10th Annual Art in Action Burlington Studio Tour

Donna Grandin at her easel, in studio #10

view of studio #10 during studio tour

Jessica Gneth, and proud collector of one of her wire sculptures

Art in Action 2012 Artists Cheryl Laakes, Donna Grandin, Sarah Carter

Thanks to everyone who came out to the 10th Annual Art in Action Studio Tour in Burlington, Ontario, on Nov 3 & 4, 2012! www.artinaction.ca 

Donna was pleased to host Cheryl Laakes, fibre artist & jeweller of www.cheryllaakes.com, Sarah Carter, watercolourist of www.watercolorartbysarah.com, and Art in Action scholarship winner - and current Sheridan College art student - Jessica Gneth, in her home studio for this event. 

Thanks to online newspaper Our Burlington for great coverage of the tour, and for including a profile of Donna & her art at http://ourburlington.org/?p=15620. And to SNAP Burlington photographer Teresa Baerg for coming out to cover the event. www.snapburlington.com

Donna's acrylic paintings of tropical plants were also featured in lots of promotion for the tour, including the brochures, and newspaper ads. 

Special thanks to Teresa Seaton of www.teresaseaton.ca, who steers the ship that is Art in Action! And what a well-oiled machine it is (hope I'm not mixing metaphors here!).

For more photos from studio #10, go to www.facebook.com/artbydonnagrandin

For e-vites to exhibitions, and to view new art, join Donna's Mailing List at donna@bluerootsartstudio.com

Donna's Dragonfly Miniatures at 337 Sketch Gallery, Hamilton (Oct 11-29).

"Dragonfly days", "Waiting", "Watching". These paintings are all 4"x5" acrylic on canvas, Donna Grandin, 2012.

 This summer, I camped at Long Point Provincial Park, Ontario with my family, and one morning while everyone else was fishing off a dock, I roamed along the banks of the inlet with my camera. The area was teaming with life, in between the lily pads and moss, there were frogs, dragonflies and here and there a snapping turtle would raise its head, or swim away if startled.

I've always wanted to paint dragonflies, there's something so attractive about their body proportions, the double set of wings counterbalancing the long narrow body. They're like miniature aeroplanes, zooming around on some crazy flight plan. After a while of observing, and taking photographs, it occurred to me how much more I see, understand, and appreciate about Nature because of my art.

"Dragonfly days" is sold, but the other two paintings are in an upcoming group exhibition of miniatures,  337 Sketch Gallery, 337 Ottawa St., Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Regular gallery hours are Thurs - Sat 11-6pm, Sun 12-5pm.

"56 artist's are participating in the Miniature Show. 150 paintings are being hung on the walls.
Opening Night is Oct. 11 from 7-9 pm. The Show dates are Oct 12-29th." 

337sketch@gmail.com

"Floravision", solo exhibition by Donna Grandin at The Inner Gallery in St. Lucia

From top to bottom: Donna Grandin with her parents Richard and Nancy Gomez. Stephen Shingleton-Smith, Peter Walcott, Rachael Du Boulay (curator of The Inner Gallery), Sir Derek Walcott (Nobel laureate) and his wife Sigrid. Richard and Nancy Gomez. Donna with Rachael Du Boulay and Sir Dunstan St. Omer (Donna's former art teacher). Donna with Sir Dunstan St. Omer. All photos courtesy of Terry Wedge and The Inner Gallery.


Donna Grandin's solo exhibition, "Floravision", opened on Feb 2nd at The Inner Gallery, Bois D' Orange, St. Lucia. The Cocktail Reception was very well attended. Donna's former art teacher (at the St. Joseph's Convent Girls' Secondary School in St. Lucia), Sir Dunstan St. Omer was present with his wife and son. He was also present at Donna's first ever solo exhibition, "Aquavisions" in St. Lucia in 1996!

Donna was also pleased that St. Lucia's Nobel Laureate, poet Sir Derek Walcott was able to attend with his wife and son. Rachael Du Boulay, curator of The Inner Gallery presented Walcott with a belated birthday gift of a few canvases. He and his son, Peter Walcott, are also visual artists represented by the gallery. Some of the other Gallery Artists present included Christopher Cox, Janet Lang, Arnold Toulon and Alcina Nolley. Jonathan Gladding and Daniel Jean-Baptiste had both just left the island but wished Donna well on her first solo show with the gallery.

"Floravision" includes 24 acrylic paintings of tropical flowers, fruit and foliage, specifically hibiscus, banana, frangipani, flamboyant and croton. An online preview is available on the Gallery website.

