User:Deedubco

''' Donald William Artist/Musician San Francisco, CA ''' Donald William Online

I was born in Maryland in 1965, and in '66 our family was the first to leave the east in favor of the more temperate climate of the west coast. My parents found a place in San Leandro, CA while my Father finished his term as a Navy Surgeon. I had two older brothers with one on the way when we moved to San Mateo, CA. At the age of seven we moved to Burlingame, CA and my parents had their last child, totaling 5 boys in all.

Before dropping out of highschool in 1980, I started getting highly interested in art and artistic endeavor.I was also very interested in the opposite sex and found a connection in music that sustained me for years and years. I ended up a Flamin' Groovies compatriot when I hit the pinnacle of my musical career.

All the while, drawing has always been a secret pastime of mine. When my father became ill in '06, I began to really wonder what it's all about. Thankfully, I again found art to be the answer for me.

As a bass guitar playing musician vocalist songwriter, I am forever in search of the right group of people with which to expand and create with. The ideal band for me plays Rock 'n Roll. Mostly original but with a handful of strategically picked covers. There are new songs to add to the set every week. Rehearsals 3 or 4 times a week or every day for that matter. The band hangs out and listens to music together and eats dinner. All shows are "Showcase", not club gigs. When it comes to money, every member gets songwriting credit equally (Unless there was a previous deal on a particular tune). On stage, nobody ever does anything to make a fellow band member look or feel stupid. If I ever find this kind of combo, watch out...

The business of art is something I'd like as little to do with as possible. I am currently setting it up for someone else to take over at a later date. I'm hoping to get lucky by selling a few paintings so I can continue to paint and create and live while the business takes it's course. One of my brothers asked me the other day "why don't you paint things that people will buy?, like the Golden Gate Bridge?". I told him "I'd rather jog home from my own vasectomy" than to paint for the purpose of sales. I am happily married to Maureen McGowan Caulfield since '99. We don't have children but enjoy greatly the company of our many nieces and nephews spread about Northern California. We both come from tightly knit families and are proud of our Irish heritage as well as the many others blessed upon us. We've lived together in San Fran for most of our time together. We met at Churchills (clementX8th) bar in 1994 and moved in together in NorthBeach, SF for a couple years. We then bought "the Getaway", a 38' Higgins, moored at pier 39. We lived on the boat for a few years and then moved to San Mateo, CA. In 1999 we moved to Maui and quickly moved back in '02. Now we live in the outer Richmond dist. of San Fran. Most of the artwork I've done reflects my appreciation for the places we've been and the beauty I see. We are lucky to have found each other and count our blessings for the support we've had and continue to enjoy.

With all due respect for the Johnson Family, my bio wouldn't be complete without mentioning Mary Lutes Johnson, god bless her soul. I would not be who I am today without her influence on my spirituality. When she passed away in 1990, so did a large part of me. I loved her very much and had no idea how I was going to live through it nor did I really care. She was only twenty-three years old the whole thing is totally unfair. Mary helped me to see things differently. She had an appreciation and a sensitivity to love and all things beautiful that I was still way to immature to understand. It's taken me a loooooong time to forgive God and realize that God was not punishing me. I still think of her every day and converse with her in prayer. Thank you God for letting me know her.