Born in Cambridge (1949) with a Scottish father and English mother, Donald spent his childhood in East Anglia. Influenced by cornfields, wild flowers and clouds of butterflies, Donald took an interest in painting and as a teenager channeled his energies for a short time, into frantic 'Turneresque' images.

While studying Art History at Reading University, Donald confirmed his existing instinctive preference for realistic painters and their art.

With a passion for painting direct from life, particularly people and places, Donald owes a debt to a wide range of influences, including 15th century Italian painters, such as Giovanni Bellini. Grunewald, Vermeer, Poussin and Stubbs as well as the early pre-Raphaelites also feature in Donald's list of favourte painters.

His work also reflects a keen interest in 20th century expressionist painters such as Van Gogh, Soutine, Bomberg, Bacon and Freud.

Now living in West London, Donald's work has appeared in several exhibitions and whilst his work is personal and not commercially driven, he will undertake commissions where the subject is seeking a truthful representation with strong visualisation and colour.