91-year-old artist Donna Barber-Schewfel named Artist of the Month by Vines & Rushes Winery

Art touches the lives of many, and provides a comfortable, safe environment for individuals to express themselves. For 91-year-old artist Donna Barber-Schwefel, art has been a strong passion throughout her entire life. Her most recent achievement, being named artist of the month by Vines & Rushes Winery, proves her art accomplishments have no boundaries. Barber-Schwefel’s journey started at the age of 13, with the influence of her parents.

“My mother had been an artist and my dad did house painting,” she said. “He had old paints in an old chicken coop that was abandoned. So one day, I decided I was going to paint.”

Photo courtesy of Deb Kaiser

Barber-Schwefel stands next to a wall of her featured paintings. Her art has made its way on to many shows and newspaper.

Barber-Schwefel had the support of her family from day one, which helped develop her love for painting.

“I tried to do a landscape, and when my mother found out I was interested, she got out her old oil paints and gave me some pointers,” she said. “Then in high school, at age 17, I entered the Milwaukee Journal Art Contest for high school children. I happened to receive a certificate.”

Barber-Schwefel started to receive attention for the pieces she was creating, and people began to want her artwork to be displayed.

“My high school principal asked me to paint a picture for their entrance hall,” she said. “I painted a snow scene with children sliding and ice skating, and that’s still hanging there today. That was my beginning.”

Deb Kaiser, a Vines & Rushes employee, was involved with choosing Barber-Schwefel as the January artist of the month. She admired the artist’s style of painting.

“In her paintings, she uses a lot of depth,” she said. “It’s almost three dimensional. The way she layers the acrylic paint makes it stand away from the picture. For winter, there’s not a whole lot of colors, but yet for the snow, her technique for painting allows for more depth and gives personality to the picture.”

One main reason the artist of the month program was started years ago was for the purpose of bringing talented yet unknown artists into the local eye. 

“As with other businesses, musicians, and venders, we like to partner with local people in order to promote their business,” Kaiser said. “When people come to the winery, not only are they coming for wine and pizza, but they’re also able to look at the artwork. The artwork on display is promoting the artist as well as getting their name out so that people are aware of what they can do.”

Aside from inside the winery, Barber-Schwefel’s work has been on display all across Wisconsin for people to see . 

“I have many awards and I’ve been all over the state,” she said. “For 12 years, I did outdoor shows, mall shows, and I have been interviewed before by a newspaper in Fond du Lac.”

While Barber-Schwefel focuses on wildlife in her artwork, she has still created a variety of pieces. 

Photo courtesy of Deb Kaiser

Barber-Schwafel points to one of her prized paintings. She has painted many nature scenery’s in her career.

“I was born on March 17, so I have a lot of pictures of Irish heritage and St. Patrick's day,” she said. “ But I’m a wildlife artist, and I sell mostly wildlife art.”

There are many things that have inspired Barber-Schwefel’s wildlife renditions throughout the years, but sunsets are something she will always hold close to her heart.

“I enjoy nature, I love colors, and I love sunsets,” she said. “My mother introduced me to them. She would call me when I was little and say, ‘you gotta come see the sunset.’”

Working hard and devoting time and patience to the craft is essential to Barber-Schwefel’s process.

“You have to really be dedicated,” she said. “If you don’t have the true feeling, I don’t think you're going to go any place with it.”

With passion and focus, art has become a life-changing hobby, as well as a career for Barber-Schwefel. 

“Art is almost like a religion, or a calling,” she said. “It brings my life to a higher level than the everyday norm.”

by Meghan Oakes

Published January 29th, 2021

Oshkosh West Index Volume 117 Issue 4