Donovan is a self taught artist that began drawing around the age of six. Growing up he kept counteless sketchbooks ranging from cartoon characters to portraits of famous faces. After many years of urging by others and by the little voice inside his head that was dying for a creative outlet, he began creating art again with excitement.

Donovan's artistic influences range from Ernie Barnes, John Biggers, Charles White and Aaron Douglas to Vincent Van Gogh, John Singer Sargent and Norman Rockwell. They all inspired Donovan and provided him with the excitement to continue to grow as an artist.

Ongoing Art Education

A native of Raleigh, N.C., Woods is a transferring junior that has an A.A.S. degree from Mount Olive University and an A.A.S. in Fine Arts from Johnston Community College. He is dedicated to producing art and relishes the education, process, and practice of drawing and painting. Of his work Donovan says, “Drawing is the most natural thing I have ever done.”

His mentor Maureen O’Neill explains, that “The drawings by Donovan have both intensity and sensitivity. In his charcoal self-portrait he meets our gaze and we are immediately aware that the artist himself is in this work. The large-scale charcoal drawings have areas of light and dark in which the figure is both revealed and obscured from the viewer. A skilled hand with charcoal and sensitivity to the observed emotional situation of the subject gives Donovan’s work its beauty and power.”

Donovan plans to strengthen and develop his portfolio while attending Barton College and has future plans of attending graduate school.

• Donovan specializes in the medium of charcoal.
• Donovan's style of drawing and painting is very gestural or "loose," with expressive strokes that celebrate the joy one can find within creating art.
• Donovan enjoys a life of continual education and also enjoys showing others, young and old the joy of creating through drawing and painting.

Artist Statement

I describe my artistic style as expressive-impressionistic. The major design elements I use in my work are line, form, and value. Design principles such as contrast, rhythm, and variety can be seen in my loose and gestural technique that I employ. All are evident in my artwork. I am dedicated to producing art and relish the spontaneous expression, love/hate-development, and necessary practice of drawing and painting. I use charcoal as my preferred medium. Drawing is the most natural thing I have ever done. Attributes such as mark making and implied line allow me to produce something to capture the attention of the viewers and this is a desire I will never abandon. The dramatic shifts in lights and darks in my work are an overwhelming sense of achievement that I want to experience over and over again. The work I have created throughout the self-portrait series is especially pivotal in my artistic development. In each of drawings and ppaitings, I have learned from the failures as well as the successes.