From Mind To Art
Fusing Traditional Art with Digital Innovation
From mastering the intricate strokes of pen art to securing funding from the Arts Council for creative development in the digital realm, we are merging traditional skills with modern innovation to redefine artistic expression. This unique blend of craftsmanship and technology allows us to create captivating art that bridges the gap between the tactile and the digital, fostering a new era of creativity. By combining these two disciplines, we aim to push boundaries, inspire new perspectives, and shape the future of art in an increasingly digital world.

Building My Brand.
My Journey Through the Year: Building Donna Mindart
Over the past year, my journey has been one of growth, creativity, and self-discovery, culminating in the creation of my brand, Donna Mindart. This brand is a reflection of my personal evolution, infused with meaning and inspired by the metaphor that underpins all my artwork: the washing machine. The washing machine represents the cycles of life, the process of transformation, and the ability to emerge renewed. It has become the heart of my identity, symbolised in my logo that now ties together every piece of my art. Donna Mindart isn’t just a brand; it’s a testament to the power of embracing change and finding beauty in the process.

Comic Chaos.
Exploring the Chaos of the Mind: A Unique 3-Piece Collection
This captivating 3-piece collection masterfully combines modern digital techniques with the timeless craft of traditional pen work. Each piece delves into the unpredictable chaos of the mind, exploring the realms of the unknown and embracing the strangest aspects of human imagination. The collection’s intriguing blend of mediums and its thought-provoking themes have earned it recognition in the globally renowned magazine I Am Not Size, a platform celebrated for showcasing weird and wonderful art. With its recent feature, these striking works have captured the attention of art enthusiasts worldwide, offering a compelling glimpse into the beauty of the unconventional.

Art As a Response to Mental health
Exploring Mental Health Through Surreal Art
This artwork delves into the emotional and psychological intricacies of mental health, capturing its complexity through surreal and symbolic imagery. It reflects the deeply personal journey of inner turmoil, healing, and growth—often nonlinear, messy, and unique to each individual. Recognised for its profound impact and creativity, this piece was honoured as a finalist in the prestigious Doncaster Art Exhibition.

The Waters Within.
Magazine: The Sea of Emotion
Exploring the Connection Between the External and Internal
My work delves into the intricate and ever-evolving relationship between the external world and our internal experiences. Drawing inspiration from memory, emotion, mythology, and a deep connection to place, I aim to capture the unseen. Through fine pen work, I map out what often feels invisible and unspoken, bringing these hidden layers to life in a tangible form. With a placement in a number of magazines, Including " The Sea Of Emotions" by Collect art

Still We Struggle.
Zozobra Exhibition and website feature.
As Donna Mindart, my piece "Still We Struggle" is born from raw emotions of living in a world where hardship and division seem so inescapable. This Artwork is incredibly personal to me- it actually brought me to tears as I drew it- because it reflects the struggles we all face, from mental health battles to economic hardships to the relentless challenges that just seem to be everywhere. I feel strongly that so much of this made worse by the lack of compassion and the selfishness of political systems that don't prioritise peoples well-being and I wanted to pour these feelings into this piece.

Stones Flow.
Featured in Wiro Mag/ Basalte
In Stones Flow, the artist explores the raw geometry and silent movement found in basalt landscapes. Using only pen, they build an intricate world where textures, formations, and flowing lines speak to the layered history of the Earth. Inspired by volcanic coastlines and crystalline structures, the piece captures the tension between solidity and motion—between the permanence of rock and the fluid forces that shape it.

Flourish In Equinox
Featured in Spring Edition Magazine
This piece explores the equilibrium of the Spring Equinox, where light and dark, growth and rest exist in harmony. Flowing lines and intricate details depict nature's renewal- flowers blooming butterflies emerging and shifting skies- symbolising the balance change, transformation and cyclical rhythm of the seasons.

Northern Expression Project
Exhibition included Ten pieces of my work.
"Torn between worlds between worlds" memories and experiences that may feel chaotic or without a clear purpose. By revisiting places of childhood- Spaces shared with family, familiar landscapes, and historic buildings – the work reflects on themes of belonging and identity. Each place holds fragments of memory, moments of connection and a universal search for fitting in. Through connection to heritage and memory, the pieces offer a grounding story of resilience and self-discovery. Together, they invite viewers to reflect on their own place of belonging, the sites of their own stories and the way we all seek a place to call home.

Northern Expression Project
Exhibition included Ten pieces of my work.
Picture to the left- "Rhythm and Roots" and My first hide piece.
Northern Expression opened their calls for interviews, Successfully I was one of eight people chosen for emerging artists of North Yorkshire. Our theme ' Sense of Place' was the main focus of this programme that we worked towards for a year. and working on researching our own take on this brief through sessions attended throughout 2024. i.e. New Bridge project where we learnt printing.
I submitted 10 pieces of which we hand drawn on paper, one bookcase made from a washer drum and a cowhide with a picture of a special moment between father and daughter hand drawn,
My goal for this was to tell the visual story of memory, purpose, belonging and finding a place where I felt I fit in,
adding key elements of my beliefs and passion for helping others with mental health, as to why I hide a washing machine in most of my pictures of storytelling: relates to the artist's mind.
Mental health for me has always been a big part of my life as an artist not only did I achieve what I set out to do, but I also made lifelong friends and potential collaborations of the future as an artist.

