Donna Rico

Artist Statement

I was very shy as a young person. Growing into adulthood, I often traveled abroad to visit my father with my camera as my constant companion. My father was a philosophical person; a civil engineer who believed in humanity, and in deeply questioning everything. My mother, a New York City teacher and artist who taught me to see life in all sorts of dimensions, raised my brother and me. I have always been close to my brother, who is a conceptual artist. My father’s curiosity, my mother’s passion for the visual arts and my brother’s constant support of my artistic endeavors all heavily influenced my passion for photography — but so did the landscapes, buildings and people around me. Growing up, I might have hidden myself from my surroundings, but my camera pushed me to take them in, and forced me to reveal my inner thoughts when interpreting them. Suddenly, without realizing it, I was making art.

I now live in Sacramento. I was an English Language Resource Teacher/Specialist for 40 years and spent two years, before retiring, as an Education Programs Consultant at the California Department of Education. I have been fortunate to have taught in various locations in the U.S., Asia, South America and the Middle East. Work aside, I continue to travel the world, when possible, camera in hand. My natural inclination is to look at the landscapes and people around me. My passion is to portray isolated pieces of whole structures as well as documenting the interaction between and people and the world around them. I am fascinated by light and lines. My signature is hand held, natural light photography.