Donna Watson, Flight Pattern, 2026, Cold wax and oil paints, 18 x 18 x 1.5 in

Donna Watson has lived in the Pacific Northwest for many years, including the past twenty-five on Camano Island, where her home overlooks water and distant mountains. Across the landscape, she is continually drawn to the thin strip of white light where water meets land, a subtle horizon line that has become a lasting source of fascination and inspiration.

Traveling through the Skagit Valley, Watson is equally moved by the sight of large flights of birds, which evoke a deep sense of connection and renewal. These experiences form the foundation of her current body of work. A painter for many years, she now works primarily in cold wax and oil, drawn to the medium's capacity for layering and atmospheric depth. Through repeated applications of paint, she creates surfaces that convey emotional resonance and spatial ambiguity.

Her recent work centers on horizons and birds in flight. For Watson, the horizon represents both a physical meeting point and a symbolic boundary between the known and the unknown. The birds moving across this threshold embody hope, transition, and freedom, reflecting her deepest sense of place and belonging within the landscape she calls home.

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