Featured Artwork: Donna Lee Nyzio

House on the Hill
Oil on panel
18 x 24 in.
$3,250
Available through the Artist

Normally artist Donna Lee Nyzio leans toward a neutral palette but in House on the Hill, the brilliance of the morning sky and light through the windows of this house in Oyster, Virginia begged to be captured.

“I cut loose on the color just to get close to how bright and beautiful the sunrise was that morning,” says Donna.

House on the Hill was accepted into the 40th Annual Non-Members Show at the Salmagundi Club, New York, New York. and also selected as a FAV15% (jury’s favorite 15% of the entries) in the February 2018 BoldBrush Painting competition.
Most recently House on the Hill was juried into the City of Overland Park National Juried Art Show, Overland, Kansas, in which it will be exhibited in April and May 2019.

After earning a BFA from Carnegie Mellon, Donna painted only as a respite from her regular job. She created photorealistic paintings using an airbrush, one square inch at a time.  In 2016, Donna boldly jumped into a painting career full time, to the exclusion of all else. She focused on painting and art business skills determined to make her living as an artist. The Clark Hulings Fund awarded her an art business fellowship, followed by an advanced program, culminating in the role of an Alumni Emeritus Advisor. This provided Donna a foundation to build on and began her career momentum.

“I should have started long ago, but that was not in the cards. All that has now changed.”

By choosing traditional oil painting rather than airbrush, Donna had a new skill to learn: the brushstroke!

“Oil painting is definitely my path. Nothing comes close to the feeling and versatility of oil paint; the possibilities are endless!” explains Donna.

Donna’s curiosity and determination to learn are bringing results. In the past three years, she has participated in several high-profile juried and invitational competitions, including the Annual International Marine Art Exhibition at the Mystic Seaport Museum inn Connecticut, the Salmagundi Non-Members Show in New York City and the 33rd Annual Bosque Classic in Texas.

Her work focuses on the American coastal culture – the people, places, and moments along the sea and the far-flung areas where the land meets the sea. They also showcase the light on farms, fields, and other “roadside attractions” she discovers en-route.

“I use paint to discover the bold shapes, simple patterns, and sense of story in the world around me. These large shapes, combined with an often-odd compositional structure, and light, became my tools for telling stories.”

While traveling along the Atlantic from her studio on the Crystal Coast of North Carolina, Donna paints en plein air sketches and studies. Back in the studio she translates the images to larger works. She chooses to work in a representational style, sometimes more realistic and smoother, other times more painterly, using the techniques most reflective of the scene.

View more paintings by Donna and learn more about her experience online.
Stay connected with her on Facebook, Instagram and sign up to be notified of new works. She may be reached at [email protected] or 252.732.0391

Gallery Representation:
The Maritime Gallery at Mystic Seaport Museum, Mystic, CT
I. Pinckney Simons Gallery, Beaufort, SC
Annapolis Marine Art Gallery, Annapolis, MD
Charles Fine Arts, Gloucester, MA