Don is a well known for his paintings of scenes in and around Almonte . Don is a recent resident of Almonte, having moved from far North Western Ontario. Active in local and Ottawa area Art Groups and frequent exhibitor. Most recently awarded Juror’s Choice (aka best in show) at the 2022 West Carleton Arts Society spring show at the Kanata Civic Art Gallery. For “Night Market” a scene from beautiful Almonte. 

A long time professional artist, instructor, and mentor – his preferred mediums are acrylics and oils – but also works in watercolour and pen and ink. Subjects include wilderness landscapes, rural scenes and urban environments. His latest project shows crowds of people in festival settings.

In the studio Don brings to the easel a sense of “being there” in the moment – the feel of the time of day, lighting and weather. Working quite often from memory as well as sketches and photos gathered in the field, these are often carefully considered works but retain a loose and playful energy.

His plein air work bridges a gap between reality and his reactions to a particular location, taking one or several large supports out and just “throwing paint”. The use of colour can be very non-local and more of a reflection of his emotional response to what he is experiencing by beginning with vivid swathes of colour and adding details as the day progresses.