Catalina Island News

Spotlight on Featured Artists: Don Demers and Brian Blood

2017-10-08
Catalina Island Cosnervancy

Join us a the Catalina Island Conservancy's 7th Annual Catalina: The Wild Side Art Show at Balboa Yacht Club. Two of the featured artists are Don Demers and Brian Blood.

This is the third installment in a series that will introduce each of our 10 featured artists, with a preview of their work for this year's show. Our artists have each been to the Island during the past year to capture a bit of its beauty. Take this opportunity to bring your favorite place on Catalina Island home with you!

Don Demers

Don Demers is renowned for his depiction of marine art, having won a record 17 awards at the Mystic International Marine Art Exhibition in Connecticut, including the exhibition's 2006 Rudolph J. Schaefer Maritime Heritage Award, which honors work that best documents the nation's maritime heritage for future generations. The Museum of American Illustration also has honored Demers' illustrations four times in its national competition as representing the finest examples of work in the field.

Demers' interest in painting maritime subjects began during the summers he spent on the coast of Maine near Boothbay Harbor. He began his professional career as an illustrator and expanded into the field of fine art. His illustrations can be found on many book covers and in national publications such as Reader's Digest, Sail Magazine, Field & Stream, Sports Afield, Yankee and National Geographic.  

Today, Demers is a fellow of the American Society of Marine Artists, an elected member of the Guild of Boston Artists, an elected member of the California Art Club and a signature member of Plein Air Painters of America.

Brian Blood

Brian Blood is widely recognized as one of California's most important plein air impressionist artists. He began his professional life as a graphic artist and art director in Boston, Massachusetts.
Although Blood's career was successful, he was frustrated personally and realized he wanted to be a fine-art painter. A leap across the continent to California took him to the Academy of Art University in San Francisco for both undergraduate and graduate studies.  It also led to his meeting his artist wife, Laurie Kersey.

Since the 1990s, Blood has been painting full-time as well as conducting landscape painting classes at his alma mater. He also conducts ongoing workshops at his Pebble Beach studio and in the surrounding areas. Blood's work has been featured in articles in Southwest Art, Art of The West, American Artist and Plein Air Magazine.

Buy your tickets today! For more information or to purchase tickets, visit our website  or call 562-437-8555 ext.1239.