Found Community ConversationsDonna & Sarah
Donna is one of our Collage Club regulars and has been part of the local Hands on Artists Coop for decades. She is a fierce advocate for inclusive arts practices and access to the arts for all. Donna is a collector of images, objects and experiences which she weaves into her artworks.
Sarah: (After wrestling with recording tech…)
… We're recording now. You were just saying some beautiful things about the piece you're currently working on, and I was interested in hearing more about your process.
Donna: Yes. I think I might call the piece Secret in the Garden. When I was showing you the work, you noticed that there are lots of pages. Some are regular-sized pages, while others have hidden pockets. I'd like the viewer to open the pages and touch the collage. It's not precious. The imagery comes from magazines and books that have been refashioned into something new. It's still a book, but it's been transformed into a different book. The starting point was a book about flowers, and today I mentioned the idea of placing it inside an old birdcage that I've had for a long time. The birdcage looks a little bit like a house. I noticed there are birds and butterflies throughout the collage, so in a way they're trapped inside the cage. But I think the viewer can set them free.
Sarah: I really like that idea. I was having a conversation recently about secrets and how meaningful it can be when someone trusts you enough to share one. Sometimes it's an indication of the depth of a friendship. Not always, but there's something interesting about that.
Donna: I think when you make art, those secrets end up on the page. Sometimes it takes time to find an entry point into someone's work, just as it takes time to know a person. I'm also thinking about gardens. When I'm in a garden, I'm meandering. Looking at this piece, I feel that same sense of wandering. When it's eventually displayed, I'd love to create the feeling of moving through a whimsical garden. There's a phrase hidden in the work that says,"I want to look inside your head." That connects to what we were saying about secrets. There's also a Bertie Beetle wrapper in there.
Sarah: Perfect.
Donna: Like the tiny ladybirds you'd find in a garden. The whole work has developed without much planning. I didn't sit down and sketch it beforehand. You find an image, add it, add another one, and gradually something grows. Like a garden. Sarah: I'm interested because you've been involved with Hands On Artists for a long time, and creativity runs through so many areas of your life, professionally and personally. Is this process different from how you would normally work?
Donna: No, I don't think the process is very different. My process is often improvised. What I've been trying to do lately is filter things a little more and not put every idea into a single piece. I'm interested in distillation. With this work, there will be one thing that truly resonates and emerges. The important thing, for me, is play. In the past few years I've become increasingly interested in play rather than finished products. That fits beautifully with Hands On Artists. The organisation began as a children's activity group, and when I worked in Far North Queensland as an arts facilitator, playful making was central to what we did. Children naturally create without self-consciousness. These collage workshops have given me permission to do that again. I don't find it difficult to cut things up and stick them together. What I appreciate is being in a room with other people who enjoy the same thing. It's validating. It's a bit like sport. Some people play football. Others make collages.
Sarah: I love that.
Donna Toussaint, "Garden of my mind" (2026). Found images and old book.