An Interview About Me, By Me

An Interview About Me, By Me

Wether I am sitting at the gallery front desk talking to fellow artists and passers by, or chatting with people at a show like IDS Vancouver, I always get asked the same types of questions. What inspires you? (see my last blog post to discover the answer to this). What do you paint? Tell me about your process!! Etc etc etc.

It is so amazing that people genuinely find it fascinating that I get to create art for a living and that they want to take time out of their busy day to get to know me and what I do.

So here’s an interview about me, by me. Just a couple of questions that seem to pop up regularly and answers I thought you might find interesting. So here we go!

For those that know nothing about you, give us a little introduction about who you are and what you do.

My name is Donna Giraud and I am an acrylic abstract painter. I currently help run an artist run gallery in Yaletown called The Space An Art Gallery and I have been painting for 18 years. My work is very textural, often thought of looking like west coast landscapes and my work is greatly inspired by my world travels. I grew up on the North Shore and never thought that I would end up being an artist. I am a National Gold medal winning college soccer player, my first profession was a nurse at St Paul’s Hospital for 15 years but as of almost two years ago, I gave up my license to become a full time painter. I currently teach the best dam paint night paint class in the city (Paint with Donna) and I have artwork hanging in residential and commercial spaces all over North America. I just turned 40 years old and I am currently in the process of figuring out what is next.

What is your favorite thing about being an artist?

Naturally I want to say that my favorite thing about being an artist is that I get to explore my emotions and thoughts in a creative way and make pieces of art that inspire and move people. But if I have to choose the very best thing about being an artist is the fact that I get to create what each day looks like. Yes I have obligations and deadlines, but I get to decide how all that unravels. I have only myself to answer to and with that comes great freedom. Sometimes I get up in the morning with the intention of spending the whole day in the studio painting, but then find myself binge watching a whole season of Queer Eye instead. Typically, most bosses wouldn’t find this productive or appropriate, but sometimes I give myself permission to do those kind of things. I have lists, I have plans, I have schedules with appointment that all get done in an organized and professional manner, but there is nothing better than designing a day exactly how you want.

What is the hardest thing about being an artist?

The hardest thing about being an artist is actually the same answer as above. Having freedom creates the perfect opportunity for procrastination. I mentioned that it is totally ok to give yourself permission to binge watch tv once and a while, but with that comes the possibility of that becoming a regular occurrence. I have heard so many artists say this and sadly fall prey to the lack of routine. I promised myself that I wouldn’t be that norm and made it a point to be committed to my craft, to set schedules and alarms, to keep accountable, to set deadlines, to do regular check in’s with myself and surround myself with people that encourage me to keep going. I make mistakes but I am committed to keep moving forward where ever that takes me.

How do I handle criticism?

I had to learn a long time ago that I couldn’t let every negative comment or just an opinion for that matter, affect me. Appreciating art literally is the most subjective thing!! My work is not for everybody and I learned that very quickly when my dad straight up told me he didn’t like one of the pieces I created very early on in my career. Dad’s are supposed to support you and tell you everything you do is amazing. Well, that definitely didn’t happen and I have always been grateful for that moment. I realized I had to pay attention to what people were saying and take everything into consideration but not hold it too personally. Sometimes people just like to hear the sound of their own voice. Others have given me great insight that has helped me get to where I am today. But I always promised myself that I wouldn’t let the criticism get to me. If I did, it would be a very gloomy and negative life to live in and I just don’t have the space for that.

What does your art aim to say?

I have always struggled with this question. When someone asks me this, I awkwardly always feel like I need to be impressive and say something like, “This body of work depicts the inner turmoil of the…… or This work represents the shift and instability of the modern political climate.”

But the truth is, my answer is super real and simple. Each piece is always about an emotion or an experience I have had with the hope of putting a positive and calming twist on that specific emotion or experience. There are so many artists that are taking a stance on the serious topics (And I am not saying that we shouldn’t be having those conversations about the tough and serious topics) it’s just that I feel like we need some more joy and positivity in the world. I feel like I was put on the earth to create art that makes you think about the importance of kindness, finding that one thing that ignites passion in your life, encouraging connection in a fast paced technical world and or daring to dream about what your best life could be. All these topics are super relatable and I make it a point to always make people feel comfortable in front of my work. I don’t want to intimidate viewers with a stuffy artist statement. I want people to connect with regular, very day stuff and get them to feel joy when they see what I create.