The exhibition runs until Feb 27th. Regular gallery hours are Mon-Fri 9-4:30pm.

We apologize to those of you who received your invites late, or not at all, as we experienced some technical glitches. If you haven't done so yet, please join Donna's mailing list to see new art and be invited to events. You can also like her Fb page.

Donna would like to thank Rachael Du Boulay and the Inner Gallery staff, her parents Richard & Nancy Gomez, her husband Brent Grandin and their sons, the press (Radio St. Lucia, Helen Television Service, Calabash TV, The Voice newspaper, Choice TV), and everyone who attended the exhibition, collected her art and referred their friends.

Donna Grandin - Strata Gallery online store

Frangipani Beauty, Donna Grandin, acrylic, 12"x12", 2011. Strata Gallery.


Donna is pleased to announce that some of her smaller paintings are now available through the Strata Gallery online store.

Strata Gallery is located in the small, charming town of Elora, Ontario, about 90min north-west of Burlington. It's a wonderful place for a day-trip with the beautiful natural scenery along the Grand River, the historic stone houses and lots of small, unique local shops and cafes to check out.

For those of you who are too far to visit, the paintings may be purchased online and shipped world-wide for a small fee.

Miniature Show at 337 Sketch Gallery, Hamilton ... ends Nov 13th!

Opening night of Miniature Show, 337 Sketch Gallery in Hamilton, Fri Oct 25th, 2011.

Almost 130 miniature paintings are on display in the gallery, located at 337 Ottawa St. N, Hamilton, ON. The show has been extended till Nov 13th, regular gallery hours are 11-6pm Thurs-Sun, but it will be open a little later on Fri Nov 11th because the Art Bus will be making a stop there as part of the Art Crawl.

The trio of 4"x5" miniatures I painted for this exhibition were inspired by photos I took of some bees buzzing around a patch of flowers outside a store in Midland Ontario this summer. That night while I sat on the couch at my friend's cottage, sorting through the pics on my laptop, zooming in and cropping the centers of the flowers where the bees were doing their thing ... an amazing and unexpected fireworks display began on the other side of the lake. So "Fireworks" was my way of commemorating that wonderful weekend retreat with my fellow artist. And the other paintings just fell in to place.

Donna Grandin


"Fireworks" and "Friendship" are already hanging in a collector's home, but "Frenzy" is still available. View them on the FB page: www.facebook.com/artbydonnagrandin in the Wall Photos album.

For more info on the show, and the gallery, take a look at the FB page: 337 Sketch Gallery

Upcoming exhibition at The Inner Gallery

The Inner Gallery, located on the beautiful Caribbean island of St. Lucia


Donna is pleased to announce that the Opening for her 2012 exhibition at The Inner Gallery will be held on Thurs Feb 2nd!

In fact, Donna has just returned from a short visit to St. Lucia where she soaked up the inspiration, and gathered more reference material on local tropical flowers and foliage in preparation for this exhibition.

Visit: The Inner Gallery, Bois D'Orange (1-758-457-8728), to view a new selection of Donna Grandin original acrylic paintings on canvas. The artwork hasn't been added to the gallery website yet, so you'll be one of the first to get a sneak peek!

Join: Donna's Mailing List to receive e-vites to exhibitions, and Donna's monthly/bi-monthly newsletter with new art and upcoming events.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/artbydonnagrandin

Email: donna@bluerootsartstudio.com for a pricelist of paintings currently available through Blue Roots Art Studio in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. Paintings may be rolled to ship world-wide, and mastercard and visa are accepted.

Donna at AWOL's Square Foot Show '11 in Toronto

Gala Opening of the 9th Annual Square Foot Show, 5th Aug '11, Twist Gallery.

AWOL's Square foot show is being held at the Twist Gallery in Toronto this year. Twist is located at 1100 Queen St. W. The exhibition and sale continues till Sun Aug 21st. Hours are Wed-Sat 12-7pm, Sun 12-5pm.

Each artist (500 max) submitted up to 3 pieces, each had to be 12"x12", but could be in any media, any subject. It's wall-to-wall paintings, each time you return to a wall, you'll see things you missed the last time you looked! With such a wide variety of styles etc, there's sure to be something for everyone!

Donna has 2 new Frangipani paintings in this exhibition ... let us know if you've spotted them!

Or, find them on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/artbydonnagrandin

For details of the exhibition:
www.awolgallery.com/square_foot/