Wild and Whimsical with Donna Munro
Blending beautiful birdlife, playful patterns and a flair for fashion, Jodie Cameron chats to our spring cover artist about their soulful connection to colour.
Growing up my two favourite colours were pink and green, so I never understood the fashion rule ‘pink and green should never be seen except with a colour in between’ – but rules, especially those about colour, were made to be broken. As I spotted local artist Donna Munro strolling towards me in her pink and green sneakers – a palette pop that instantly caught my eye – a double take, a finger point, a hug later and I knew I’d found a kindred spirit.
A lover of colour, birdlife, fashion and all things creative, Donna’s art is beautifully her, as are the fashionable threads she was rocking – namely a hand-painted black cockatoo denim jacket. A few cackles later, and we were deep in conversation about all things bold, bright, and beautifully quirky.
“I like quirky art, quirky clothes, and quirky people like you!” Donna laughed. “I love creating, and I have been ever since I can remember, from collage, to drawing and colouring – I was always making things because it makes me happy.”
Donna’s creative path didn’t start with formal training – rather, curiosity. Born in New Zealand, she moved to the Sunshine Coast in her early 20s with husband Mark, and while raising their three daughters, she dabbled in just about every creative hobby you can think of. From scrapbooking, silk painting, crochet, knitting, pottery – even glass painting, but Donna’s foray into painting began unexpectedly after attending a local fete 20 years ago.
“They were auctioning off 10 art classes, so I put in a bid and I won,” Donna chuckled. “It was the first time I had painted on a canvas, and I absolutely loved it. If I didn’t go to that local fete, I don’t know where I’d be today.”
From there, a spark ignited with Donna later joining a global online art community, first as a student and eventually as a teacher, her portraits and whimsical still life scenes selling via online auctions around the world.
“The first time I had to paint a portrait I freaked out – I didn’t think I could do it, but I leaned into it and spent years painting faces,” Donna smiled. “Putting your art out to the world is like putting your entire being out there, it was a vulnerable space to be in at first.”
But it was the vibrant local arts community that gave Donna the grounding and momentum she needed – through galleries like Stevens Street Gallery, Yandina; Flock Interiors at Mudjimba and Cotton Tree, and collaborations with artists like Jo Cook, she found her tribe.
“I used to feel quite isolated working at home, but once I got involved with these beautiful creative collectives, it changed everything,” she says. “Creativity breeds creativity, we champion each other – it’s not competitive, it’s communal.”
Donna also works part-time as a design consultant at Sunshine Coast Art & Framing Gallery, where she is surrounded by creativity, gets to hear the stories behind people’s pieces and also showcases her own art. She also likes to encourage emerging artists, knowing firsthand how daunting it can be to share your work with the world.
“It took me a while to say yes to the job because I couldn’t see myself working there,” she laughed. “But I love it, it’s such a creative and inspiring environment.”
While her artwork isn’t always symbolic, it’s always joyful and our spring cover Pretty Boy – captures this perfectly. With its whimsical pink budgie and lush green backdrop, the painting is a joyful ode to her ol’ favourite colour combo – pink and green.
“My daughter surprised me with the pink and green sneakers for my birthday,” Donna recalled. “I am not afraid to use colour, and I love how those colours work together, and all the other colour combinations that are supposedly not meant to go together.”
Beyond the canvas Donna’s creative flair doesn’t stop there, she also dabbles in her own wearable art – hand painting jackets, dresses, shoes, bags and even furniture. Collaborating with fellow Sunshine Coast artist Jo Cook for the 2024 Noosa Open Studios, they painted upcycled jackets together, and this playful experimentation continues to evolve with the duo looking at holding a chair painting workshop together in 2026.
“I love working with Jo – we just bounce off each other creatively,” Donna smiled. “Not all of my artwork is suitable for print, but some of it is and I’d love to explore the fashion medium more.”
Whether she’s painting a canvas, a jacket adorned with florals and feathers, or a painted chair for charity, Donna’s work radiates warmth, whimsy and wonder and her infectious spirit brings joy into every space she enters.
“Colour just lights me up, and I create because it makes me happy, and I want other people to feel that too,” she said.
Follow Donna’s joyful journey @donnamunroart or www.donnamunro.net
