Donna-Fay Digance, a former teacher, painter and printmaker, now creates unique art quilts in her Saturna Island Studio. Being given quality art materials as a young child and continued encouragement her life long passion for creating art was nurtured . She participated in an adult art group, at the age of ten facilitated by Laura Ried, a well known Alberta artist. In high school, Donna, took a life drawing class at Calgary Tech.
After majoring in art education, at university, art became a major vehicle for teaching through-out the curriculum.
Donna decided to pursue her art studies by enrolling for art programs at Goldsmith's College School of Art in London, England.
Maiwa Handprints provided fabric art courses in dyeing, batik, and surface design as Donna wanted to work with textiles and safer art materials.
A major commission was a quilted triptych for Parks Canada.
A member of several professional art quilt associations, Donna exhibits in British Columbia and across Canada.
StatementI create these original art quilts in my studio on Saturna Island. My themes include landscapes inspired by Saturna Island, dancers and other figures in imaginative “dreamscapes”.
As a former printmaker, when I moved to Saturna Island I decided, in keeping with my new environment, to use a non-toxic medium to portray my imagery.
I have always loved the colour, texture and patterns of fabric. Experiments with fabric techniques, combined with drawing and painting merged naturally with my dreamscapes.
Living on Saturna has influenced me to capture the beauty and serenity of nature that surrounds me in this pristine, tranquil oasis.
The intricate cutting of fabric, combined with drawing, painting, and machine embroidery, used in this mixed-media process, creates a uniquely individual collection of work.
