Some background to my work...

I work primarily in pastels, and have ever since they were recommended to me by a figure drawing instructor at Tyler School of Art. Pastels are the bridge between drawing and painting, and with them I am able to work in both disciplines simultaneously. They are literally one of the most hands-on of media, revealing the artist’s touch with every stroke and offering an immediate means of expression. Pastels really lend themselves to my direct approach to image making.

My artist influences include William Merritt Chase, John Twachtman, N.C.Wyeth, Wayne Thiebaud, Albert Handell, and Wolf Kahn. All are ‘plein air artists’, those who work on location.. I too work en plein air and have since the mid 1990’s when, after meeting Andrew Wyeth, he encouraged me to paint the locations I knew best. Painting en plein air exercises my ability to quickly react to and then form a simple concept around a subject. I believe I am at my artistic best when working out on location.

Donna Neithammer Cusano

My paintings have been featured locally in Art Matters and Chester County Town and Country Living. Nationally, I was a finalist the 1998 Artists’ Magazine Art Competition, and I’ve had work published in The Best of Pastel Books I and II. I am a member of The Pastel Society of America and The Philadelphia Water Color Society. Please visit the Biography/Resume page for further information.