Don Brackett was born in Optima, Ok in 1932.  The following year his parents moved the family to Albuquerque, NM.  Don showed an interest in art at an early age.  He studied art throughout his schooling.  He started painting first at Albuquerque High School, then later at the University of New Mexico where he majored in Fine Art. He has studied with such notable artists as Kenneth Adams, Robert E. Wood, Millard Sheets, Milford Zornes and Ray Vinella.   Initially a watercolorist, Don is a member of the American Watercolor Society as well as past president of the New Mexico Watercolor Society.   Preferring the textural qualities of oil paints, Don changed mediums in 1980. 

Don is a Plein-Air artist who enjoys working on location as much as possible.   His work is spontaneous.  He likes the loose, painterly style of the impressionists.  Dons’ work is influenced by the early Russian painters Nicolai Fechin, Leon Gaspard, and Fedor Zakharov.  He has been a painter of the Great Southwest for over 40 years.  Don and his painter/wife P.J. Garoutte have lived and painted in Taos for over 20 years.  Their home overlooks the Taos valley with the magnificent views of Taos Mountain providing constant inspiration.

 

Dons’ work has earned numerous awards:

 

Ford Times Award/ American Watercolor Society, New York

Best of Show/ New Mexico Watercolor Society 1972/74/75

First Award, Best of the Sangre de Cristos Painting competition, 1991

 

Dons’ work is widely collected in museums throughout the country.  Some of his work is in the following collections:

 

Texas Tech University

Musuem of Albuquerque

New Mexico Watercolor Society

Sunwest Bank, Albuquerque, NM

Sangre de Cristo Fine Arts Museum

Carlsbad Museum,  Carlsbad, NM