Meet Donna Aldred

A friend was recruited to create the faux finishes throughout the house while she and her daughter Leslie tackled the kitchen cabinets. Together they created a look that is centuries old. It was the perfect backdrop to serve as a showcase for Donna’s unique sculptural majolica-glazed ceramics in the Hacienda.

Donna’s love of ceramics began in 1976 while she was finishing dental school. Starting a as a hobby, she designed and painted tiles for kitchens and tables for herself and her friends. After practicing dentistry for twenty-one years, Donna retired to devote herself full-time to her love of ceramics. She took formal training at SMU with Peter Beseaker and at the University of Dallas with Dan Hammett.

A love for gardening and the natural world surrounding Rancho Mirando inspires Donna’s ceramic artistry. She makes small molds out of leaves, bugs, and twigs she finds in her gardens. She is also responsible for the decision to incorporate sustainable herbal and botanical crops, as well as Rancho Mirando Florals into the ranch’s operation.

Donna and her daughter began sharing the fabulous family retreat that they created at Rancho Mirando with other lucky families beginning in 2009. With the ranch’s resounding success with hill country brides, Donna, and her talented architect completed the Pavilion in 2013. He then designed and built Bella Vista and the Beer Garden specifically for their 2015 wedding. Donna took a year to make 900 plates and dishes for her wedding, which are now rented to her brides.

Donna explored working with earthware and stoneware for 45 years. For the last year, she has undertaken the challenge of working exclusively with porcelain both hand-making and handcrafting designs. She loves both the iconic and classic designs of centuries-old porcelain traditions but also the color and eclectic designs inspired by interior Mexico. For the first time in many years, she now has time again to share her ceramics as an investment in hospitality, beauty, and joy.