About Don

Don’s journey as a visual artist began at the age of ten, using a Kodak Brownie Hawkeye camera to make black-and-white family photographs. A Virginia native who grew up surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains, he treasured the natural beauty of his home state and began using photography as a way to express his devotion to his beloved environment.

While serving as both photographer and editor of his college newspaper, Don broadened his experience and interest in art in general and photography specifically. After graduation, he worked briefly for the federal government, photographing in several locations across the country. Returning to his hometown, he began a long career in public broadcasting while exhibiting his artwork in numerous shows and competitions, earning several honors and awards. Later moving to North Carolina and then to Ohio, Don advanced his professional career while continuing to create and exhibit his original mixed media art, image transfers, and pigment prints. In 2016, he co-founded Highline Coffee Art Space in Worthington, Ohio and served as the director and curator for nearly five years.

Now, as he further develops his personal work, Don experiments with various mediums and tools to express his artistic vision.

Artist's Statement
In every season, the natural world offers a canvas of intricate beauty, but we must seek it out to fully marvel at its splendor. My minimalistic disposition leads me to take a closer view of what nature presents, reveal its innate albeit imperfect order, and interpret it from an abstract perspective.

Although I'm currently experimenting with a variety of mediums and alternative processes, most of my work remains rooted in the photographic image.

Creating art, no matter the mediums or techniques used, can be a lifelong odyssey of delightful joy. After experiencing my work, I encourage viewers to explore the wonders of nature on their own: look, seek, and discover.
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Curriculum Vitae
There’s no art without contemplation. ―Robert Henri

​Even in front of nature one must compose. ―Edgar Degas

It is easier to pose nature and less trouble to please.  ―H.H. Bennett

Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you.  ―Frank Lloyd Wright

 People should remain two things throughout their lifetimes: curious and teachable. ―Roger Ebert

I often take pictures without my camera...they are impossible to print. ―Grégoire Moulin

Everyone has a photographic memory. Some just don't have film. ―Steven Wright

How we spend our days, is, of course, how we spend our lives. ―Annie Dillard

Art is man’s distinctly human way of fighting death. ―Leonard Baskin

Never put off till tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow.  ―Mark Twain

I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member.  ―Groucho Marx