Collection: Dick Duerrstein Artist Biography and Art Gallery Collection

Dick Duerrstein, while growing up in Southern California, loved art and drawing. One of his earliest inspirations was from the designs of Ed 'Big Daddy' Roth. Following his passion for art, he studied at the Art Center College of Design while working as a graphic designer for a commercial art studio. In 1976, he began his career at Disney as Creative Director for their Consumer Products Division. Designing Disney merchandise for the national market, Duerrstein worked alongside many of the foremost animation artists of the 20th Century, including Ward Kimball, Marc Davis (and with Chuck Jones at Warner Bros.). For the next 22 years, Dick Duerrstein had the opportunity to use his talent in many diverse ways, developing his own unique style that is prevalent in his paintings today. His experience at Disney working on a wide variety of projects has given Dick a world-class sense of design. His artwork has adorned everything from record album covers and clothing to fine collectible items such as cel portfolios, art glass and furniture. Some of the published works of Dick Duerrstein include a series of three children's books he illustrated and a fine art serigraph series of Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Donald Duck.

Dick Duerrstein is inspired not only by the animation artists he has worked so closely with but also with such diverse draftsman as Leonardo da Vinci and Von Dutch, Duerrstein also found inspiration from the animation drawings of Chuck Jones. I believe I bring the spontaneity of his [Chuck Jones] original drawing to the forefront of my paintings, where the viewer can see the action up close. The backgrounds reflect the age and use of the original drawings, grounding them in history. Duerrstein's paintings explore the relationship between the drawn line and the personality of the cartoon characters made famous by the legendary creator and director, Chuck Jones. Dick began perfecting his current style of painting over fifteen years ago. Finding inspiration in the work of contemporary artists such as Keith Haring, Andy Warhol and David Hockney, he has imbued his paintings of cartoon characters with new life. Dick begins each painting by simply layering each aspect of the character, color by color, so that the painting expands beyond character interpretation.

Dick Duerrstein works primarily on canvas in acrylics and oil pastels, his striking, contemporary style brings his images to life in a dramatic and unforgettable fashion. The vibrant colors and bold brushwork of his art create a sense of movement, excitement and reverence for the creative process. He truly enjoys the process of discovery involved in the conception and execution of his paintings, knowing that he can bring his imagination to life on the canvas for all to share. Dick Duerrstein's work can be found in the Walt Disney Studio corporate offices, Disneyland, Walt Disney World, The Library of Congress, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital; and in many galleries and private collections worldwide.