New Feature Exhibition in March February 22 2018

Donne Bitner
IN the ABSTRACT

On View: March 3 - 31, 2018
Opening Reception: Saturday, March 3, 4-7 PM

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

Donne Bitner is an accomplished Florida artist specializing in watercolor, acrylic and 2D mixed media painting.  For this exhibition, Donne spent the past year exploring abstraction.  The result of this exploration is a cohesive body of bold, colorful, expressive acrylic paintings that incorporate symbolic shapes and whimsical gestures.  

Donne comments, “As my state of mind and emotions have changed over time, so have my paintings. For the last few years, my primary focus has been on landscape painting but this past year, I felt that it was time to take on a new challenge to push my work in a new direction. From past experiences, I knew abstract painting to be one of the most difficult art practices, as there are no parameters: no horizon, no sky, no ground, only colors, and shapes.” Nonetheless, I delved in, using color to guide and inspire me. I let each painting evolve as I explored a range of emotions, demons, and ideas. Imagination is the key. Ideas ebb and flow. Paths are taken and discarded. It’s painting by discovery!” 

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Donne Bitner graduated with honors from Penn State University with a B.A degree in Art before moving to Florida in 1967. In addition to a 30-year career as a full-time artist, Donne is a senior faculty member at Crealde School for the Arts in Orlando, FL.  She has conducted workshops at the Yurick Studios (Atlantic Center for the Arts Downtown), New Smyrna Beach, FL;  Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, Tennessee; Vero Beach Center for the Arts, Vero Beach, Florida;  Rollins College, Winter Park, Florida; Foosaner Art Museum, Melbourne, Florida; and the Deland Museum of Art, Deland, Florida.

In 2002, Donne received the State of Florida Individual Artist Fellowship grant and in 2006 an Individual Artist Enhancement grant.  In 2004, 2007 and 2009 she received Professional Development grants from United Arts of Central Florida.

Collections include the Huntsville Museum of Art, Huntsville, Alabama; the Springfield Art Museum, Springfield, Missouri; the Florida International Museum, St. Petersburg, Florida; the Vero Beach Center for the Arts, Vero Beach, Florida; the Museum of Arts and Sciences, Daytona Beach, Florida; the State of Florida Collection, Tallahassee, Florida; Holmes Medical Center, Melbourne, Florida; Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, Orlando, Florida; among others. 

Donne lives in Orlando and maintains a studio at McRae Art Studios.