Donna Acheson Juillet Watercolour

Canadian artist Donna Acheson Juillet has seen her style and interest evolve over the years. Her watercolour painting is now a mixture of abstract and figurative, in which she captures the spirit of her subjects by using the techniques of watercolour.


Canadian Donna Acheson-Juillet started drawing at a young age but her true passion, watercolour painting, blossomed after she adopted France as her second home. She paints with freedom, often mixing the figurative with the abstract in an attempt to move beyond her subject to the spirit within it.

Using the inherent qualities of selected media (i.e. the transparency of watercolours and the opaqueness of pastels) she creates contrasts between light and shadows and an array of textures to enhance her subject matter.

Initially inspired by the serenity that emanates from the untamed nature and large open spaces of her homeland, Canada, her move to France in 1988 enabled her to further develop her creativity. Looking beyond her native references, she was afforded a unique opportunity that opened her spirit to new influences.

The diversity of her subject matter is remarkable whether it be with her pure watercolours or her mixed media pieces. Her fascination with the way the elements she uses mix and interact has led her to develop a mixed media approach that enables her to illuminate even the subtlest contrasts between light and shadow and achieve a delicate transparency and harmony of colour that is fortified by rich textures.

Donna taught watercolour for more than 6 years in Grenoble, France and then another 6 years in Dubai in various institutions when her and her family moved to the UAE in 2001. She has currently illustrated 10 books and has exhibited her work in France and the United Arab Emirates. She now lives just outside Paris, France.