Evensong, by definition, is a form of worship said or sung in the evening.  This exhibit is my reflection on the evolution of several sacred relationships as I have traditionally experienced them. 
                                                                 my husband
                                                                 my grandmother
                                                                 and myself.

For the last two years I have been caring for my elderly grandmother in my home. Because my grandmother helped care for me as a child and the roles have reversed, I have become reflective about the transient nature of roles people have within families. I am also currently experiencing a separation from my husband, which has catalyzed these reflections about roles in relationships.

Art is a way for me to synthesize complex experiences and feelings into visual forms.  The paintings, drawings, books and sculptures I create are meditation tools for me and often have a collage feel to them. I often express irony in my art by incorporating bright colors and contradictory images into (what is often) darker subject material.  As a lover of words, I also integrate writing into or alongside my work.

Because this exhibit is very personal and (likely) evocative, I have provided opportunities for you to interact with it. Art for me is not precious in and of itself; it is the process that is most important to me.  Don’t be afraid to touch or hold the art if there is a sign indicating it is okay to do so.

About the Artist

On her 10th birthday Donna was given her first journal and sketchpad. In these two books she wrote all her feelings, drew imaginary cities, pondered her future, created endless doodle pictures and occasionally produced a still life scene of a neighboring house or her bedroom.  She worked without guidance until she attended UAS, where in 2000 she took her first formal art class. Because of her predominantly casual training, art still remains more of a process than a product.  It is common for her art pieces to be recycled into new forms and for items from her daily life to be incorporated into her art.

Donna’s art typically has a doodle feel to it and incorporates many vibrant colors, symbolic of her undying optimism. Her subject matter, however, is often darker than the colors might indicate.  A theme of cartoon-like distortion (especially of people) is a common theme that persists in her art.
  
Along with visual art, Donna tends to incorporate written language both into her pieces and/or alongside them. She also loves to evoke and interact with her audience, often soliciting for active participation in the finishing of some pieces.

Donna has worked at the Canvas art studio in downtown Juneau for the last two years teaching artists who experience disabilities and working as the program assistant.  Donna has her undergraduate degree in liberal arts with an emphasis in art and a minor in creative writing.  She is currently studying for entrance into medical school, where she hopes to become a physician specializing in cognitive disabilities.  She has lived in Juneau for a little over eight years and is originally from Bellingham, WA.