Donna Williams Colleran, a painter of traditional, classical portraits in either oil or pastel has drawn "faces" with passion from her earliest memories.   Throughout her young life she was always able to pick up supplementary funds drawing portraits for neighbors or acquaintances.   Not realizing a real living could be made painting portraits, she chose her major in Commercial Art.   She Initially attended Chowan College transferring to Virginia Commonwealth University and subsequently began a career in Advertising.  She held positions of Staff Illustrator, Graphics Designer, Art Director and Publication Designer.

As a Publication Designer in Washington D.C. she was given the authority to hire illustrators on a freelance basis for a National Association Magazine.   This opportunity gave way to a most exciting concept.   Drawing for a living.   She put her drawings in a portfolio and hit the streets of D.C. on her lunch hour.   Soon she embarked on a successful 12-year career which emerged with regular commissions from such notables as the Washington Post, Washingtonian Magazine, Regardies, Bell Atlantic, Washington Journalism Review, The National Department of Education and various area Trade Magazines and National Association.

This career was put on hold with the birth of two children and a move to Atlanta to raise her family.   With two perfect subjects at hand an old love re-emerged, portrait painting.   As the children grew and went off to school, Donna began to study with local Atlanta artists Jim Schell and Nancy Honea.   Joining the Portrait Society of Atlanta provided a source of additional learning opportunities in the art of portrait painting via workshops with Nationally renowned artists, Nelson Shanks, Daniel Greene, John Dela Vega, Albert Handel, Michael Shane Neal, Peggy Baumgartner and Everett Kinstler.

Donna's intense studies have whetted her appetite for deeper knowledge.   She feels it is extremely important to continue to develop through learning from the masters of today as well as the past. Donna is an award winning as well as juried member of the Portrait Society of Atlanta and a member of the Portrait Society of America.