taking grant writing classes during her tenure with the artist co-operative Timberline Gallery in Oakhurst, CA near Yosemite National Park. She took classes weekly for 4 years with Brumley Gallery Owner, Joan Brumley, at Bass Lake, CA, assisting her in organizing Art Workshop Events for many years, including a Mexico trip. She regularly participates in Professional Art Workshops from renowned artists including Tom Lynch, Rose Edin, Joseph Bohler, Alvaro Castagnet, Lian Quan Zhen, and most recently Eric Wiegardt and Mel Stabin. She is an active member of the Arizona Watercolor Association, where she served on the Executive Board as Exhibition Director and Treasurer. Art has always played a major role in her personal and professional development. She has been in the Chamber of Commerce industry for fourteen years, (eight years as a CEO) focusing on Tourism and Economic Development and writing grants for Main Street Re-development and the Arts. She currently serves as the Finance Director for the Greater Flagstaff Chamber. “Communities grow where Culture and the Arts are strong”. She supports the Williams Alliance for the Arts, and is a Juried Member and past Executive Board Member of the Arizona Alliance for the Arts. She belongs to the Northern Arizona Watercolor Society and AWA where she served on the Board for 4 years.
“I began art classes as a means of therapy without even realizing it. The transforming power within this creative process allows the release of creative energy that has a healing effect. I love the way visual art can speak without words and be influential and motivating. I am intrigued with Watercolor because of its free-flowing nature. My work is upbeat, colorful, and expressive. My inspiration comes from all things vintage, nature, and water, reflecting everyday moments or destinations that impact thoughtful images. My influences are Winslow Homer and Edgar Whitney. My modern influences are Tony Couch and Marilyn Simandle. The arts are a vital thread in the fabric of our nature. I am thrilled to be a participant. I have a favorite saying on my studio wall that reads “If you always give-you will always have.” I believe that the gift of art heals the spirit, and will, in some small way, inspire yours.” Donna Eastman