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Darwin Duncan, a
painter of the California landscape, was born in St. James, Minnesota, on July
28, 1905. His parents brought him to California when he was five years old
because of his asthmatic condition. As a child, Duncan developed a love of
drawing, which stayed with him as an adult.
At the age of 29, he met the painter Karl Albert, who said to him, "You draw
better than I do. Maybe you should start painting." With that encouragement,
Duncan did his first desert painting in 1934. He and Karl Albert soon met Edgar
Payne who stopped at the Albert's mom and pop grocery store in Oro Grande,
California to outfit himself for one of his trips to the Sierras. This encounter
was the beginning of Duncan's development as a Plein-Air painter under the
tutelage of Payne, which lasted until Edgar Payne's death in 1947.
Duncan was soon to also start lessons with Samuel Hyde Harris and they developed
a close friendship 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, Duncan was commissioned by the Rev. Dr. Robert Schuller to paint
several large landscapes for the famous Baldwin Manor on Maui Island, Hawaii.
His paintings are included in many collections in the United States and abroad.
A fine diorama of the desert is included in The Living Desert Museum in Palm
Desert, California.
Duncan's paintings include scenes of the California deserts and ranch lands, for
the most part. He has lectured and demonstrated throughout the Southwest,
Hawaii, Canada, and Mexico.
Darwin Duncan holds 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." He is also mentioned in "Artists in California,
1786-1940" by Hughes, Edan Milton, 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.
Darwin Duncan and his wife, Marge, resided in Ramona, California. He died in
2002.
Riders Of Monument Valley
- SOLD |
Northern California Landscape
- SOLD |
Near Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs -
SOLD |
Smoketree Sanctuary - SOLD |
Desert Landscape - SOLD |
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