Donald Sexton

Through vibrant colors, thoughtful composition, and a unique painting technique, I reveal the quiet drama of daily life and the essence of a place. 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. With a curious mind and a quick hand, I capture the spirit and pulse of a neighborhood and the unique figures 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 am fully engaged in the observation process: 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, dawn breaking over a sleeping Venice, 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.

Wesleyan University, BA, 1963, mathematics and fine arts. New School.  Stacy Studio Workshop (New York).  American Center for the Arts(Paris).