Since 1967, Les McDonald, Jr. has resided in Houston, Texas. He received a BS degree from Sam Houston State University majoring in commercial art with a minor in photography. He worked in advertising and owned an advertising agency until 1986. Following that career, Les determined to become a full-time fine artist. Switching from painting in oils to working in watercolors, he became a member of WAS-H. Les says that watercolors are his favorite media because he can experiment more with watercolor than any other media combined. With watercolors Les like to paint, drool, scratch, dab, mop, salt and incorporate a wide variety of other skills.
Les believes that nature presents us with a never-ending source of memorable images. With his paintings, he captures these moments and freezes them in time. As an artist who paints in a highly realistic style, he captures the detail, the mood, and the essence of the subjects that he paints. One collector of Les’ works says that he can feel the salt air on his neck when he looks at Les’ painting depicting birds hitching a ride on the Bolivar ferry. Another collector said that when he looks at a Les McDonald painting, he knows that Les has been there as he captures the scene so realistically. People frequently mistake Les’ paintings for photographs.
Les is frequently asked, “How are you able to paint with such high detail?” Because of his keen desire to share his knowledge with students, Les has responded to these questions by offering to instruct students. In 2014 he began teaching watercolor workshops at the Watercolor Art Society in Houston. Through classes at WAS-H and other venues, he demonstrates and teaches techniques that bring paintings from a highly detailed drawing to a finished painting. Students comment that they appreciate his patience, knowledge, of materials, methods, and encouragement.
Les began entering WAS-H competitions in the 1990’s and was encouraged when he was first accepted in the International Show. Since then, he has been accepted in nine International Shows and numerous Membership Shows. In 2013, Les achieved Elite Signature status at WAS-H. He also achieved signature status in the Society of Watercolor Artists and the South Western Watercolor Artists Association. Les’ paintings have been selected for many awards. His painting “Dining Out” won a first-place award in the 2021 WAS-H Membership Show. He is especially excited about having this painting accepted in the 2023 American Watercolor Society International Show in New York City. Les has featured paintings published in the Splash 2017, 2021, 2022 and 2023 editions. Les continuously takes his inspiration for his paintings from nature which generates his desire to paint. When he is not hunting or fishing, Les can be reached at his Houston studio.
Les’ next class will be March 25th/26th, painting the following image, Strawberries and Blueberries.
