An Artist’s Passion for Denali
Donna’s obvious natural talent, coupled with her extreme passion for detail, led to her Master’s Degree in Medical Art from the University of Illinois in 1980. This afforded her the opportunity to work for the world-renowned Mayo Clinic in Minnesota as an illustrator. But not long after, it was her love for the Alaskan wilderness that truly directed Donna’s artistic career.
Lured by her experience working with the National Park Service as a backcountry ranger and naturalist, Donna left city life behind and chose to make her home in Denali. With access to hundreds of miles of Alaskan wilderness, available from just outside her front door, it is where she raised her family and founded Tonglen Lake Lodge. Since then, she has produced over 80 limited-edition prints fine art prints in oil, watercolor and pencil – most of which are sold out.
For Donna, her time spent in the wilderness will never be enough. Stirred by the sheer wonder of its miracles, beauty, sounds and smells, she is able, through the meticulous details of her images to feel a mysterious connection to it that brings her inner balance and peace.
Through her hours in nature, she is able to begin her process with an image in her head that is later filled in by details supplied by photographic references, either her own, or the works of Tom Walker and Martin Grosnick. She is especially fixated on the power of the eyes to bring intimacy to a portrait, which is why the LION image, inspired by a Tom Walker trip to Africa, has become one of her favorites.
Click on the below art images to see the full image.
Please email your order(s) to lodge@tonglenlake.com with the subject line “Art Order”.