Early on in life I discovered that I had a need to create - be it chalk on pavement or pencil or pen, bringing life to my imaginary visions. I created in alt mediums, from crayon on paper to custom backyard fort building. Through creative thinking I became a unique individual and by using that creative thought to produce original works of art I was able to express myself to the competitive world that surrounded me. Since I found no mold to fashion myself after, it was up to me to start from scratch. I had to invent and create the mold into which I would eventually fit.

In my mid-teens I found an artist that lived and worked in a studio that he had built out of recycled wood and other industrial cast offs in Monrovia, California. Within this studio there was evidence of years of work in many mediums, ceramic ware, oil paintings on stretched canvas, clay and metal sculptures, handmade masks on the wall, colorful fabrics draped over windows and skylights. He was working on plaster castings that he would paint by hand. The theme of the castings were sun and moon bursts. I spent as much time as I could helping him with his projects. This place for me was a long sought after source of validation for the lifestyle that I had been dreaming of.

Art and the production of art overtook me at this point and became the most important and fulfilling objective of my daily existence. I sought out other artists and artist communities. I went out into life in search of true Bohemia. I absorbed the energy found among the artists, the poets, the musicians and the builders of wild dreams. They were my teachers, my beacon. For the next fifteen years I would seek out the creative genius of California, from the deserts of Southern California to the redwoods of Northern California.

I lived and worked alongside an architect that bought and dismantled obsolete train trestles in the Northern California to obtain the first growth redwood beams that had been curing there for the past 80 years. His use of this marvelous material in his own studio and custom homes is unequaled.

The houseboats of Sausalito at gate 5 and 6 provided me with an array of structural madness that can only be found in dreams. If you could float, building codes did not apply. It was here that I met Gene Varda. An 80 year old artist from Greece that lived on the "Vallejo', One of the original ferryboats that carried people and automobiles across the bay before the Golden Gate Bridge was built. He shared this massive structure with Alien Watts who provided the essence of literary genius to the mix. Gene or "Yonko" never stopped creating artwork in every medium until the day he died. His life was as rich as anyone could ever wish for. Memories of the events that took place there will live with me forever.

During the mid seventies my friend Ephrim Doner, a 70 year old tile maker from Carmel, CA. Took me to meet his dear friend Henry Miller at his hillside compound in Big Sur, California. Again, the elders of the current art world provided me with the realization that the pursuit of ones passion to create results in a full and rewarding life on into old age.

Another unquestionable source of inspiration for me would be Jirayr Zorthian of Altadena. Jirayr has been continuously producing original art for over 80 years. His unstoppable passion for building, painting, sculpture and living life to it's fullest through art and creative activity taught me that a creative lifestyle is possible.

Once during a gathering of friends and fellow artists, Zorthian (at age 89) looked over at me across a candlelit table laden with sumptuous food and drink and said to me "Douglas, do you realize how lucky we are to be artists"? To be included in this old masters appreciation of the moment gave me a sense of pride. To be recognized by the "art world" and to be able to make a living producing original art is certainly a goal in my life and if it should ever come to pass I will continue to devote myself to it to the best of my ability. To be recognized by living masters provides a special bond that is exclusive to the individuals that carry the title of artists. 

For the last 23 years I have devoted myself to my wife, 4 children and to my art, living and working within the Southern California coastal area. With a wife and family to support I had to succumb to the development of a steady income. In 1980, I blended my abilities in the building and construction trades with my love of metal sculpture. I went to school and became licensed as a structural steel contractor for the state of California. Shortly thereafter, I opened a portable welding service called Malibu Welding and Design. This provided me with the income I needed to support my family. The fringe benefits for me were a fully equipped metal working studio, a team of competent welders, and plenty of scrap steel.

I worked for 10 years on a project under the direction of John Lautner AIA in Malibu, CA. During a zoning dispute at my current residence where my studio was threatened by an encroaching neighborhood, I was honored to have John come to my rescue when he wrote the Los Angeles Planning Commission telling them that "I believe that Douglas Tharalson is a sensitive man, and that he would maintain and improve the man made environment" Another elder of the arts graces my life with further support to follow the path of creative intelligence.

 As I slowly become one of the elders of the California art scene, it is my profound hope to pass on what I have learned from my mentors. That creative thought and action is what separates man from the animal. It is a gift from God that should be preserved and nurtured in every way. 

Art is the great communicator. It surpasses all languages. It allows people to take a pause in their busy daily lives and imagine. Not to think over and categorize everything that they see as we normally do. But to take a moment to stop what you are doing and let your imagination take over for a while. This is what the artist has to offer mankind. I believe that continuous exposure to original works of art is essential to healthy human growth.

~  Certificate of Authenticity  ~

Each artistic piece comes with a "Certificate of Authenticity" issued by the artist.