The eloquence of a Don Crowley painting is not in its re-creation of history, but in its vision of the living. A consummate realist, Don can paint the beauty and dignity of an Apache maiden, the spiritual countenance
of an Indian dancer or a quiet still life with equal skill and passion.

The Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles was his training ground, and is also where he met his wife, B.J., whom he credits as his most discerning critic. After art school, he spent twenty-three years in New York as a commercial illustrator with the Charles E. Cooper Studio.

In 1973, tired of the repetition and restrictions of commercial art and feeling the need to release his stifled creativity, he and his family moved west. Here he has been able to free his talents and delve into the engrossing world of the Apache and Paiute Indians. His paintings typify the ideals of these southwestern societies and impart to the viewer the serenity of these people and their surroundings.

Don considers his election to the CAA in 1994 his finest moment and greatest challenge.