From an early age, Donna Geriner loved art – using bright coloring crayons and frequently entering children’s poster contests – but her creative imagination was not fully awakened until six years ago.  She is drawn to nature and the simple beauty surrounding us; from the sweet scent of a honeysuckle vine in bloom, to the puffy clouds in the sky or warm hugs and a smile. Her paintings allow the viewer to escape the hectic fast-paced world, offering an experience, a mood, a feeling or a sense of place.

Donna grew up in Columbia, South Carolina but always enjoyed visits to the Lowcountry coast where she now calls home. A career in telecommunications brought her to the Charleston area in 2003, exposing her to the elegant flowers, quiet lowcountry marsh and colorful vistas she loves to paint.  Oil is her chosen medium because of its vibrant and exciting intensity. While painting, Donna enters a timeless zone of connection to her subject and seeks to capture beauty, color and texture in her works.  When considering a subject, Donna starts by asking why she wants to paint it and what she wants viewers to feel.  She keeps the answers in mind while painting to remain focused on what each piece should convey. For instance, for her painting “Majestic Masts” she was inspired by the majesty of tall masts, the maritime air and reflection in the water.  Her desire was to offer the viewer a sense of relaxation and calm.  A recent still-life of pumpkins and Indian corn reflected her love for the crispness of fall and depicted a sense of nostalgia.  And while viewing boats moored in a harbor one evening, she was reminded of sprinkled confetti and created “Confetti in the Harbor” to capture the delight of sparkling colors in the water.

Donna’s training includes workshops with nationally and internationally known artists such as Daniel Keys and Michelle Dunaway and has also taken regular classes taught by Charleston area artists Elizabeth Bronson and Joyce Hall.  She loves being an artist because she is constantly learning and evolving which is exciting and motivating.  While Donna agrees it can be intimidating to stand in front of a blank canvas, it is also thrilling and challenging at the same time, and she loves the process of working through a painting to watch it come alive in the end.