About the Artist

Durinda knew from an early age that she wanted to be an artist.  Growing up on the side of Missionary Ridge in Chattanooga, she filled sketchbooks with drawings of nature.  With the encouragement of her parents, she pursued a degree in art and discovered her love for teaching as well.  While her college classes provided foundations in design, she credits artist Wayne Wu aws with acting as her mentor in watercolor painting.  She quickly gained signature status memberships in Tennessee, Louisiana, and Georgia Watercolor Societies and became known for her series of southern coastal street scenes.

She continued her studies with nationally known watercolorists Tim Clark and Sondra Freckleton while teaching in public and private schools.  Her summer studies in New York with Jack Beal gave her the understanding of composition.  Workshops with David Leffel and Greg Kreutz have enhanced her skill in oil painting.  After a successful one-man show in Atlanta, she left teaching to paint full time. 

It was on a trip to Giverny, France, home of Impressionist Claude Monet that she began plein air painting in oils.  This has led her to painting on locations across the US, Italy, and France.  These studies are often used to create larger paintings in her studio.  Since 2008, she has led workshops to Italy and France yearly.  She participates in many plein air events throughout the year and is represented in galleries across the southeast.  She teaches weekly adult classes in watercolor and oil painting in Chattanooga and also conducts workshops in the southeast through the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, Townsend Atelier, and Callaway Gardens.  As one of the Artists in the Gardens, she has been invited to paint during the Flower and Garden Festival at Walt Disney World beginning in 2006.  She exhibits in regional and national shows and accepts a limited number of commissions yearly.

Durinda maintains a studio in northwest Georgia overlooking a golf course and next to a national park.  She is a member of the Oil Painters of America, American Impressionist Society, Plein Air Georgia, Plein Air Florida, and the Light Chasers of Sarasota, Florida.  She is also a signature member of Tennessee Watercolor Society, Georgia Watercolor Society, and Louisiana Watercolor Society.