Donna was born in Vancouver and has lived in and/or traveled to many cities and towns from the west to east coasts of Canada. While growing up, she attended school in Winnipeg Manitoba, Watson Saskatchewan, and Kamloops, Vancouver and Kitimat in British Columbia. Later, Donna graduated from the University of British Columbia, was married, had three sons, and pursued a career in teaching.

During this time, and also after retiring from teaching, Donna attended Emily Carr University of Art and Design, graduating with a degree in visual arts in 2002. Some highlights while attending Emily Carr were two trips to Florence, Venice and Sienna where she studied drawing and printmaking, and a trip to New York to explore the many museums and galleries there.

Travels in Europe during a six-month leave-of-absence from teaching gave her the opportunity to experience the wonders of the great galleries and museums in many countries. Travels in India, Bali, and Turkey have also given her many rich experiences of living in and appreciating other cultures.

Recently, she has taken courses in EcoArt at Emily Carr, which has helped her to focus her creative energies into works which reflect her concerns relating to ecological sustainability. As a child, Donna’s early artistic pursuits included ephemeral works in her garden, and on beaches and in the forest during summer holidays. She has now returned to this early passion, creating ephemeral works in nature and sculptural pieces which reflect her environmental concerns.