For Donna Erwin of Columbia River Gallery in Troutdale, OR, being a finalist in The 6th Annual Tru Vue® Framing Competition is familiar territory. She was also a finalist in the 2013 and 2014 competitions and won the Best In Show grand prize in 2015. With more than 30 years of experience in custom framing and 20 years of owning her shop, Donna has a passion for the creative process that inspires accolades from her customers, in addition to awards. Visitors to the Columbia River Gorge, where her shop is located, have been so impressed with her work; it has earned her some cross-country customers. The Tru Vue Framing Competition provides an opportunity to be creative with design and craftsmanship in a way that a customer’s project may not allow because of time, costs, and expectations. A great example of a competition piece that pushed Donna’s boundaries is her award-winning reframing of a photograph of the neon sign at Voodoo Doughnut in Portland, Oregon, featuring stacked Prisma frames and LED lights, mimicking the color and vibrancy of the iconic landmark. “Most projects that customers bring in don’t give custom framers the opportunity to push their boundaries, because personal taste and budgets influence what we can do,” said Donna. “The experience of creating a piece from concept to completion is a reward in itself. Winning is an added bonus.”