d o n n a   r e i b s l a g e r     
                                             
                                            about the artist
EDUCATION / BACKGROUND:

Born in Chicago, Illinois
Received a Fine Arts education at
    Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI   1963 - 65
    The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, IL   1965 - 67
Worked for eight years as a graphic artist
Lived and worked in Sonora, Mexico, 1973 - 1982
Resident of The San Francisco Bay Area  1982 - 2006
Currently lives in Patagonia, AZ

SOLO EXHIBITS:

'Calaveras Y Canciones', Global Arts Gallery, Patagonia, AZ   October 2009
Creative Spirits Gallery, Patagonia, AZ   August 2007
' Livermore Hills', Wente Winery Tasting Room, Livermore, CA   April 2005
Big White House Gallery, Livermore, CA   March 2004
Concannon Winery Tasting Room, Livermore, CA   February 2003

GROUP SHOWS:

'The Big Picture', 2 Man Show at Platform Gallery, Tucson, AZ October 2009
'Treasures of The Santa Cruz Valley', Blue Raven Gallery, Tucson, AZ October 2009
Members Open Exhibit, Tubac Art Center, Tubac, AZ  September 2009
'Dia de Los Muertos', Tohona Chul Gallery, Tucson, AZ   September -October 2009
'Salon Des Refuses', Dinnerware Gallery, Tucson, AZ     July 2009
' Through My Eyes', (3 artists )  Dezart One Gallery, Palm Springs, CA   May 2007
Ambiguous',  (3 artists)   Dezart One Gallery, Palm Springs, CA   October 2006
'Dialogues in Abstraction', (3 artists), Dezart One Gallery, Palm Springs, CA   March 2006
'Natural Perceptions', (2 artists), Los Medanos College, Pittsburg, CA   January 2006
' Two for the Show', Livermore Public Library, Livermore, CA   August  2005
'Artwalk', Downtown Livermore, CA   2003-05
'Art in the Winery', Wente Winery, Livermore, CA  2003-05
'Jazz and Mardi Gras',  Art of Presentation Gallery, Pleasanton, CA   February 2005
'100 Nudes', Art of Presentation Gallery, Pleasanton, CA   September 2005
'Mythical, Magical, Mystical', Frank Bette Gallery, Alameda, CA   October  2004
'Truth & Lies', Wet Paint Gallery, Livermore, CA   June   2004
'Abstract Expressions', Danville Fine Arts Gallery, Danville, CA   January   2003
'Family and Figuration', Sun Gallery, Hayward, CA   September   1999
D O N N A  R E I B S L A G E R         about the artist
 Although I have         
  always been a            
  painter, it is only       
  since 2002 that I        
  have had the             
  opportunity to           
  paint on a daily         
  basis, and a
    dedicated space in which to work. These factors
 have impacted my development as an artist,
 allowing me to maintain continuity between         
  one direction or idea, and that which develops      
  from it.
 Abstract painting is a wonderful format for an
 artist, because it allows one to focus on the
 interaction between color and form without
 the preconceptions that known images present.
 Abstraction lends itself to a more intuitive
 process, allowing me to play with the image
 without over-thinking it.
 However, whether I am working abstractly, or       
  within a more representational format, such as
 a landscape, my objective is the same - to
 create a composition that achieves a sense of          
  rhythm,  and a structural balance.
 For me, the measure of a successful work of art
 lies in its ability to fully engage the viewer, such
 that, if only for that moment, their thought
 process is suspended, and they are drawn into
 the work completely.  

In 2006, after many years living in The S.F. Bay  Area, my husband
and I moved to a small  town in the  mountains of Southeast Arizona.
The unique beauty of this area, with its backdrop of mountains, monsoon
skies, gnarled mesquites,crumbling adobes, and coyote presence offer a
aealth of imagery. Our proximity to the Mexican border has drawn from
me a connection to my  past,  when I lived in a Mexican bordertown,
and has resulted in much work that reflects my memories and impressions of
living in that culture.  I rise each morning to spend the day working in my
studio, and feel that I have found my home.
                                                                                                                                           
Maya
Casa Reibslager