Don Edwards
Slidell Art League Gallery and Gift Shop
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| Click on any of the above for a larger view of Don's artwork. If interested in any of Don's artwork, please call the Slidell Art League at 985-847-9458 |
A Chat with Don Edwards
What is your career and current job title?
Don Edwards: I am mostly retired. I do consult with the Louisiana
Department of Health investigating Children with Elevated Blood
Lead Levels. I’ve been doing that type of work for over 10 years since
my retirement. It is very rewarding to me.
Describe your art and its unique qualities.
Don: My art is very eclectic in subject. My wife and I travel a good bit
and I take my sketch book and camera with me everywhere! I see a
lot of things that I consider compelling as a challenge to my painting
skills. Most of my productions are Plein Aire, which means
outdoors. I’d define my work as mostly architectural or landscape. I’
m nut over the beauty of nature. My work, while not unique, is
somewhat different. I am painting my impression of the subject and
because my chosen medium - watercolor dries fast outside, I have
to strip off all the frills and get the job done!
How long have you been working in this discipline?
Don: I’ve been drawing since 2000, when I picked up a coy of,
“Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, by Dr. Betty Edwards (no
relation), to give me something to do while recovering from by-pass
surgery. After a couple of years drawing, I felt the need for color to
add liveliness to the scene. I’ve had two 4 day courses in watercolor
locally and attended a workshop in Georgia last year. Watercolor, for
me, is where the “action” is. It’s fast and offers a tremendous
challenge.
Why do you create art?
Don: I’m not sure that I’m creating anything! I’m trying to copy what I
see in nature and to inspire viewers to fill in the blanks – we all do
that anyway.
Do you create your art form with an exact message you want the
viewer to receive?
Don: I certainly am not trying to create a message. I think art should
just be enjoyed. Viewers, I’m convinced, enjoy filling in what I’ve left
out. People love to do that, its puzzle solving for them and I don’t
know anyone who doesn’t enjoy a puzzle.
What is the favorite part of your endeavors?
Don: I think that my favorite part of the effort is challenging the
viewer. I love it when they say, “What is that person doing?” or “What
is that?” and I can turn the question back by saying “What do you
see? What do you think they are doing in this painting? I love the
stories they tell me about my paintings.
Are there any other comments you would like to include?
Don: If an idle mind is the devil’s workshop, I’m doomed, because
this endeavor is all consuming and my mind is running in idle all the
while. I can paint for a 2-hour stretch and can’t remember anything I
thought of. You know, that’s the whole premise of the right side of
the brain. After a career of engineering electrical equipment and
processes, and using the left side of the brain exclusively, I was
ready for this. I wish everyone had this hobby. Early on, I started
painting a series on the old courthouse of Mississippi. There are
fewer than 90 and I’ve painted about 20 of them. While doing that, I
got sidetracked and wrote a historical picture book regarding the
Seats of Chancery of Mississippi. While the book is written,
complete with color pictures of all the old buildings and I’ve passed
a lot of pleasant time, the book is still unpublished, like many old
masters.
What is your career and current job title?
Don Edwards: I am mostly retired. I do consult with the Louisiana
Department of Health investigating Children with Elevated Blood
Lead Levels. I’ve been doing that type of work for over 10 years since
my retirement. It is very rewarding to me.
Describe your art and its unique qualities.
Don: My art is very eclectic in subject. My wife and I travel a good bit
and I take my sketch book and camera with me everywhere! I see a
lot of things that I consider compelling as a challenge to my painting
skills. Most of my productions are Plein Aire, which means
outdoors. I’d define my work as mostly architectural or landscape. I’
m nut over the beauty of nature. My work, while not unique, is
somewhat different. I am painting my impression of the subject and
because my chosen medium - watercolor dries fast outside, I have
to strip off all the frills and get the job done!
How long have you been working in this discipline?
Don: I’ve been drawing since 2000, when I picked up a coy of,
“Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, by Dr. Betty Edwards (no
relation), to give me something to do while recovering from by-pass
surgery. After a couple of years drawing, I felt the need for color to
add liveliness to the scene. I’ve had two 4 day courses in watercolor
locally and attended a workshop in Georgia last year. Watercolor, for
me, is where the “action” is. It’s fast and offers a tremendous
challenge.
Why do you create art?
Don: I’m not sure that I’m creating anything! I’m trying to copy what I
see in nature and to inspire viewers to fill in the blanks – we all do
that anyway.
Do you create your art form with an exact message you want the
viewer to receive?
Don: I certainly am not trying to create a message. I think art should
just be enjoyed. Viewers, I’m convinced, enjoy filling in what I’ve left
out. People love to do that, its puzzle solving for them and I don’t
know anyone who doesn’t enjoy a puzzle.
What is the favorite part of your endeavors?
Don: I think that my favorite part of the effort is challenging the
viewer. I love it when they say, “What is that person doing?” or “What
is that?” and I can turn the question back by saying “What do you
see? What do you think they are doing in this painting? I love the
stories they tell me about my paintings.
Are there any other comments you would like to include?
Don: If an idle mind is the devil’s workshop, I’m doomed, because
this endeavor is all consuming and my mind is running in idle all the
while. I can paint for a 2-hour stretch and can’t remember anything I
thought of. You know, that’s the whole premise of the right side of
the brain. After a career of engineering electrical equipment and
processes, and using the left side of the brain exclusively, I was
ready for this. I wish everyone had this hobby. Early on, I started
painting a series on the old courthouse of Mississippi. There are
fewer than 90 and I’ve painted about 20 of them. While doing that, I
got sidetracked and wrote a historical picture book regarding the
Seats of Chancery of Mississippi. While the book is written,
complete with color pictures of all the old buildings and I’ve passed
a lot of pleasant time, the book is still unpublished, like many old
masters.
