DONALD CRAGHEAD

Summer Sunshine Crimson Sunset Toro Park Rose Toro Park Fall River Valley Live Oaks Petaluma Bronze Cloudscape Hilltop Oaks Over the Hills Azalea Hill Road through San Benancio Sunlit Hillside Valley View Hillside with Oaks Bright Sun, Cool Shade

DONALD CRAGHEAD
American

It makes perfect sense that Donald Craghead's canvases should be filled with the dramatic landscapes that surround his Carmel home. He was wooed to the Monterey Peninsula from Illinois nearly three decades ago when he fell in love with landscapes filled with golden hills and old oak trees.

Moving from one of the five flattest states in the country to the spectacular and naturally artistic rolling hills would inspire him to fill his canvases with this newfound beauty. He feels the combination of the dramatic angles of the hills and the resultant shadows, combined with the contrasting deep green of the old oaks against the golden grasses, presents a beauty not found anywhere else in the country.

Donald began his career in art as a salesperson in two renowned galleries in Carmel, Gallery Americana and Trailside Galleries. He eventually worked his way up to Assistant Director of Trailside, a national level gallery with locations in Scottsdale, AZ and Jackson, VVY. Due to the daily diet of the beautiful works surrounding him, he eventually felt the need to attempt to create these works himself.

Although he was capable of "wielding a mean pencil" since an early age, he admits his first attempts weren't very good. But as he continued to paint and compare his work to the national caliber artist's work that surrounded him, the improvements began. As he improved he began painting with some of the countries premier plein air landscape painters. Painting with and receiving guidance from such artists as Scott Christensen. Michael Albrechtsen, Ovanes Berberian, Robert Moore and others proved to be better than a college education in fine art. As he says, "These were the people out there doing it and creating a successful career on a daily basis".

In his art, he feels "less is more". He intentionally leaves detail out of his work so the viewer can interact with the work and subconsciously fill in the detail. When he occasionally hears that his work is like looking through an open window, he feels he has completed that goal.