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UPCOMING! Here are Don's replies to Inside the Artists Mind Q&A from Opulent Art Gallery to be published in their next online issue of Global Arts Magazine:
How did you get into Art?
I started making art as a hobby and gradually got hooked. In graduate school I shared an apartment with an artist getting his MFA and began to think it possible that someone like me could be an artist. I quit my studies in 1975 and made a decision to live my life as an artist. Of course my parents were appalled. But I have always been extremely stubborn and so I went my own wandering way. I moved through colorful hard edge acrylic paintings designed on graph paper and on to small conceptual pieces and painted collage made from multiples of product labels. Then, I just wanted to do a couple paintings in my own way and ended up moving into oils and assemblage pieces — apparently for the rest of my life.
Do you have any Artistic Education? Do you think it has helped?
I have had no affiliation with any art school, program or teacher. I think this has helped my originality. The downside is that, in working outside an established network of contacts, the work has to be extra good to make its own way in the world.
Which single piece of your artworks would you save in a disaster and why?
I would save Forgotten Dreams and Clairvoyant because they encapsulate my theory of art regarding what makes a painting great. They are immediate and direct with living energy, a compelling surface, and vibrant colors.
Have you ever thought to completely change your art style?
Sure. I don’t want to make similar-looking paintings for very long. I believe I’ve successfully created a particular language that I was pursuing in the work of the last ten years. So, it’s time to move on. I also make assemblage art and will be exploring ways to combine the two. I do love the relationship I have with oils.
Has your art process changed much over time / experience?
No, the process has remained the same - about 90% thought.
Do you plan artworks before starting or get straight into creating?
I work improvisationally so I usually only plan the start. Then the piece guides me. I just have to stay very open to the messages, like a seance. I keep many different types of media close by for fast grabbing and things can easily descend into a type of frenzy.
Do you try and stick to your style of artwork or do you experiment with new ideas? I think of my work as experimental — attempting to make new kinds of visual discoveries. I am always trying new products and materials wherever I find them. I am particularly interested in combining types of media that are not usually compatible — oil, water, alcohol — and exploring how they display their properties under duress. I think of my studio as also a laboratory and the pieces as arenas for combat.
How do you know when you have ‘finished’ a piece?
When I love every part.
Does your art represent anything?
Yes, a journey to deeper places — the same as with any art I love.
How long do your pieces normally take you? Is it a quick process or a long drawn out thoughtful one?
Usually long, thoughtful, complex, often changed in the middle into something else. Often changed in the middle of the night when the moon is out.
Do you work in silence or with music? With music.
Would you like to teach upcoming artists? What kind of advice would you give them? Imagination, originality, flexibility, and the exploration of your freedom. Freedom is the great gift given to us by the history of art. It has been hard won, but we’ve made it.
Would you be flattered or annoyed if you saw very similar artworks to yours?
I would probably be annoyed.
How would you define your art style? I would define it as spontaneous life
in colors.
Who or what are your biggest artistic influences? My biggest influence is my latest influence and my latest influence is a brand new day.
What makes you happy as an artist? Creating a great work of art.
Where do you find inspiration? Deep within nature and deep within me.
When is your favourite time of day to create? Afternoon, evening, middle of the night.
What motivates you to create? I work according to an imperative.
new work for the new year
Full Moon 36" x 48"
first painting done on mylar mounted on canvas
Harmonic 48" x 60"
new assemblage work
Talisman 24" x 18"
KRONOS 20" x 16"
NYC SOLO SHOW 2022 | RETURN TO SOURCE
Don's 2022 solo show, a survey of paintings and assemblage work, ran from June 14th through July 9th at Pleiades Gallery in New York's Chelsea District. Return to Source was curated by Marianna Winterdale - a New York-based curator, DTP designer, and photographer. For Don's show, Mari chose a mix of recent paintings, assemblage work, and earlier pieces to tell a story of the artist's philosophy and development.
Don has an extensive YouTube March 2021 studio interview on the ups and downs of a life as a self-taught artist, conducted by Liana Voia, the creator of Multiple Arts.