Blue Space series, I, oil on canvas

American abstract painter Donna Bruni creates paintings that are carefully layered and sometimes sanded, revealing overlapping planes of color and texture that interact to form an impression of a scene or an emotion. Donna primarily works in oil, celebrating the fluidity of her chosen medium.

Blue Space series II, oil on canvas

I really enjoy the confidence with which Donna lays down her pigments in each work. Though each canvas generally showcases a wide range of colors and shades, the overall palette is often fairly cohesive, with one or two contrasted notes. I find that the smoothness of the artist’s marks, though varied in size, lends a great focus to the composition and allows the viewer to see pure pigment rather than the decisions of the artist.

The front page of Donna's website

Some of Donna’s works have a fresco aesthetic to them, and remind me a little of the subdued works of Nella Lush. The artist’s use of sanding techniques to weather and texture her artworks solidifies the comparison to outdoor paintings, and works of art that have a history and story to them.

Whisper, oil on gessoed paper