Vibrant Art by Donna Schwandt
Bold and colorful paintings that capture the essence of life.
Vibrant Art by Donna Schwandt
Bold and colorful paintings that capture the essence of life.
Donna Schwandt Art
Discover my Artistic Vision
When I start most paintings...I have no idea WHAT I’m going to create! But I trust the process as I create something from nothing – which is the very definition of creating. It’s problem solving. It’s exercising my mind. It’s a process of trusting the outcome – isn’t that what we ultimately have to do with most things in life?
I am an abstract painter and mixed-media artist. I use acrylic paints, glazes, and washes. However, I am experienced with a variety of other mediums – such as oils, watercolors, inks, and encaustics. I add textures and layers with different pastes and mixes, and I use various mark making tools like oil crayons, pencils, and charcoal. I paint on various substrates such as canvas, wood panel, and paper. I work with a variety of different tools, anything from multiple sized brushes to sticks and found objects for scratching through wet paint. And who doesn’t have fun occasionally splattering or throwing paint?!
I am an intuitive painter, so my paintings have a lot to do with emotions and surroundings. There are no mistakes, and I find much freedom in allowing myself to creatively experiment with no limits. This also builds confidence. I have been painting since I was a young girl. My mother was very creative, and I grew up at the kitchen table painting alongside her. Mostly self-taught, I was always very creative in school. I have a lot of interest in a variety of mediums and techniques. I always wanted to become a painter in my life and live as a full-time artist.
When I paint, I like to demonstrate how colors and shapes contrast with each other and can be harmoniously brought together. Express the light and the dark coming together. All things outer space. Deep oceans. Cityscapes. Unexplored lands. I love odd shapes: an almost circle, a broken square, a crooked line, grids, and stacks. The contrast and the bold colors are part of who I am on the inside. My process is to mix colors together. To add layering. There are endless possibilities. Everything is a new frontier and horizon. A galaxy of possibilities.
With the type of painting that I do, you the viewer see what you want. It’s abstract so it means something different to everyone as to what it means or what the shapes represent. You get to decide what it means to you. So, we’re both creating: I create the painting and you create the meaning.
My Artistic Journey: A Visual Story