How do you title your work?

In conjunction with the above answer, the titles of my work have always been one of my favorite parts of my artistic process. When I come up with the emotion or experience I want to paint about, I then write down a bunch of words that depict that emotion or experience. Once I have narrowed it down to one word, I then rearrange that words to make a new word and that becomes the title of the piece. Once people know this about my work, it becomes a game for them to try and figure out what word I have used in the title. The title then gives you insight into what the piece is about. (Click here to see my previous work and their titles. Try and figure out what word I had in mind)

Give us a little insight into Donna outside of the artist

I think a huge part of why I have managed to create a fairly successful art career is because I am not afraid to let people get to know the real me. I am an open book and feel that openness fosters better connection and leaves a lasting impression. Here are a few little fun facts about me……

Favorite color: Turquoise

Favorite beverage: White wine (Pinot Gris) (My favorite local winery is Country Vines in Richmond. Make sure you check them out!

Favorite book: Anything by Robin Sharma (eg. The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari)

Marital Status: Married for 1 year, one month and 8 days to the greatest man on the planet (Paul).

Cats or Dogs?: DOGS DOGS DOSG!!!! (sorry cat lovers) 3 years ago Paul and I brought home the sweetest, most energetic maltipoo you could get your hands on. We named her Wallis (like after Wallis Simpson) and our lives have never been the same. She has taught me what unconditional love is and brings a smile to my face a hundred times a day. Best decision we have ever made. Follow Wallis on Instagram @theworldofwallis

Favorite place on earth other than Vancouver: Tanzania

A typical Sunday: Eggs on toast and coffee, a local hike in the mountains with the hubby and Wallis, wine on our patio and a good movie. That or hosting a dinner party which we do once a month.

Random fact about you: I have moved 27 times in 40 years. I love setting up new spaces and creating a home. (I just bought a home in North Vancouver with my husband and sadly he says we are never moving again but I think I am ok with this being our forever home)

For more information about what I do or to see my artwork in person, head down to my gallery in Yaletown and let’s have a chat (1063 Hamilton Street, Vancouver BC). Or if you have a burning question that you just have to ask now, send me an email and I will do my best to get back to you as soon as I can (info@donnagiraud.com)

Donna Giraud

Travelling and it's Power to Transform and Inspire

Travelling and it’s Power to Transform and Inspire

About 14 years ago my best friend was travelling the world and was going to be making a short stopover in the Philippines to meet some family on her way down to Australia. I was 26 years old and the only travelling I had really done was to places like Mexico and Las Vegas and destinations in the US and Canada; places that were safe and lacking in real culture experiences.

I was going through a moment in life where I started to question things and asking myself what I wanted out of life. I think we all go through this stage (if not many times in our lives) but I will never forget the moment I decided to message my friend and tell (I didn’t ask) her that I was going to meet her in the Philippines and that I wanted to stay for a month. Her initial plan was just to stay for a week or so, meet some family and make her way to Australia where she thought her real adventure was. She totally jumped on board and I booked my ticket the next day and the planning for what would be the most influential trip of my life thus far began.

What I didn’t know at the time was that this trip would be the catalyst for my love and obsession with exploration and adventure. While in the Philippines, I discovered the power that different cultures, thoughts, ideas and ways of doing things had on me. I started to understand what patience was, I started to realize that there was so much more going on other than my little life back in Vancouver and I started to understand that I had so much to learn from the world. I knew I didn’t know everything and that I had a lot to figure out, I just never understood that the world could be such an incredible classroom.

Fast forward 14 years later, I have been to all the continents except for Antarctica (but my husband and I are already planning that adventure), 21 countries and I do not see an end to my travelling in sight.

Aside from the life lessons that travelling has and continues to teach me, one of the coolest things about going on these adventures around the world is the inspiration I get for my paintings and artistic expression.

The images above are from the Lantau to Big Buddha hike my husband and I did while in Hong Kong (We travelled to China in 2017 and visited Beijing, Shanghai, Macao and Hong Kong). (A word of advice, if you plan on doing this hike, please know that it has two summits and you need to prepare. It’s over 8 hours and you need to bring enough water and food so you don’t die/look like my hubby above!!)

The misty clouds that were below us and the teal green landscape and water definitely influenced me when I painted the above painting titled RENTS

Every time I go away, I am always looking around for things to inspire me. Whether it’s an obvious landscape with beautiful sunsets or mountain ranges or the texture in a cloth or the color of a cocktail, the opportunity to be inspired is always around us. All you have to do is keep your eyes and heart open to it.

