Donna Flowers Dorning

Donna has always been drawn to pattern and colour for inspiration which comes from her love of vintage clothing and sewing and this is seen in abundance in her paintings.

Donna studied Art at College and went on to do graphic design and fashion at UCLAN in
Preston. Throughout her life she has always painted for pleasure, but in the first lockdown Donna was given the time and opportunity to sit and paint for 3 months solid. She called this project ‘When The World Stopped’, since then Donna has not stopped painting and her collection has grown to over 100 paintings

Holidays she has taken and places she still wants to visit help to create her nostalgic paintings with a nod, in some instances, to famous artists and their work.  Food and drink feature heavily in her paintings along with plants, flowers and books. Quite often a memory or photo of food will spark an idea for her next painting.

Donna can start by collaging her ideas in a sketch and then jumps straight to the canvas with her acrylics; layering as she works until she is happy with the final composition and details. Each painting can take approximately 30 hours to complete.

Painting and creating brings Donna so much joy. She finds it the perfect escape and the best way to unwind from all that life can throw at us. This joy is certainly felt in her paintings, people adore her work which can transport them to another place, another time, another life.

Away from her studio you can find Donna braving a wild swim in Coniston, or walking her dogs up one of the beautiful hills and fells in the South Lakes.