Donnie J — coloring our culture.

Louisville-born and West End raised, she is an artist whose work radiates joy, color, and culture. Her paintings reflect the strength of her community, the stories of the women who shaped her, and her belief that art can heal, uplift, and document history. Through each piece, she invites viewers into moments of connection, celebration, and truth.

Some artists create images; others create movement. Her art doesn’t whisper—it declares, celebrates, and archives Black life with the honesty of someone who has lived it. Each brushstroke is a tribute to the people who raised her, the stories she carries, and the joy she insists on preserving. She paints not just what she sees, but what she knows: community, resilience, and the sacredness woven into Black life. 

Meet Donnie J.

Where are you from? 

I am from right here in Louisville, Kentucky. More specifically, I am a proud native of the Westend Bestend and grew up in the Shawnee neighborhood!

What first drew you to painting, and when did you realize it was more than just a hobby for you? 

I always loved to draw whether it was from life or my own imagination. I often got caught doodling in class, and once I took my first high school art class I was able to recognize that I was blessed with gifted hands by the most high. I began painting in 2017 when I honed in on majoring in Art Education at Northern Kentucky University. My auntie Joleen gave me my first painting kit and once I cracked it open that was all she wrote. I did my first live painting in the talent portion of the Miss Krimson & Kreme Scholarship Pageant in 2017! It was an abstract design of Tupac’s silhouette that I painted upside down, with the instrumental of “Hail Mary” playing in the background. When I flipped the canvas for the big reveal the crowd went wild! I knew at that moment this was more than just a hobby. I had so many people asking to buy the painting and shortly after I received my first commissions for one of a kind pieces of home decor.

How would you describe your artistic style and the emotions you hope to evoke through your work? 

My work is all about the power of black joy! I create work about small moments that, with the right perspective, can add up to a big, joyous life well lived. Being present with loved ones is huge to me because through loss I’ve come to recognize the temporality of everything in life. With all of the adversity set to work against black and brown individuals, family units, and establishments, I chose to make work that amplifies us in a way that speaks to the resilience that comes from simply expressing joy. 

I love to use vibrant colors to express the divinity and light that I believe we all possess. I think that was a big reason I transitioned from charcoal and graphite, the colors in paintings and the brushstrokes allowed me to reach a new level of expression that resonated more with my own visual appeal. 

Who or what inspires your creative process the most? 

The community I grew up in, full of strong and beautiful people, but especially the women in my family really influenced the subject matter for my work. I grew up watching my mother, grandmothers, aunts and cousins work tirelessly to provide for their families while also living life to the fullest. Embracing every facet of themselves, unapologetically. 

My process is inspired by the world around me and my perspective. I have always had a very youthful energy, but at the same time I’ve been told I have an old soul. The juxtaposition of those aspects of myself are revealed in a lot of my work. Lots of meticulous attention to detail and intention, paired with a playfulness of exploring materials and embracing the messiness. It’s a sort of organized chaos, balancing technical skill and the freedom to allow the materials to interact organically.

How do you decide on your color palettes and the energy you want each piece to carry? 

This process is different for each piece. Sometimes I choose a palette with no plan for the canvas and allow the materials to interact naturally with my energy in that moment, if that makes sense. Other times, I see an image clear as day in my mind and create the color palette from what I have imagined. I choose to see the glass as half full and focus on the positives as opposed to negatives in most situations, so the way I visualize the world is much more romanticized and dreamy than they actually are. But I truly believe that since we all are created in the image of the most high, we are all divine beings, bright and vibrant!

Typically, how long does it take you to create a piece? 

Some pieces come together in a single work session, but most of them come together over the course of months, sometimes even years. I’m very hard on myself and can be a bit of a perfectionist at times. Even when I don't know what a piece is missing, I know whether or not it’s done. If I start to work on something and reach a stopping point, it gets added to “the stack” in my studio space. The stack is full of unfinished pieces that i will eventually revisit (sometimes lol). Each piece of art work carries a certain version of myself, and maybe I haven’t become that version of myself that knows what I want to communicate with this piece just yet. But then there’s the AHA moment! I know exactly what to do and BAM, masterpiece! 

What role does storytelling play in your art? 

Every piece of art work tells a different story to every viewer. Each person who sees my work is bringing so much lived experience with them into this engagement that influences the way they connect and interpret the piece. That is one of the most beautiful things about being a creator that is so in touch with my source of creation. I am a person who creates very intuitively and I believe I am a vessel for visual messages from the most high. A way for others to connect with me or their own divinity through shared experiences. 

Your painting of Breonna Taylor is such a powerful tribute. What did creating that piece mean to you personally and artistically? 

