From a young age, Dona Gelsinger had a love for art as she would watch her grandfather paint landscapes. In college Gelsinger studied art at Cal State Long Beach and after graduation, worked as a staff artist for a grocery chain. When she started having a family, Gelinger decided to leave her job and started working freelance. She worked on all sorts of commission projects, portraits, calligraphy, and product art. Soon after, Gelsinger moved to Oregon and worked in a small discount art gallery. After years of submitting artwork, Gelsinger received her first publishing deal with Arthur Kaplan to produce the Stations of the Cross in print. Not long after, she started working with Lightpost Publishing, Danbury Mint and The Bradford Exchange.