Donna Baird
Donna Baird is a third-generation artist who had the good fortune of being born and raised in Victoria, BC. As far back as she can remember, Donna was inspired by her grandmother, who had modern-day Renaissance qualities in thatcher artistic endeavors included a proficiency as a musician, sculptor, painter, and crafter of fine furniture and musical instruments. While Donna’s earlier works are certainly noteworthy, the last decade of her process of discovery changed her artistic direction. Over this period, she encountered and fell in love with the process and texturing that encaustic art provides. Donna was compelled to bring together multiple mediums and to create using combinations of brushwork, exploratory colour and depth combinations, and wax carving to create 3D compositions- a culmination of over 20 years of study and focus, and ultimately “bread in the bone”. There is always a modicum of control over wax and only a seasoned encaustic artist knows how wax will behave based on the volume and direction of the fire applied, the type of pigment in use, and how any other mixed media are present within the creation.