Doug was born in 1955 in Faith, South Dakota, son of Wayne and Constantina Webb. Wayne was an army officer, so Doug’s early years were spent moving around, eventually settling in Watertown, New York, way up north by the Thousand islands, almost Canada.

“I was fortunate to live in a town where education was free and important, with some progressive, even cutting edge programs and teachers. I was taught how to ask questions and given the freedom and direction to ask anything and to think for myself.”

It was in Watertown, that Doug met Fred Feldman, his art teacher in seventh grade, who noticed Doug’s talent and essentially took him under his wing. Doug’s parents had split up when he was eight years old, and his father abandoned the family. Doug and his sister Shirley, never saw him again, (and still haven’t.)

“Fred, or Mr. Feldman, as we called him, once put his hand on my shoulder as I was drawing with pen and ink and said ‘You have a nice sense of design.’ Little did he know that I was starved for reassurance and recognition, or even just a little encouragement. I immediately began exploring art as something new and fun and as a way to get out of the house.”

Doug’s mother, who was a single mom when it was definitely not fashionable or common, became increasingly mentally ill as Doug grew up, eventually leading to a deep separation from both children. poverty and illness were constant hallmarks, but both Doug and Shirley received full scholarships to college, so they both managed to receive a full education.

Fred Feldman led Doug, and many others, into the world of art, in a time of new freedom in the late sixties and early seventies, when lots of crazy and creative ideas were flying around, Rock music was the form of rebellion and change and self expression was being given new priority.

Doug spent a lot of time in the “Art Room,” before, during and after school, and entered and won several art contest sponsored by the New York State Scholastic Art Awards program. One year, in tenth grade he received a Blue Ribbon, Gold Medal and Honorable Mention—all for the same piece!

Fred was a great friend, teacher and surrogate father to Doug. He lives in Black Mountain, North Carolina, currently.

Doug’s other main influence during these early years was a wonderful man named Walter Brauer. Walt was a science, chemistry and health teacher at Watertown High, and had a profound influence on many a young soul.

“I remember walking into health class with a King Crimson album under my arm, and this white-haired teacher said “Hey, I have that album.” Now, at that time King Crimson was pretty avant garde, so I immediately thought “This guy must be pretty cool.”

This began a deep and long lasting friendship that was centered around spiritual exploration and growth.

“I knew when we were playing Mind Games, from the book that inspired the John Lennon song of the same name, that we were in a tiny minority in our otherwise slightly redneck town.”

Later, Doug went off  to the art school at the State University College at Buffalo, where he graduated with a BA in Art, with a lot of classes in drawing, painting, printmaking and sculpture.

Being from a rather poverty based background, Doug has managed to keep painting even while holding jobs, eventually marrying and moving to Chicago, where he was a member of the Ars Graphis printmaking group and gallery in Oak Park, a member of the Oak Park Art League, and showed in a series of gallery and art fair shows, including a one-man show at ARC (Artists Residents of Chicago) on Superior Street in downtown.

In 1990, Doug and his soon-to-be-ex-wife, moved to Santa Fe, where he lives and paints. He has since expanded his repertoire to include design, music, dance and Awakening Coaching, as well as writing. He lives with Nancy Smith.