NEW SALEM — Water colorings inspired by scenery from Franklin County to Maine can be found at a pop-up art showcase this Saturday hosted by Donna Eaton, who never stopped painting once she fell in love with it.

Eaton lives in New Salem and grew up in Brookfield Connecticut, where she began painting in high school when her mother saw her talent.

“I started at a very young age, so I was always interested in art,” Eaton said. “My mother always took me to museums and things like that because she was a commercial artist … She saw the talent in me.”

Eaton attended The State University of New York in New Paltz, studying fine art until transferring to Western Connecticut State University to finish a bachelor’s degree in graphic design. She worked various jobs utilizing her graphic design skills until landing in the admissions office at Amherst College, where she officially retired in May 2022 after working there for more than 20 years. Eaton would paint as much as she could throughout her time spent at Amherst College, packing her lunch breaks with painting.

“That’s really where my skills developed because I just did it so much,” Eaton said about her time at Amherst College.

Eaton’s artwork consists of water colorings of flowers, landscapes, vistas and more, inspired by different scenery throughout the region. In retirement, Eaton now continues to paint, sell her art, teaches water coloring and painting with three students and hopes to continue to show her artwork at exhibits across New England.

“I’m very inspired by Maine,” Eaton said. “I started going up to Maine because my sister had a house up there and I just loved sitting on the beach and painting. But I also find great inspiration just around Franklin County.”

Along with her canvas paintings, Eaton paints on ceramic and glass vases, along with utilizing her graphic design skills creating images on clothing, bags, gift cards and calendars that will be on sale at her pop-up.

“I paint on glass and ceramics,” Eaton said. “I also paint on bags and shirts and that is the graphic coming out of me. That’s a great way to use my graphic skills.”

Eaton’s art pop-up will take place Saturday, Aug. 31, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at her house at 59 Shutesbury Road in New Salem.

“It’s a nice event, we play music and I try to make it really nice with little snacks for people,” Eaton said. “It’s just a wonderful time to celebrate my art … I’m not necessarily into the sales part of it, it’s to let people see what I’ve been doing for the year.”

More information about Eaton can be found on her website https://www.donnaeatonsdesigns.com/.