Visual Artist
CurrentThe world does not exist as simply as it appears, and for as long as there has been the opportunity for creative expression, artists have attempted to find ever more insightful and original ways to express the perception of their world. Donna McKellar, an artist in the most genuine terms, has made it her life’s work to portray the world not simply as she sees it, but as she feels it. Donna has previously described her artistic style as Romantic Realism, but a significant change in her life has pushed her to explore a more postmodern understanding of living, an understanding which emphasizes the fragmented, and often distorted, nature of reality. In this line of thought, where there are different dimensions of truth and multiple layers of identity, traditional views on perception, understanding and knowledge are subverted. Donna Mckellar’s contemporary work attempts to upset the idyllic images of reality that were depicted in her previous expressions, and to draw attention to the complexity and paradoxical nature of existence. The new shift of thought has become strikingly evident in her stylistic technique: peaceful, painless and serene landscapes with perfect lighting have now evolved into fragmented, unsettling landscapes that evoke an almost clandestine sense of emotion. Her very realistic signature style is still evident in her work, but another dimension of meaning has been added, almost as if it has been superimposed onto sections of the work, which has resulted in a deep, and sometimes dark, but also playful expression of emotion. Adding these dimensions to her work has shed a new light, literally, onto the subject matter that Donna chooses for her art. Her paintings are in essence, an adventure and an expression of her life experience, and Donna appreciates that her life, along with her understanding of it, is something that is constantly evolving, a subject that refuses to sit still for its portrait!