What I have also realized is that you don’t need to jump on a plane to get inspired. We live in one of the most beautiful and awe inspiring places in the world and I get so much inspiration from just doing hikes in our own back yard!! The painting above was created because of the colors and textures I saw when my husband and I hiked the Saint Marks Summit in North Vancouver. It was a gloomy, rainy day and the view at the summit was completely fogged in, but I couldn’t help but notice the pops of green and the beauty in the reflections of the puddles. I came home and immediately started planning out this piece in the above image.

Inspiration for my artwork can come from any where! I travelled to the Okanagan for my bachelorette party last August and when I got home from this epic adventure, I was going through all the incredible photos I had taken and this one below caught my eye. There was something about the beauty of all my favorite ladies and how they all looked in their floral dresses. I loved all the color combinations and the texture that each of the fabrics gave off. I got the idea to combine those colors and textures with the composition of a more literal scene that I had seen so many times on my drives through BC and up to the Okanagan and the piece below was created.

My honeymoon to Tanzania last year in October was probably my most memorable trip I have had to date. Africa has always had a special place in my heart and I always knew that I had to get there. When my hubby and I were first dating he mentioned that if he ever got married, his dream would be to go on a African Safari for his honeymoon. Literally in that moment, I knew he was the man of my dreams. I had always had this thought on my bucket list and I finally found my partner in crime to explore the world with. Three years later we were married and our month long adventure to Tanzania and to the top of the highest freestanding mountain in the world (Mount Kilimanjaro) began.

I never expected the influence that this trip would have on my artwork. I have never seen color combinations like this before. The sunsets that happen at the equator and at 20,000 feet are things that every human should experience and see. The energy and kindness from the locals was another thing we were blown away by and that definitely came across in my artwork when I returned.

I was preparing for my 2019 solo art exhibition when I returned from my honeymoon and what I found most interesting was the color choices I was choosing for each of the upcoming artworks. I normally paint in the more neutral tones with blues but color was just oozing out of me when I created this show. And I certainly had Tanzania to thank for that.

When we travelled to Iceland in 2017, I had the feeling of being home. When I am surrounded by mountains, glaciers and waterfalls, I am my most true self. For two weeks, my husband and I travelled the treacherous Ring Road around the whole country and captured and experienced some of the world’s most beautiful wonders.

We summited the two newest mountains in the world, (Magdi and Modi), I had a facial/shower under a waterfall every morning and kept fit by doing planks on broken off pieces of glacier on Diamond Beach. (See pictures below)

And some of my favourite artwork of all time came from the inspiration I got from this trip. Every time I turned there was something new and wondrous to look at; The shape of the mountains, the texture/cracks of the land around the geysers, the sparkle from the thousands of broken glaciers, the vastness of the hardened lava fields………. I could seriously list a million more things that blew my mind!

So here is the moral of the story…….. TRAVEL TRAVEL TRAVEL!!!!! It is life changing. It doesn’t matter if you are not an artist, inspiration can affect so many more things than just artwork. And like I said before, it doesn’t have to cost thousands of dollars and you don’t have to travel across the world, just start local and see how your surroundings can truly affect you. Be open to all the subtle things that are around you and watch how your energy can change and how much you can learn.

Donna Giraud

Celebrating 9 years with IDS Vancouver

Celebrating 9 Years with IDS Vancouver

9 years ago, I was trying to figure out how I was going to get my artwork out there in the world for everyone to see (well maybe not everyone at that time, but enough to start creating some momentum).

And as the universe often does, an add for the One of a Kind Market as a feature area in the IDS West Show (now known as IDS Vancouver) was looking for 7 emerging artists for their new art section. They were offering a 10 foot wall at a discounted price and something just told me to submit my work.

Not knowing that this decision would change my life, I gracefully accepted when I found out a few weeks later that I had been one of the lucky ones selected for this exciting new feature at the show.

I will never forget that first show. I will never forget how much I prepared every detail (from my artist statements, rack cards, to my prices tags and email signup book, I wanted everything to be perfect). I will never forget that we didn’t have things like “Square” on my phone, so I had to write a receipt and people had to go to a central processing area to pay. I will never forget my first sale (of my largest piece at the time - 48x48 inches) to a fellow co-worker and her husband. And I will also never forget how that show created my first sense of community as it introduced me to 6 other artists (four of which are still in my life today) (Mike Soltis, Jon Shaw, Connie Flavelle and Nathalie Denise)

To my delight, that first show ignited and propelled my career to where it is today and I will forever be grateful to IDS Vancouver for giving me that first chance and now a yearly opportunity to share with the design world what my heart and soul creates.

