Donna Edwards - Artist

PAINTINGS

I retired at 56, and knew for some time that I would start painting after retirement from the classroom. I started with oil paints, but the odour and the long drying time made this medium a poor match for me. Once I started in acrylic paint, I knew I had found my medium.

I started out painting for myself—paintings of Paris [my daughter lives there] and our home and some landscapes. But it quickly became apparent that if I wanted to keep painting, I would need to find some way of getting commissions, so that I didn't end up at art shows.

Painting house portraits is another good match for me—I like houses, and have enjoyed decorating my own home and working on dollhouses. So I boldly advertised in my community newspaper and started out on this next artistic endeavour! I have painted houses from around the world: China, California, Scotland, etc., and have real estate agents that use me regularly. I have met so many interesting people. Best of all, I can keep painting without needing to look for someone to buy the finished piece. If I don't have a commission for a House Portrait to work on, I pick up a stitchery until I do. Or I bake a cake!

> Visit my website. You can see many of my House Portraits on Facebook at 'Donna Edwards Art', and paintings of Red Pine Camp [a summer camp I attend every year] at 'Red Pine Paintings', also on Facebook.

STITCHERY

I had started designing needlepoints when I was 17, and knew that this was perfect for me. At that time, kits were everywhere but I wanted to 'do my own thing'. I collected wool from thrift shops and still have many boxes of wool to choose from.

For me, searching for the right colour of yarn is like mixing a shade of paint. I buy painted canvases, also from thrift shops, and stitch of the unpainted side— there is no need to work on a stretcher because the painted canvas doesn't change shape. And I draw on the canvas with a permanent ink pen. Voila! The texture and rich colours of wool, and the way that the finished pieces fit into my Victorian/vintage decor made this a 'craft', a labour of love!

I made my designs personal: my children, home and pets, were all stitched, and as time passed, I moved onto florals and birds. Always looking for richness in colours and more challenges, I have incorporated embroidery stitches and beads into many of the florals. And once the stitchery is completed, I make sure that the framing matches the richness of the image. I always had a needlepoint to work on throughout my teaching years, and the images included in this article are only a sample of my work.