Margaret Donharl

Inspired by nature and design, Margaret Donharl creates colorful acrylic paintings – layering symbolism with realism.

Margaret’s process often involves applying paint and glazes onto recycled hardwood doors using her own hand cut stencils. Building layers of luminous color, pattern, and organic forms creates a complex visual weave and provides textural backgrounds for her paintings. Early in the process, Margaret works more intuitively with paint, adding and subtracting many elements to experiment with imagery. She’s interested in recording the accidents and erasures in the process and remains open to the unexpected, the surprising. 

While not attempting a literal portrayal, Margaret always includes realistic images of animals, birds, flowers and landscape in the final layers.  She’s exploring nature as elegant symbols of beauty, of fragility and impermanence. The animals and plants are idealized, not individuals. Their grace and vulnerability connect us with our deeper selves and beyond.

Margaret’s intention is to cause a spark of imagination and emotional response in the viewer – allowing new interpretations and personal connections to the natural world. As an artist, she strives to bridge her painting with her concern for the environment. Her hope is that by connecting the viewer with the subject, we will be reminded of our interdependence as stewards of this planet.

40 items

Aspen Asylum

SOLD

20 x 14.5" / Acrylic Painted on upcycled cabinet door - frame is a part of the painting.

Heron Homage

$195

8 x 8" / Acrylic

Fox Floral

$595

21 x 17" / Acrylic / I am a painter who layers brilliant birds, wildlife, flowers and landscape over symbol and pattern. I am inspired by nature and design. By applying paint and glazes using my ow...

Bird (Bear) and Bee

$375

13 x 13" / Acrylic /  I’m working with birds and animals, plants and landscapes as elegant symbols of beauty, of fragility and impermanence. My hope is that by connecting the viewer with the subjec...

Magpie Dragonfly

$265

10 x 10" / Acrylic /  I’m working with birds and animals, plants and landscapes as elegant symbols of beauty, of fragility and impermanence. My hope is that by connecting the viewer with the subjec...

Coyote Crow Confab

$995

24 x 18" / Acrylic /  I’m working with birds and animals, plants and landscapes as elegant symbols of beauty, of fragility and impermanence. My hope is that by connecting the viewer with the subjec...

Lark and Lapin

$995

13 x 17" / Acrylic /  I’m working with birds and animals, plants and landscapes as elegant symbols of beauty, of fragility and impermanence. My hope is that by connecting the viewer with the subjec...

Crow Curious

$495

13x13"/ Acrylic

Fox Trot

$375

12 x 12" / Acrylic /  I’m working with birds and animals, plants and landscapes as elegant symbols of beauty, of fragility and impermanence. My hope is that by connecting the viewer with the subjec...

Magpie Imagination

$375

11 x 11" / Acrylic / I’m working with birds and animals, plants and landscapes as elegant symbols of beauty, of fragility and impermanence. My hope is that by connecting the viewer with the subject...

Gregarious Grizzly

$295

11 x 11" / acrylic / I’m working with birds, animals, plants and landscapes as elegant symbols of beauty fragility and impermanence. My hope is that by connecting the viewer with the subject, we wi...

Great Blue Heron

$375

11 x 11.5" / acrylic / I’m working with birds, animals, plants and landscapes as elegant symbols of beauty, of fragility and impermanence. My hope is that by connecting the viewer with the subject,...