ARTISTS BIOGRAPHY
Born and raised in a southern family, Donna has been drawing since she could hold a pencil. Donna Cruce Koćka, BFA, University of Tennessee (1986), has been a longtime Staunton, VA resident. She is married and has three children, one beautiful grandson and two labs named Leighla and Mazi, and a very fat cat named Alan (who posed for the painting, 'Happy').
Currently she is enjoying teaching homeschoolers Art during the school year in her Monday and Tuesday classes at her studio. She also loves working with the public getting their hands into paint with her Paint Parties and other volunteer opportunities. When she is not teaching or painting, she leads group bible studies and teaches other Art classes in Staunton. She also loves to hike in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, read, walk in the park with her dogs, travel to Europe and Africa and especially she loves to have tea with friends.
Donna began teaching Art for children during her Senior year at the University of Tennessee. And along the way, as she was raising their three children, she was painting portraits, murals, theater set design and construction, faux finishes and also doing a little graphic design. In 2011 she took a landmark oil painting class with Cedric Egeli, an internationally known colorist and portrait artist on Cape Cod. This outdoor portrait class began a new journey for her.
She is fascinated with the effects of light and color and has since studied on the Cape again with Camille Prezwodek and at Maryland Hall with John Ebersberger. At the local Beverley Street Studio School she has taken classes with Elise Blake, Jeffery Stockberger and numerous classes with the renowned colorist, Ron Boehmer. Boehmer is recognized as one of the nations foremost landscape and plein-air painters and has had a heavy influence on Koćka’s painting.
In the Spring of 2018 she was one of the Artists represented at the Queen City Plein Air Festival.
Her love for painting plein-air painting often draws her outdoors to the beautiful Virginia countryside or to historic downtown Staunton. She also spends time at her studio and gallery, IagoArts, in downtown Staunton.
Donna is currently painting outdoor children’s portraits, landscapes and murals and is available for commission art work.
Look for her Upcoming Paint Parties at IagoArts to get a chance to play and create art with her or just come by the studio for a visit.
GALLERY
Currently she is enjoying teaching homeschoolers Art during the school year in her Monday and Tuesday classes at her studio. She also loves working with the public getting their hands into paint with her Paint Parties and other volunteer opportunities. When she is not teaching or painting, she leads group bible studies and teaches other Art classes in Staunton. She also loves to hike in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, read, walk in the park with her dogs, travel to Europe and Africa and especially she loves to have tea with friends.
Donna began teaching Art for children during her Senior year at the University of Tennessee. And along the way, as she was raising their three children, she was painting portraits, murals, theater set design and construction, faux finishes and also doing a little graphic design. In 2011 she took a landmark oil painting class with Cedric Egeli, an internationally known colorist and portrait artist on Cape Cod. This outdoor portrait class began a new journey for her.
She is fascinated with the effects of light and color and has since studied on the Cape again with Camille Prezwodek and at Maryland Hall with John Ebersberger. At the local Beverley Street Studio School she has taken classes with Elise Blake, Jeffery Stockberger and numerous classes with the renowned colorist, Ron Boehmer. Boehmer is recognized as one of the nations foremost landscape and plein-air painters and has had a heavy influence on Koćka’s painting.
In the Spring of 2018 she was one of the Artists represented at the Queen City Plein Air Festival.
Her love for painting plein-air painting often draws her outdoors to the beautiful Virginia countryside or to historic downtown Staunton. She also spends time at her studio and gallery, IagoArts, in downtown Staunton.
Donna is currently painting outdoor children’s portraits, landscapes and murals and is available for commission art work.
Look for her Upcoming Paint Parties at IagoArts to get a chance to play and create art with her or just come by the studio for a visit.
GALLERY
