When a neighbor brought horses into my world, I would sit for hours entranced by their simplest movements, overjoyed at the living, breathing animal before me. I would run home and soon find myself putting their energy into sketches, drawings and painting​­s.’ The central theme of my art is an intimate expression of the horse – its form, freedom and movement in various stages of complexi​­ty. My technique has been evolving since I was a child when images of horses, first from books and then from life, became imprinted and bonded with my creative self. The evolution of a signature artistic style began - identifiable and enigmatic as the horse itself. My mediums are inks and acrylics, oils, pastels and crayons on canvas, cold pressed water paper and other surfaces. Brushes, calligraphy pens, pallet knives and very often my fingertips are the tools of my expression. My clay works and sculpture convey the same nuances of this relation​­ship. In​­fluences most impacting my work are Bonheur, Degas, illustrator Paul Brown, as well as O’Keefe, Franz Marc and Picasso. As my art has matured, growing in complexity and often in size, my essential vision remains the same - form and movement, style and balance. These are the elements that appear in my abstract works as well. ​­ Bio ​­ Donna Bernstein was born in rural New York, about forty minutes north of Manhattan, the second of seven children. Self taught from the age of seven, she later studied during summers with artist Robert Dash in the art colony town of Nyack, NY. In high school she held her first one-woman show in the lobby of a local theatre and sold three pieces. This early success fed a passion for art. She studied privately during the summers with artist Robert Dash in the art colony town of Nyack, New York. Later, at Hollins College in Virginia on a creative and writing scholarship, she expanded her knowledge of art and art history, and after college worked in advertising, graphics and real estate management. Throughout she continued to draw and paint from life and her surroundings, supplemented with studies in Japanese ink work and brush techniqu​­es. In 1998 Donna and her husband moved to McCall, Idaho, and began marketing her art to numerous shows and galleries throughout the country. Studying technique at the Boise Art Museum Donna began to sculpt, and found this was second nature for her. An early piece, “Buck”, created for The National Ability Center of Park City, Utah, was purchased by the Bronfman family at auction and donated to the Center’s permanent collection. Her second casting, “Gosling”, was chosen by the sitting state Governor Butch Otter for his office, and is part of the Governor’s Collection at the state Capitol in Boise, Idaho. ​­Donna’s work combines vivid colors, dynamic forms, and a timeless subject in a signature style. Her personal blend of brushes, palettes knives, inks and paint, create art that is modern and dynamic; bold, yet identifiably intimate.​­ Further details are available at www.donn​­abart.blo​­gspot.co​­m. Feel free to contact Donna at 208-861-4331

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