Biography from Quidley & Company
Donald Demers was born in 1956, in the small rural community of Lunenburg, Massachusetts. He acknowledges his high school art teacher as the most formative influence in his early training. Demers continued his education at the School of the Worcester (MA) Art Museum and Massachusetts College of Art in Boston, MA. His interest in painting maritime subjects began while spending his summers on the coast of Maine near Boothbay Harbor. Crewing aboard schooners, square-riggers and other traditional craft has provided both the foundation for his technical expertise and the vision to transfer his first-hand experience to the canvas. His love of sailing has not diminished over the years.
A move to Maine in 1984 marked a shift in his career in which illustration morphed into marine and landscape painting. Illustration has served as a diversion from the demands of fine art for Demers and over the years, Reader’s Digest, Sail Magazine, Field & Stream, Sports Afield, Yankee, Downeast and most recently, National Geographic Magazine and several book publishers have called on Don to create visual illumination for the written word.
Feature articles on his paintings in a number of publications (American Artist, Yachting, Nautical Quarterly, Nautical World, to name a few) have generated interest in his art and his story. Among his clients are American Airlines and the National Park Service, with projects as varied as creating art for national television advertisements and designing art glass for Steuben.
Demers’ body of work has expanded over the last several years to include the study and creation of landscape paintings based on 19th century methods and philosophies. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Marine Artists and has won a record number (9) awards at the Mystic International Marine Exhibition, Mystic, CT. His illustrations have been recognized four times by the Museum of American Illustration in their national competition as representing the finest examples of work in the field.
Demers conducts workshops for artists and lectures on his art and maritime experiences. His audiences include representatives of museums, art clubs & associations, yacht clubs, historical societies and educational institutions.
