Don Antram's personal journey as an artist began at an early age. Born in 1959 in Los Angeles County. Don has lived his whole life in California. He started taking oil painting classes through adult education in the seventh grade. He continued taking elective art classes all through high school, and after graduation went straight off for two years of Junior College, then four years at Long Beach State where he earned a Bachelor in Arts Degree.
Don moved to the Sacramento area in 1985. Several years later, he decided to start his own mural and faux finish business. Doing the murals and commissioned canvas work kept his brushes in paint and remarkably busy until 2008. The economy slowed down and so did his schedule which allowed him more time to create his own art. He moved from working with oil paints to watercolors, and then decided to try acrylics and loved them.
His art to this point had always been very realistic. In April 2010, a good friend kept inviting Don to join her in some art classes that she had been taking from an amazing abstract artist, by the name of Sondra Hersh. From the very first class, he could not get enough of this new style. He then studied under Sondra for two years, soaking up her knowledge, her insight, and her passion. Sondra's encouragement and inspiration was invaluable in helping him to learn to paint from within, both spiritually and from his heart, and her teaching of self-exploration helped him grow as an artist as well as a person. She exposed him to a variety of mixed mediums, which he now incorporates into his paintings.
Don’s work now is very textural and tactile. He incorporates and imbeds a wide variety of materials, such as molding and fiber pastes, granular and glass bead gels, mica, glass, gold and silver leaf foils, dichroic glass, gems, stones, shells, glass beads, glitter, and other reflective materials. Metallic paints are also a big part of his art. He wants each painting to vibrate with energy and color, entertaining the eye and mind. He uses a multitude of mediums to create textures that will capture and reflect light. Whether abstract or realistic, he would like the viewer to come close and inspect what is on the canvas. He wants them to yearn to touch it. Don believes that Art has a way of touching our hearts and our minds. A piece of art can trigger feelings, emotions, and memories. It has the power to inspire, to heal and even to motivate us. All art communicates something.The joy of an artist is to provide the connection.
donantram@gmail.com
fineartbydon.com/
