Celebrated New Zealand artist Don (73) will be forever remembered for his bird and landscape paintings, many of his beloved west coast of Auckland and Northland. He has been described by friend and fellow artist, Dick Frizzell, as one of the first wave of artists in the 1960's who had a great sense of national identity as a New Zealand modernist.
A conservationsit, he loved nature and was a patron of the Hauturu Trust which protected Little Barrier Island. To his great pleasure, one of his more famous works, Kotare over the Ratana Church, was recently sold by private collector Dick Scott and the $270,000 proceeds donated to the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal. He was awarded an OBE in 1995 for services to the arts but sadly died suddenly from a heart attack. He is survived by his wife and daughter.

source - www.nzherald.co.nz 16 September 2012