Artist Biography

“I am drawn to universal observations of people and places. With each work, I try to tell a story."

Don studied visual arts at Wesleyan University, the New School and the Koho School of Sumi-E in New York City, and the American Center for the Arts in Paris.  He works both with oils and with inks and oil pastels.  His paintings have been exhibited in numerous juried group shows and solo shows in New York and Connecticut.  Don's works have earned many awards, including Best in Show and Best in Mixed Media.  

Don has served on the boards of JAM Gallery, Artwell, and the Kent Art Association and is a member of the Mamaroneck Artists’ Guild, the Washington Artists’ Association, the Housatonic Valley Art League, the Canton Artists Guild, and The Voice of Art.  For more than fifty years, he served on the faculty of Columbia University and was a founding director of Columbia’s Research Center for Arts and Culture.

His paintings are in collections in the United States, Europe, and Australia.  He is frequently engaged for commission projects.  His studio is in Goshen, Connecticut, and he can be reached at don@sextonart.com or http://www.sextonart.com.  

Artist Statement

Through vibrant colors and thoughtful composition, I try to reveal the drama of daily life and the essence of a place.  There is a story behind each of my works.

Manhattan has been my home for five decades; I have lived abroad and I travel extensively. No matter where I am, I am drawn to specific - and yet universal – observations of people and places.  I want to capture the spirit and pulse of a neighborhood and the people who populate it at that moment. I work quickly, because life moves quickly. My vivid hues reveal the soul and character and make intriguing what at first glance might seem to be an ordinary scene. When I work in the open air, spectators congregate to watch the colors light up my paintings as I employ the unique technique I developed of applying water-based inks to oil pastels.  

I see: 

A couple shopping for lanterns in Shanghai.

The nighttime crowd in a snow-covered Times Square.

A lone motorcyclist gazing at Pikes Peak.

Artists vying for attention in a Paris square. 

Silent crowds paying their respect at Ground Zero.  

Night life on a Hong Kong street,.  

Families spending a warm afternoon in the shade at the Tuileries Garden.  

Dawn breaking over a sleeping Venice.  

The bustle of a New England fair. 

A young girl and boy exploring the amusements at a carnival.

The night life around a Sabrett stand in Manhattan. 

A solitary couple embracing as snow quietly falls on Columbia University. 

These are some of the scenes that catch my eye and serve as inspiration for my work.