Oil Painter and
Watercolor Artist
Donna Standerwick
One is as likely to see a person or animal as a landscape or still life amongst the paintings by Donna Standerwick, an artist of more than 50 years. Her subject matter is as varied as her palette, which may be oils or watercolor or some less often used medium or combination of them. Colors on her palette range from deep and strong to soft, delicate pastel shades. Strongly influenced by light and color, she paints what she feels about a subject in the media that best, to her, expresses those feelings. "It is a challenge", she says, "to paint rock hard, rugged mountains with watercolor, just as it is a challenge to paint soft sea spray with oils. I love both media and cannot choose one of them as a favorite. I want to express my world and my view of it, bringing the viewer into it through the magic medium of painting."
"I was brought up to be independent, self-reliant and to believe that I could do anything if I wanted to badly enough. My family led an active outdoor life. My parents were grocers, my grandparents farmers. My husband and I raised our family in Alaska, where we lived for almost 30 years. My love for nature, people and all kinds of animals comes from this background, as well as a strong streak of Yankee stubbornness and confidence. It is from this that the seeds for the things I paint: what, why, how and who I am were sown, though I was not yet a painter."
Donna is basically a self-taught artist. Over the years she has participated in many arts organizations as a member, officer, spokesperson and initiator of art-related legislation. She has participated in many juried, group and solo exhibits,
and she has won many awards and grants. Her work is in public and private collections around the world.
"Teaching is a privilege," she says, "that I have enjoyed occasionally for many years, and more often recently. It is a joy for me to share some of my experiences and knowledge."
She loves traveling. For recreation, she and her husband John have bred and shown Alaskan Malamutes to AKC and International championships. She enjoys many kinds of needlework, reading and gardening. For physical activities, she walks and swims.
More of Donna's work can be seen on her website,
www.dstanderwick.com, where there is also a complete résumé.
Donna is represented by:
Gallery 9 in Port Townsend, WA
Lakeshore Gallery in Kirkland, WA
The Landing Gallery in Port Angeles, WA
