Artist Biography

Kris Donovan, popular coastal RI painter, is passionate about her painting and her teaching. As the owner of the Donovan Gallery at Tiverton Four Corners, Rhode Island, for 31 years, Kris had many opportunities to fuel that passion by supporting emerging artists, teaching and sponsoring the MAKING ART/PLEIN AIR seminar for artists, and to simply paint to please herself and her many collectors. Kris paints what she knows best and the appeal of her work stems from a keen eye for accuracy and detail blended with a balance of light and color. Now retired from her commercial gallery, Kris continues to paint and teach in her Little Compton studio.

After majoring in Art Education at Roger Williams College, Kris has studied with such greats as Ferdnand Petrie, Charles Reid, William B. (Skip) Lawrence, William Ternes, Steve Alrich, George Shedd, Betty Lou Schlemm, Daniel Green, Katherine Chang Liu, Alex Powers, Christopher Schink, Thomas Sgouros, Joseph McGurl, William R. Davis, Sally Strand, Richard McKinley, and Donald Demers.

She can be seen often painting the exquisite Sakonnet landscape. Working in pastel, watercolor, and oils allows her to capture the unique landscape in a special way depending on the mood, season, and subject. Kris continually explores exciting new ways to express herself in her paintings.

Her paintings are in numerous private and corporate collections here and abroad and her work has been published in Rhode Island Monthly Magazine. She is an artist member of the Rhode Island Watercolor Society, the Pastel Painters Society of Cape Cod, and the Westport (MA) Art Group.

Her work can be found at the Neville Fine Art Gallery, 81 Water Street, Warren (RI) where she is the Gallery Director, and her Donovan Studio in Little Compton, RI.