Creating this piece was such an honor because the story of Breonna Taylor is one that should never be silenced. Senseless acts of violence can’t be met with complacency, they have to be addressed and reiterated to serve as a reminder of where we’ve been in consideration to where we’re headed. I found myself overcome with emotion several times during the process of creating this piece thinking about the fact that this could have been any one of us. But the photo was chosen with intention, a selfie of her that I found on the social media platform of her close friend, to humanize her and remind people of who she was before she became a hashtag. A beautiful young woman, full of life and love for herself and her community. The community engagement component made this project particularly special because not only was I able to create a huge portrait of her, but others were able to learn her story and create a lasting contribution to her legacy. 

How did the community respond when you unveiled it, and how did that moment impact you as an artist? 

The community response was such a beautiful moment during the future ancestors Race for Justice. During an event that was all about honoring her legacy and bringing attention to the injustice that took her life, this was such a warm and vibrant addition. So many people from the community engagement workshop were there and able to see their contributions as a part of something larger. Kids, babies, adults and elders all worked together to make this happen and I was sure to make space for every single flower and butterfly.

You’ve showcased your work at several events and, spoke on a number of panels—how do those experiences shape your growth and connection to the community? 

I think these experiences allow me to connect with my viewers in a way that reminds them that they are just as gifted and able. I never take credit for the gifts I’ve been blessed with. All glory goes to the most high that created us all! I often encourage others to recognize their own divinity, give themselves grace, and lead with authenticity in everything they do. Whether its an art showcase or panel, I always make sure that I am able to be present and engage in meaningful conversations with people. I don’t want to be put on a pedestal, I want people to connect with my humanity and recognize that I’m just a human, having a human experience just like them. I also want people to recognize the power in authenticity. 

How do you see art as a tool for healing or advocacy, especially in Black communities? 

In a time where erasure is so prevalent, oral and visual storytelling are all we have to keep our history alive! Visual artists have a job to be the note takers for generations to come, to exude the state of being during this time for those who come after us to witness and realize that there is nothing new under the sun. Art is timeless, it speaks to all generations and demographics and serves as a universal language that connects us to one another. 

What have been some of your most memorable moments as a featured artist? 

Sooo many memorable moments! Seeing myself featured in a film at Moore college of Art and Design in Philly at a conference centered around my first ever community engagement art project. Seeing myself on the news several times, both individually and as part of a group. Creating my first mural. Having my work commissioned for and featured in the community impact awards for metro united way, sharing space with so many changemakers was such an honor. Working at the speed art museum and generating so many paid opportunities for black creatives at one of the oldest and largest art museums in the country. But honestly, the most memorable moments for me are when young people recognize me for my work out in public. Whenever someone says, “hey, aren't you that one artist” or “I saw you on tv” I always feel so honored and proud of myself. I think my younger self would be proud of me too. 

How have your experiences as a Black woman influenced your art and the stories you tell on canvas? 

Being a black woman is the only experience I’ve ever had, therefore the only perspective i’ve had to draw inspiration from. The figures I paint are black, I honestly don’t know if I’ve ever painted a white person. Not because I’m opposed to it, but because that’s what I look up to. When I think of the most regal, revered, resilience and influential people, places and things that inspire me, they are all heavily rooted in blackness. Being black is not something others would choose for themselves, but for those of us who have lived in it first hand it is the only life worth living. Through adversity, black people have evolved in the most innovative, genuine, influential cultures to ever walk the earth and it all stems from being born into oppression. We love ourselves and others like us because we can resonate with one another on a deeper level. We are so deeply and spiritually connected to our roots through whether we recognize it our not because the footprints our ancestors left behind are embedded in our DNA. 

What does legacy mean to you, and how do you hope your work continues to speak for generations to come? 

Legacy means that my work outlives me. Not my name, but the impact that I was able to have while I dwelled the earth in this vessel. I want to help instill a new mindset in everyone I encounter that they can take throughout their lives. A mindset rooted in self-love and acceptance that extends into the way we love others and our community. Rooted in grace and compassion, genuine and unconditional love, and the understanding that everyone is able to become better than they once were with enough effort. 

What advice would you give to young artists finding their voice and purpose through art?

Do you boo! Regardless of what seems right or wrong, the norms, the trends, do what you like. Be someone you like, live a life that pleases you and learn from your mistakes. Allow them to catapult you into who you will become. Where your testimony as a badge of honor instead of shame, let it serve as living proof that anyone can grow and adapt. 

From perspective to palette, Donnie J has done more than just put her heart on canvas. She has created a space that invites the community to travel in time with her work, soaring through the evolution of black beauty and what it means to be rooted in self-love, grace, and compassion.