Meet Donna Torres

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Donna Torres a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Donna, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.

I am happiest doing research for future projects. While working on a project or at the completion of one I pay attention to the next thing that is peaking my interest. One project can lead to another. Some ideas may not have been completely worked out in an artwork and then I look for the opportunity to expand the ideas. It could be a different medium, a different size, or just ideas that seem worth exploring further. As I work towards my new projects I’m exploring the lives of female plant explorers. Their lives were so rich and they didn’t let the difficulties get the best of them. My next painting will be about Marianne North, a British plant explorer and painter who lived in the 1800’s. In her writings she said, “the closer I get to it (a particular tree in Chile, in this case) the difficulties disappear.” The Difficulties Disappear sounds like a great title for my new painting.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I am an artist and illustrator working in Miami, Florida. My work is primarily dedicated to plants and their stories. I like to look at the beauty of the natural world and what is the plant connection to humans. I love hearing and reading about how plants were used in the past and present and this generally connects to the imagery I am making.

Some interesting projects that have recently been completed include two large solo shows. Caminos y Enlaces (Pathways and Connections) was in Sala Gasco Arte Contemporáneo in Santiago, Chile (February 2023). The gallery included two large rooms. One contained black and white drawings, and a black and white print set. The other was a full on color room that included oil paintings, large paintings of plants in watercolor and a textile installation.

The second large solo exhibition, The Radiance of Proximity, recently concluded at Miami International Airport (April 2024). This exhibition featured oil paintings, drawings, a video about my practice, and a 35 ft wall mural from a textile design I designed specifically for the exhibition.

My latest project is a series of paintings dedicated to female plant explorers. I envision this becoming a print set that can be used to educate others about this little known subject.

This year my work has been funded by the Corral & Cathers Artist Fund at the Coral Gables Community Foundation. The grant for South Florida artists is to further professional development and skills in a variety of disciplines and mediums. The grant allowed me to take workshops, purchase materials and try out new expressions for my work.

I am also happy to announce that my botanical prints will now be sold at Dolcezza Ice Cream shop, in Dupont Circle Washington DC, in addition to my online shop, donnatorres.com.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

My formal studies were in drawing and painting. Later I studied botanical art which led to a twenty year career teaching botanical art at our local botanic garden. I would say taking classes in areas you are interested in developing, is a good idea. Seeking out experts in the areas you want to become proficient is a help. This can also lead to contacts for the future. Never lose an opportunity to learn more about what you love. This all comes back to make you a better artist or creative professional.

Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?

Going all in on strengths you have is helpful and easier. On the other hand it’s a good idea to try new things too. In my case. I had learned to do botanical art and I produced a large set of works. I was aware that people were having their original artworks printed on fabric; I thought this might be an interesting thing to attempt. I had learned Photoshop and was able to scan my original artworks. Using my original paintings I tooled around designing until I came up with a whole line of custom textile designs. Had I just stuck to drawing and painting this would not have been possible. Now I have a website where I sell my custom fabrics and prints from my original artworks. My primary practice remains creating paintings and drawings but this has been a way to spread my work out to the general public.

Contact Info:

• Website: toseeclearly.com – artist website, donnatorres.com – online shop
• Instagram: @toseeclearly, @visionary_garden
• Facebook: @donnatorresart
• Other: A short video about my practice made by Miami International Airport for my exhibition, The Radiance of Proximity:
  https://youtu.be/c7OlzBPIZZY

Image Credits

Donna Torres