Drawings By Donna Goes Digital

With a background in Fine Art and Interior Design, Donna specializes in original ink drawing and acrylic painting. Her drawing style is quite versatile with a focus on natural landscapes and architecture from Canada and destinations around the world. Originally from London, Ontario, Donna currently lives and works in Toronto after living in various cities in the US for many years. Her vision was to create an online store to showcase her work and sell her art. The ShopHERE team helped make her vision a reality!

During the COVID-19 pandemic Donna rediscovered her passion for art and found that it brought joy to others during difficult times. With the dominance of social media and the increase in online shopping, she wanted to take her business to an online platform. With the help of the ShopHERE program and her eCommerce coordinator, Alexandra, Donna’s online transformation was seamless. 

“Alexandra had an upbeat and positive attitude that made me feel confident in launching my new business. If she didn’t know the answer, which was very rare, she would get it quickly from her many resources at ShopHERE. She matched my speed and together we successfully launched my online gallery shop called Drawings by Donna!” 

Donna’s online store features all of her collections, including Paintings of Canada, The White Ink Collection, Paintings of the World, and Black Ink International. Her work is beautifully displayed on her website, along with a catalog and a contact form for customers to send a personalized message or inquiry. She also sells magnets and pillows for those looking for a unique way to display art, and with her prices there’s something for everyone to enjoy! 

Since launching her online store, Donna has seen an increase in sales as well as overall exposure. This resulted in the opportunity to sell her art at Hive of Bayfield, a boutique shop in Bayfield Ontario.

“The exposure has been incredible! Friends say, ‘I had no idea you could draw!’ I am learning and continuing to improve during this personal art journey and can’t wait to see where it will take me next.”

Having a website to sell or showcase your work is a huge asset in today’s digital world because it gives small businesses an opportunity to be as accessible and easy to purchase from as large companies. This is something Donna is now able to do and is very excited about her new business venture. She has sold over 75 works of art so far and has increased her prices with demand, giving her a 50% profit margin within 1 year of launching her online store!

Donna’s advice to other artists during the pandemic? “Turn a bad situation into a positive experience by following your dream! Live in the moment and know that your efforts will bring you happiness, no matter the scale or outcome”. Visit Donna’s site at drawings-by-donna.myshopify.com or check out her social media pages: Facebook @dcartdrawings Instagram @donnaccol. 

For more information on the ShopHERE program, click here.