DARWIN WILLIAM DUNCAN (1905-2002)

Darwin Duncan was born in St. James, Minnesota, on July 28, 1905. His parents brought him to California at age five because of his asthma. As a child, he developed a love of drawing, which stayed with him for life. At ge of 29, he met the painter Karl Albert, who said to him, "You draw better than I do. Maybe you should start painting." He and Albert soon met Edgar Payne, who had stopped at the Albert family's grocery store in Oro Grande, California to outfit himself for one of his trips to the Sierras. This encounter began Duncan's development as a plein-aire painter under the tutelage of Payne, which continued until Payne's death in 1947. Duncan was soon also started lessons with Samuel Hyde Harris and a close friendship developed that lasted some 30 years. During the 1940's, Duncan also studied figure painting at the Los Angeles Business Men's Institute with Christian Von Schneidau. Starting in 1957, he instructed art for 17 years for Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, California, followed by 7 years at Palomar College in San Marcos, California. In 1985, he was commissioned by the Rev. Dr. Robert Schuller to paint several large landscapes for Baldwin Manor on Maui Island, Hawaii. His paintings are included in many collections in the United States and abroad and a fine desert diorama is on permanent exhibit in The Living Desert Museum in Palm Desert, California. He has lectured and demonstrated throughout the Southwest, Hawaii, Canada, and Mexico and he held life memberships in the Laguna Beach Art Association and Museum in Laguna Beach, California, the Paramount Art Association in Paramount, California, Huntington Beach Art Association in Huntington Beach, California, and Southland Art Association in Montebello, California. Duncan was president of the Long Beach Spectrum Club.He has been featured in "Forgotten California Artists," February, 1989 issue of "Antiques & Fine Art", "Artists in California, 1786-1940" by Hughes, 1989, "Art and Artists" published by The Desert Art Center, 1964 (Palm Springs, California), "Widening Horizons" (Painters of the Western Desert) in "Western Woman, 1952," Treasury of Living Art," published by The Desert Art Center in 1975 and "Artists of Southern California, Vol. II" published by Mountain Productions Of Texas, Inc., 1991.

 

Arroyo View

Oil on canvas, 16" x 20"

Signed lower right: D. W. Duncan

Inscribed on stretcher verso: "Arroyo View"/ #63