Don was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He has entered many jury exhibitions and received many awards. His work first came to our attention in 1984 when one of his paintings won the 'Bronze Medal' at the Royal Institute.(The most prestigious individual award ). In April of the same year he was elected a full member of the Royal Institute.

In the same year he was made an associate member of the Royal Society of British Artists and the following year was elected a full member. He was the first Canadian to receive either of these honours. Don also won the Daler-Rowney prize in 1992 and 1993 at the Royal Institute and awards for the Federation of Canadian artists and Australian Watercolour Institute.

In recent years his style has seen a marked change from the recognisable towards the abstract. Motifs of tiny undefined objects have emerged, typically situated on a table-top-type surface, around which a monochromatic background of layered, textured media is seen. Often inscribed into this background are characters or patterns, or even apparent hints at a narrative, which make Don's paintings all the more rewarding with each closer inspection.

His unusual subjects, style and techniques have made his work very collectable and his watercolours can be found in HRH The Prince of Wales private collection as well as private collections in England, Canada, the United States, and Europe. Also, Don is listed in the 'Who's Who in Art in Britain'.