I can say up front that I certainly didn’t know Doug
as well as most of those posting their recollections
here, but I did want to take a moment to say that he
was a person who had a very large and very positive
impact on my life. Over the years since graduation,
I’d occasionally check to see what some of the people
that had really made a difference as artists and
teachers in my life were up to, and it was always
interesting to see what Doug was making. It was
with great sadness that I read about his passing.
I was a student at Drake in the late seventies.
Coming from a working class background where
art was considered a nice hobby, that time at Drake
was my first exposure to people that knew it to be
much more than that. It was at that time that I
had the good fortune to encounter Doug as an
instructor. His way of looking at things (including
his way of looking at how I was already looking at
things) opened up my view of what art was and
how it fit into the world. He was encouraging,
honest, insightful and immensely talented, as
well as gifted with an ability to deliver criticism
without crushing the ego of the recipient. I think
at some point in the process of my life, that
integration of art and life somehow all came
together, and I know for a fact that Doug was
greatly responsible for providing the guidance
that made that happen for me. Doug’s influence
on how I draw and probably, more importantly,
on why, lasts to this day.
Somewhere along the line, making art loses its
pretension and becomes part of your life. That’s
the greatest lesson I could take away from the
many things Doug taught me. Twenty some
years later, it’s still something I’m thankful for
every day. So thanks Doug. I’m still making stuff,
and wherever you may be right now, I’d like to
think that would make you happy.
