NEW SALEM – Watercolor paintings inspired by landscapes from Franklin County to Maine can be found this Saturday at a pop-up art show hosted by Donna Eaton, who never stopped painting after falling in love with it.
Eaton lives in New Salem and grew up in Brookfield, Connecticut, where she began painting in high school when her mother recognized her talent.
“I started at a very young age, so I was always interested in art,” Eaton said. “My mother always took me to museums and things like that because she was a commercial artist… She saw the talent in me.”
Eaton attended the State University of New York at New Paltz and studied fine arts until she transferred to Western Connecticut State University to pursue a bachelor’s degree in graphic design. She worked various jobs utilizing her graphic design skills until she landed in the admissions office at Amherst College, where she officially retired in May 2022 after working there for more than 20 years. During her time at Amherst College, Eaton painted as much as she could, painting on her lunch breaks.
“That’s where my skills really developed because I just did it so much,” Eaton said of her time at Amherst College.
Eaton’s artwork consists of watercolors of flowers, landscapes, vistas and more, inspired by various sceneries throughout the region. Even in retirement, Eaton continues to paint, sells her art, teaches watercolor and painting with three students, and hopes to continue to show her artwork in exhibitions throughout New England.
“Maine inspires me a lot,” Eaton said. “I started going to Maine because my sister had a house there and I just loved sitting on the beach and painting. But I also find a lot of inspiration around Franklin County.”
In addition to her canvas paintings, Eaton also paints on ceramic and glass vases and uses her skills as a graphic designer to create images on clothing, bags, gift cards and calendars that are for sale at her pop-up.
“I paint on glass and ceramics,” Eaton said. “I also paint on bags and shirts, and that’s the artwork that comes out of me. It’s a great way to use my graphic skills.”
Eaton’s art pop-up will take place on Saturday, August 31, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at her home at 59 Shutesbury Road in New Salem.
“It’s a nice event, we play music and I try to make it really nice with little snacks for people,” Eaton said. “It’s just a wonderful time to celebrate my art… I’m not necessarily concerned with the sales aspect, but rather showing people what I’ve done throughout the year.”
For more information about Eaton, visit her website https://www.donnaeatonsdesigns.com/.
