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Don Desmarais presents himself as a "mixed media" artist simply because he finds himself incapable of selecting merely one medium to devote his time to. He is consumed by a fascination with all the beautiful things nature has to offer, often using them as material with which to work. Don graduated from St. Anselm College with a B.A. degree in Biology, having learned a great deal about the nitty-gritty workings of the natural world. He attributes his fascination with life in all its majestic forms to this experience. Many hours were spent "in the field" collecting insects and plant specimens and observing nature in its entire splendor.
Don began evolving his passion for making art as an adult in 1973 at the NH Institute of Art ( then known as the Manchester Institute of Art and Sciences ). He soon moved on to private lessons with a life long friend and mentor, working in Graphite and Colored Pencil doing "Trompe L?oeuil". His technique then involved actually building his still life subject matter from feathers, bones, rusted metal, wood etc. and spending countless hours drawing these "set ups" in great detail. Eventually, the building of the "set ups" became even more enjoyable than drawing them and he found that he could express himself from a deeper place using three dimensional material. Thus began a love affair with collecting "stuff" from everyday life ( you should see his studio!) and trying to transform it into something more than its original intent.
Don taught Graphite Drawing, Colored Pencil, Collage and Found Object Construction at the NH Institute of Art for 11 years, an experience which cemented his love of sharing knowledge of technique and inspiration with anyone who would agree to do the same.
Today, Don and his wife Beverly live in Epsom, NH where they have owned and operated Teamwork Dental Studio for the past 9 years. He has his studio there and the country setting provides endless raw materials for his artwork. He has three wonderful adult children who are a constant source of joy, support and inspiration.
You may view Don's website at: www.DonsMysticArt.com
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