About Donna
“Creating has always been an instinct for me—an anchor in a childhood marked by unpredictability. When words felt scarce, I found expression in color and form.
I began my art education early in childhood, after school at a local artist’s barn studio, surrounded by the beauty of the Hudson Valley. That experience nurtured my creativity and inspired me to pursue art in business. After earning my AAS in graphic design in New York and a BA in Marketing, at Florida Atlantic University I felt equipped to excel in advertising design. My art career was an exciting adventure that ran the gamut of unusual art gigs from painting huge banners for a world renowned hot air balloonist, painting yacht transoms to managing public relations, events and advertising for a pool and spa equipment distributor.
When I left the corporate world to raise a family in Austin, Texas, I felt compelled to nurture my children’s creative souls along with other kids in our neighborhood. Teaching art after school filled me up. I watched in awe as they blossomed into beautiful artists!
With an entrepreneurial bent and my joy of connecting people through laughter and art, I founded Laugh-A-Lot Art Events, mobile and virtual art workshops. During these events I guide corporate or nonprofit teams through an art based activity. It amazed me how people would start off anxious and left feeling nourished by the comradery - often surprised by their ability to create art!
I carry that sense of wonder with me, drawing inspiration from nature’s quiet brilliance and the complexity of human hearts. I love learning, exploring, and observing what makes people tick—how things grow, transform, and connect.
Using watercolor, acrylic ink, and pen and ink, I explore the softness of the natural world—wild animals, birds, florals, fruits, and vegetables—rendered with a gentle, often whimsical hand.
In one series, I even used the natural pigments from fruits and vegetables themselves, allowing their essence to quite literally stain the page. It’s messy and intuitive—just like growth.
Above all, I want my art to feel like an invitation: to pause, to breathe, to feel joy. I hope each piece feels like a kind gesture—a visual offering prepared with the same intent as a comforting meal. Something soothing. Something to come home to.”