Donna Acheson Juillet is a member of the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour (CSPWC), the Canadian Watercolour Society (SCA), and the French Society of Watercolour (SFA). She is the recipient of numerous awards and has exhibited in France, Canada, China, Korea and many European countries. She has illustrated 10 children’s books and painted a camel for the Camel Caravan in Dubai. She leads workshops in Europe, Canada and Morocco.

“More than anything, nature has left its mark on my soul. Like the trace of a step in the mud, it has changed the choice of my subjects and the way I paint. I pay tribute to the beauty and fragility of nature itself. My paintings are a part of my soul, translating my admiration for nature’s creations, bringing together the emotions felt in front of the beauty of such a spectacle.

Thirty years ago, I liked to paint in a controlled way, staying true to the lines I carefully placed on the paper. I liked to paint what I saw, but even then I wasn’t looking for a perfect rendering of reality. I suppose that even at that time, my intuition was already trying to express itself. Now I trust myself. I accept that the painting takes on a life of its own at some point. I remain flexible, accept surprises and happy accidents. Then I let the painting go in a different direction than I originally planned. To do this, I rely a lot on my intuition, my memories, my emotions, my interpretation of the world.

Just like in life, I encourage colors to disperse, harmonize, work together. I like to mix the figurative and the abstract, and let the viewer take control of the story I have initiated. Art interests me when it expresses the vision and interpretation of the artist. For me, watercolor is a permanent adventure and a never-ending love story!”