Meet Donna Mitchelson of Whistle Stop Photos and Multimedia in Lowell

Today we’d like to introduce you to Donna Mitchelson.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Donna. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I began studying art at the age of six. I continued my studies at the New York City High School of Music and Art as an art major. I knew one day I was going to be an artist. I continued my studies as a painting major at Pratt Institute, Brooklyn New York.

I became interested in photography while I was a civilian employee for the U.S. Army, Fulda Germany. I packed up my photo gear and hiked through the German countryside on weekends for five years.

I continued my street photography when I returned to the United States. I later studied Desktop Publishing and Computer Graphics at the Moore College of Art and Design, Philadelphia. In 2005, I moved to Lowell, Massachusetts, joined the Arts League of Lowell and studied digital photography at Boston University. I had to select a local event for my event photo class. Therefore, I chose to shoot the restoration of the Bridgton and Saco River Steam Locomotive No. 7 at the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad in Portland. At this point, I was destined to be a railroad photographer.

After graduating from Boston University, I continued to shoot trains. Later I was commissioned to shoot weddings, baptisms and illustrate children’s books. What a surprise! I welcome the change and today I am a multimedia artist

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
When I illustrated “Berry the bear”, I was unaware of the challenges. I began drawing at age six and studied computer graphics at Moore College of Art. This should be a “no brainer”. I was wrong. Drawing the illustrations was great. However, formatting the book into Adobe Indesign was more difficult. The publisher gave me a crash course over the phone. After a few false starts, the book ended on a successful note.

Whistle Stop Photos and Multimedia – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I began my business in my apartment. I drove up to Portland, Maine to photograph the work sessions at the Maine Narrow Guage Railroad. Eventually, I became a member of the steam team. Years later, I began illustrating children’s books. At this point, I took my illustrations to the laundromat and worked on them while my laundry was drying. The laundromat had excellent lighting, and I wanted to maximize my drying time. Then one day I read an email from the Arts League of Lowell regarding their new home in the Gates Block Building. They were looking for volunteers to help paint the gallery area on the first floor. Out of curiosity, I took them up on that offer. While painting the walls, I learned from some of the artists that were renting studios on the upper floors. They asked me if I was going to rent a studio and I responded: “not yet.” Later that day I reserved I studio on the third floor. My studio space is 150 square feet and shaped like a caboose. I have one tall window. Therefore, I positioned my drawing table at the window. It was like sitting at the laundromat window but better. I painted the walls white to maximize the lighting in a long and narrow room.

After settling in, I participated in art shows and collaborated with the other artists in the building. I also photographed weddings and events. I shot my photos on location and processed them in the studio. Later I did a series of nature drawings; scanned them into the computer and uploaded them to a textile design company. One evening while working on a textile design, I heard a knock on the door. It was my friend and fellow artist Veronica Holmes who just wrote “The little brown mouse with the lavender bow.” She dreamed about a mouse dragging a purple ribbon across the floor. Veronica wanted me to illustrate her story because of my whimsical style. On a whim, I drove up to Owls Head, Maine with my sketchbook and her manuscript. The initial drawings were “born” at the Owls Head Lighthouse park. Unlike my previous illustration projects, I deliberately drew out of sequence. I listened to her words and my vivid imagination. The illustrations are a combination of watercolor, acrylic, ink and coloring pencils on watercolor paper. I hung each drawing outside my studio, and the project gained popularity throughout the building. I am in the final stages of the project, and we will send it to the publisher.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
In 2006 I joined the Green Mountain Club in Vermont. I drove up to Vermont on weekends and took photos of the Long Trail. Eventually, I became a volunteer and worked on their website. The following year, they asked me to be the webmaster for the 2009 Appalachian Trail Conservancy Summer Festival in Castleton Vermont.

I participated in quarterly meetings with all the committee members. I built the website from scratch using HTML codes, supporting text, graphics, photos, and videos. We had made numerous changes before the site went live. The goal was to attract over 500 participants. We had over 1,000; the project was successful.

Pricing:

• Berry the bear by J. Mercedes and illustrated by Donna Mitchelson $20.00

Contact Info:

• Address: Donna Mitchelson
  Whistle Stop Photos and Multimedia
  307 Market Street, Suite 302
  Lowell, MA 01852
• Phone: 978-427-8147
• Email: donna@whistlestopphotosandmultimedia.com
• Other: https://www.shopvida.com/collections/donna-mitchelson

Image Credit:
All photos (except portrait), illustrations, and paintings were created by Donna Mitchelson

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