Groth Winery 36x48" original oil painting by Don Hatfield
The Romance of Napa is captured by renowned Napa Valley artist Don Hatfield in Groth Winery 36x48" original oil on canvas.
Don Hatfield was born on May 16, 1947 in Long Beach, California. There, he studied philosophy, theology, and literature and it was not until he met the well-known portraitist, Charles Cross, that he began to explore his talents as a painter. Impressed with the "innate color sense" Hatfield displayed in the soft pastel colors of his oil paintings, Cross encouraged "Don to become his protege".
Two years of study with Cross was not enough to convince Don to focus all his energy on art. He abandoned his short career in art to pursue a career in ministry. However, in 1979, on the advice of the premier portrait painter, Ray Kinstler, Hatfield moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, to pursue painting once again.
Hatfield eventually moved back to Los Angeles to fulfill his creative potential under the master tutelage of Sergei Bongart, who had a tremendous influence on him. "He was a wonderful presence and a great teacher," says Don. It was during this time with Bongart that he diligently worked and perfected the style that we recognize today.
Hatfield talks about himself
"After 40 years of oil painting I am weary of self promotion or promotion from any source for that matter. There are many pages of Hatfield Bio on the web that may be of some historical interest, but they do not reflect who I am or what I am doing today."
"I was a contract painter for an art publishing company for almost two decades, and they handled everything regarding the promotion of my work from 1987 through 2004."
"Dozens of articles have been written about me, and images of my paintings have appeared in all of the major trade journals--sometimes on the cover (see "About the Artist"). My work has been displayed all over the United States and throughout Japan. Sometimes my images show up on TV and in the movies, so I assume that I have works in a few prop departments."
"My collectors come mainly from Asia, Europe, and the United States. I have not kept thorough records of this stuff, and have no current interest in compiling one. The company that represented me effectively blocked any contact between me and my collectors for 20 years. Offers have come and gone, but as of 2010 there are no books on Don Hatfield."