Digital update of Stones Flow
Exploring Creativity with "Stones Flow"
Working with digital tools and my original piece, "Stones Flow," I ventured into a realm I had always been hesitant to explore—colour. Traditionally, my digital expertise kept me within a safe, monochromatic palette, as incorporating colour felt overwhelming and unfamiliar. However, with this piece, I challenged myself to break free from those constraints. By embracing colour, I discovered a vibrant new layer of creativity that brought "Stones Flow" to life in ways I never imagined. This experience has taught me that stepping outside of comfort zones often leads to remarkable and unexpected results.

Digital portraits.
Use of celebrities to encourage portraits in digital
Exploring my passion for digital art has always been a fulfilling journey, and one of the most exciting ways I honed my craft was through creating portraits of celebrities. These pieces weren’t just a creative outlet—they were part of building my portfolio. While initially intended for practice, this experience became a turning point, giving me the confidence to offer digital portrait creation as a professional service. I experimented with a variety of digital pens and textures, blending techniques to bring each piece to life with detail and personality. This process not only refined my artistic skills but also fuelled my enthusiasm for capturing individuality through digital art.

"She Took Root In Silence"
Courage to work with colour through a moment of Mental Health
''She took root in silence'' is my response to the overwhelming and often silent experience of mental health struggle.
It blends horror symbolism with natural forms to reflect the ways our inner battles can root themselves into identity.
The central figure- a woman grown into a tree. Represents how pain and silence can entangle the self, restricting growth and voice. Her vine- stitched mouth and hollow eyes are metaphors for emotional suppression, while the bark and branching vines reflect how trauma embeds itself deeply, like rings in wood.
This piece is both a release and a response - a way to visualise what words cannot often hold. In creating it, I invite the viewers to confront the tangled, often haunting nature of mental health and to notice what lies beneath the surface.

"Until You Return"
Magazine Edition to Wiro Mag/ Dialogue
In 'Until You Return'' she personifies the Sun and Moon to represent two voices in continual communication- separate yet eternally connected. Their light and shadow become metaphors for the ways people express care ,longing and understanding across distance and time.
Conceptually, the piece reflects the silent dialogues we hold within ourselves- between strength and fragility, hope and despair, darkness and light. Visually, the contrast of tone and texture mirrors the ebb and flow of communication, suggesting that even in absence, connection endures. through this celestial conversation, Donna transforms the idea of dialogue into something both cosmic and deeply human.

"The Hour Of Falling Leaves"
Edition to Artful Prize, One of four pieces picked for finals.
The Hour Of Falling leaves reflects my exploration of myth, balance, cyclical change. The autumn equinox, with its equal measure of light and dark, becomes a metaphor for the fragile threshold between seasons- a pause in time, where transformation begins. My work often carries hidden symbols and in this piece I continued my practice of embedding a washing machine motif. For me, this object represents the cycles of life and time, mental health, and the noise that is apparent in good and bad days.
The dragon, entwined around the equinox clock , embodies guardianship of eternal rhythms, while the robed figure, stands as a keeper of balance. Surrounding details- owls, pumpkins and drifting leaves- anchor the piece in the harvest and natural worlds, blending whimsical with symbolic. My aim was to create a work that is both playful and contemplative, inviting viewers to notice the hidden cycles that shape not only the world around us , but also the stories we carry.

Digital piece, Using my techniques I have learnt.
Crafting a digital piece using all I have learnt feels like pouring my heart and soul into something truly meaningful. It’s as if I have captured the essence of a single leaf, fallen from a tree, and transformed it into a reflection of the world I dream of. Every skill, every lesson, and every ounce of creativity comes together to shape this vision—a blend of nature, imagination, and aspiration. This creation is more than just art; it is a testament to growth, inspiration, and the endless possibilities of dreaming big.

"The Quiet Between Notes"
By Donna Mindart
A book about Grief, Ready to be released on the 22nd December 2025
Fifteen-year-old Lena hasn’t spoken much since her brother’s death the year before. The world feels muted — like every sound has been turned down low. Her mum works double shifts, her friends don’t know what to say anymore, and Lena feels invisible, caught between the noise of everyone else’s lives.
But when she’s assigned to work on a music therapy project at school — recording sounds that represent emotions — she begins to notice the small noises she’d been blocking out: rain hitting the windows, the hum of the fridge, her heartbeat in her ears.
Slowly, through these sounds and her growing friendship with Kai, a new student who hides his own scars behind sarcasm and playlists, Lena begins to rebuild her inner world — one note at a time.

"When the Clowns Clean up"
This piece uses the familiar language of the circus to explore the unseen realities of mental health.
Traditionally associated with joy and escape, the circus here becomes a space of imbalance. The Animals represent those living in comfort and pleasure, untouched by consequence,, while the clowns- figures expected to entertain: are shown cleaning, Repairing the world around them. Their labour is quiet, continuous and largely unnoticed.
Colour plays a central symbolic role throughout the work. Red reflects pain and emotional strain, present beneath the surface of performance. Green represents, mental health- growth, fragility and the ongoing need for care. Blue symbolises felling, vulnerability and the emotional weight carried in silence. Together, these colours move subtly through the scene , reinforcing the idea that emotional experience exists even when masked by spectacle.