The opportunities I have had because of this show have been endless. To name a few……

1. I get to showcase my work yearly in front of the city’s top designers

2. I have been a feature image on the IDS Vancouver Website

3. I landed a 10 page feature in Vancouver Home Magazine (page 92-102) which has lead to numerous commissions and serial collectors

4. I have become an internationally known artist and shipped my work all over North America AND

5. Had a dream opportunity of meeting the amazing and talented Designer Amanda (Forrest) Aerin because she showcased my art on an episode of CTV Morning Live (watch video here)

Upon writing this blog post, I did a lot of reflection about the last 9 years and how my artwork, career, vision and mentality has evolved and I can honestly say that IDS Vancouver has played one of the biggest roles that has gotten me where I am today.

The show encompasses beauty and design coupled with innovativeness and ingenuity. But the words I think of most when I think of IDS Vancouver are friendship and support. They continue to to believe in my work and every year my career propels in new and exciting directions.

I would like to take the time to thank the IDS Vancouver team for always believing in me and for welcoming me back each year. There are truly no words to describe how grateful I am.

For those of you who have not been to the show before, and to those who come every year, make sure you get your tickets now because I know for a fact that this year’s show is going to be one to remember.

Get your tickets below and make sure you tell all your friends to join you!

Purchase Tickets

And just in case you want to know what day you should come to the show, the Opening Night Party on Thursday September 26th is always the best! Grab yourself a cocktail and wander around the city’s most beautiful venue. Connect with your favourite creators and get ready to be inspired! (Remember that Friday is not open to the public)

Donna Giraud

Dreams Can Come True

Dreams Can Come True

It was 2001 and I was sitting in the restaurant Cats Meow (in Granville island for those who are old enough to know what I am talking about). With my coffee in one hand and a glass of champagne in the other, in mid conversation, my boyfriend at the time decided to proclaim his love for the piece of art that was hanging on the wall behind my head. Annoyed that he interrupted the story I was just telling him, I turned around and I kid you not, thought to myself, “I could paint that.”

Having had about 20 minutes of painting instruction in my grade 12 art class, I have absolutely no idea why I thought I could so confidently paint something like that. But whatever made me think that in that moment is ultimately why I am here today writing about my fairytale story of becoming an artist.

To explain that story further, what ended up happening was that I returned to the restaurant the following day with my point and shoot camera (this is way before smart phones ladies and gentleman), pretended I needed to pee, snuck a photograph of that art, developed the film, bought some crappy art supplies and tried to recreate that painting that my boyfriend loved so much. 

Funnily enough, I ended up finishing the piece and gave it to my boyfriend for a Christmas present. Even funnier, he thought I had purchased the piece from the restaurant. To his (and mine for that matter) amazement, he overwhelmingly thanked me for the thoughtful and well executed gift and that was that. 

(The penguin painting is the first painting I ever did. At the time I loved it! Oh how I have progressed!!!

It wasn’t until years later that I picked up another paint brush and finally had the balls to create something of my very own (previous to this, I had just been trying to copy stuff I found on the internet). With this creation of my very own original artwork, something changed. And with the help and encouragement of another boyfriend (don’t judge ;) I decided to paint a bunch of new work and hold an open house in my home, invite everyone I knew and hope to hell someone felt bad enough for me and buy a piece. Well, it ended up being one of the coolest nights of my life (up until that point) because I sold a ton of work. Everyone seemed to love what I was creating and it was one of the most encouraging events I had ever had.

What was most profound about that night was that a complete stranger bought a piece from me and that was a game changer. (Family and friends are supposed to buy because they love you and want you to feel supported). But this stranger had no obligation what so ever and he still bought. He saw something in this small, black and white textural, 12x12 inch piece and he just had to have it. And I still know to this day that it is hanging proudly in a beautiful apartment in Coal Harbour.

