Biography

"...It is as if the artist has created his own mythology. It is a very romantic, evocative painting, technically well balanced and very strong, formally"

- Lucinda Barnes, curator of the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art commenting on the painting "Journey"
I have been painting since I was thirteen years old. I was accepted into the Pretoria School for Art, Ballet, Drama and Music in South Africa where I won many awards and competitions. In 1987 I started my freshman year at Chapman College, Orange CA on an Art Scholarship. The next year I  was privileged to begin classes at the prestigious Art Center College of Design in California. I graduated with a BFA with Distinction in Illustration.

Since graduation I have worked as a freelance illustrator creating book and magazine covers and posters, taught art classes and completed many private commissions. I have participated in group and solo shows (Alaska Pacific University and Decker Morris Gallery, Anchorage Alaska) and have exhibited at Artique Gallery in Anchorage. I have been interviewed by NBC TV, reviewed in the Anchorage Daily news and won awards (Anchorage Museum of History and Art) for my paintings. My paintings are in many national and international collections. I am presently represented by Stephan Fine Arts in Anchorage, Alaska. I now live in Alaska, with my wife and two boys, where I paint the dramatic landscapes that surround my home .
The following images are from a prime time NBC TV interview. This interview concerned my solo show at the Decker-Morris Gallery in Anchorage, Alaska. Note that all the frames are hand made and carved to enhance each painting
Below are clippings of newspaper articles in which my paintings were featured.
Below is the Anchorage Museum of History and Art catalog my painting "The Journey" appeared in.

"...paintings represent a blend of neo-impressionism and prehistoric Celtic fantasy...Each painting is richly colored...to capture the emotion of each work...mystical and enticing"- Andy Nau, Anchorage Daily News art reviewer.
My painting "Seeking the Light" has been chosen as the recipient of a Rasmuson Art Acquisition Grant to purchase Alaskan Art.

Newspaper article concerning the Palmer Museum purchase.

This has been awarded by the Palmer Museum of History and Art. Here is what the museum had to say about my painting:

"This work by artist Douglas Girard was chosen by the Art Selection Committee of PMHA following the merits of workmanship, style, innovative use and handling of materials, accomplishments of the artist and work that is representative of the uniqueness of the Palmer area.

This highly accomplished work in oils on canvas represents the dramatic beauty and mystic qualities of the mountains surrounding Palmer. The painting presents an image of solace and the illusive romance of distant places often sought by early pioneers to the area. This somewhat haunting but elegantly presented work reminisces early works by historic artists Eustace Zigler and Sydney Laurence in its rich atmospheric depth and control of both subject and color with a contemporary handling of materials.

Addition of this work into Palmer Museum's holdings considerably enhances the overall spirit and quality of its collected art objects and establishes an appropriate, important reference point for future collecting in artistic media. The painting also serves to demonstrate the museum's interest in a broad range of both historic and contemporary works of art, offering the museum an excellent tool for teaching the value of mixing traditional and contemporary values in a changing community. "