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Don Oelze's parents were
from the southwest of the United States but their love of
God took them to different parts of the world. Don was
born in New Zealand and at an early age he had a
fascination with America and especially with the
lifestyle of cowboys and Indians. His grand parents
collected Native American artifacts from their property
and surrounding country in the eastern part of the United
States. When he was six years old, his grandmother sent
him an Indian outfit which only fueled his desire and
love for the native customs and history. He started
drawing Indians at a very early age, and by the time he
was in school at age six or seven, he remembers getting
in trouble for drawing Indians in class instead of paying
attention to his New Zealand history teacher. When he was
eight years old, his parents moved back to the United
States where he continued to draw and paint through high
school. He then attended Memphis College of Art for one
year, where he painted many different subjects utilizing
a wide range of mediums. Don finished his education at
Franklin Pierce College in New Hampshire.
In 1992 while living in Seattle, he
met a Native American named Everett who produced native
art and Totems. While working with Everett, he did his
first big native painting. After trying many different
subjects, he knew that painting Native Americans was what
he loved to do most. For the past ten years, he has been
refining his skills while working in Japan. In 2004 he
and his wife , Utako, have moved back to the U.S. and are
presently living in Montana studying the country and
people that he loves to paint. |
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