After that open house event, everything snowballed from there. I got the opportunity to hold my first solo at Raw Canvas in Yaletown, (which I sold out and filled the place to fire capacity), joined the incredible group of exhibitors of IDS Vancouver (now doing my 10th year this year), exhibited in my first International show in New York City at the prestigious Agora Art Gallery, have my own gallery with 6 other artists (The Space An Art Gallery), teach the best paint class in the city (Paint with Donna) and a million more little things and strokes of luck that have brought me to where I am at the moment.

Oh, did I mention I was also working full time as a head nurse at St Paul’s Hospital while doing the art thing as well?

Eventually, the artwork became so busy that I began to struggle with keeping up my energy and devotion to do both full time nursing and art. So as every 38 year old decides, I gave my notice at the hospital on April 9th, 2018 and gave up my license right then and there. I didn’t think twice about this decision because I knew that I had to give my artistic career the full attention I thought it deserved.

And here we are, over a year later and I can honestly say, I am living the dream.

Every day is different. Some days are lonely and boring, while others are jam packed with exhibitions, emails, newsletter writing and selling art. But what I have come to realize throughout this whole journey of living my dream is that it is hard. It takes dedication, devotion, tenacity, energy, love, passion, a crap ton of support (you can’t do this alone), and most of all, the awareness that you are one of the lucky ones.

Everyone has the opportunity to choose this path, but not every one does. For what ever reason, (combination of luck and hard work), I was given the clarity that this is what I wanted to do and I did what I needed to do to make it work. And every day I am grateful and present to the fact that I am living my dream.

And I can’t wait to see how this dream unfolds……………… (stay tuned and find out with me)

I hope that this blog post at the least made you giggle about something, but maybe one of you have been thinking about changing up your journey and taking your passion to the next level and maybe my story has inspired you to take that next step you have been waiting to take. If that is you, YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!!! And let me know if I can help in any way.

Thank you to every person that has been a part of my journey. Without you, none of this would have been possible.

Donna Giraud

It's ok to take a break!

It's ok to take a break sometimes to recharge

I often hear other artists complaining about the guilt they have when they take time away from their art. I am not going to lie, I too have had these feelings of guilt when I am sitting on a patio in Argentina drinking a spectacular Malbec rather than sweating away in the studio. But then I have to remind myself about the power of taking a break.

There are times that you must be in your studio for hours at a time, preparing for your upcoming show but when you are outside those intense times, it is imperative that you remember to take a break because it is only going to benefit you in the long run. 

Pay attention to those things that bring you inner peace, that make you smile and that continuously inspire you. And then do them regularly! That way, when you do set aside the time to create in your space, your head and heart are in the right place. Then you can let the magic happen!

If you are constantly exhausted and frustrated, your creative process will not work properly.  

So over the years, I have paid attention and made it a priority to create balance between my time in the studio and things that make my heart sing. I have learned to let the guilt go because I have seen the benefit from my actions.

So for those of you who haven’t found those things that heighten your inspiration yet, here is a list of a few things that I do that might help you find your own.

1. I walk. I walk and I walk and I walk. And now that I have mynew puppy, I walk even more! There is something about the solitary time, being by the water, gazing into the many windows of the condos that line the seawall that I tend to find clarity. I get a sense of calm when I walk with no intention of getting to a specific destination. The power of wandering with no time constraints seems to reset my focus and I am always more present and inspired when I am back in the studio. 

Favourite spots on the seawall in Yaletown are sitting in the yellow chairs in the park at the end of Richards street, walking with a coffee from the best coffee spot in town (Coo Coo Coffee at 417 Davie Street) and walking under the tree coverage just past David Lam Park. 

2. I travel. When I spent a month in the Philippines about 15 years ago, I was bitten by the travel bug and I have developed a ferocious appetite to be inspired by other cultures and experiences. There is something freeing about stepping outside of your comfort zone and experiencing something you never thought you would. When I come home from traveling, I not only have thousands of photos to pull inspiration from, I also have a huge sense of gratitude and energy. That mindset fills my heart and I always notice better work on the canvas when I return back from an adventure. 

Favorite places to travel are New Zealand, Argentina, Chile and Iceland

3. I surround myself with my real friends. As I get older, I have realized the importance of surrounding yourself with people that make you feel better and more energized after leaving them. I make an effort to reach out and have spontaneous drinks on my patio or take the sea bus over to the north shore to have dinner on my parent’s boat because I know that after I leave these people, I am fired up! So make sure you find those favourite people and cultivate incredible relationships. 

Taking a break and stepping back is sometimes all you need to do. So remember to be kind to yourself and take a moment to recenter. 

Donna Giraud