Don Black comes to art from a long career in music that includes performing and teaching as well as conducting symphony orchestras and opera. He is now a tenured Professor Emeritus of music at Shenandoah University. Until recently he was also an active jazz clarinetist.

In 1984 he began painting with oils. Soon he turned to traditional watercolor, studied with several prominent artists, and In 1995 gained signature membership in the prestigious Baltimore Watercolor Society (BWS).

He later turned to acrylics and a more abstract style. In 2008 the George Washington Hotel in Winchester purchased 3 of his abstract paintings as a part of its major renovation. In 2009 the Shenandoah Arts Council (SAC) honored him with a Retrospective of 75 paintings from a quarter-century of his work.

Currently much of Don's creative time is devoted to the use of layering techniques, painting with acrylics on paper, panels and canvas, and experimenting with collage materials. Inspiration comes from the paint itself, from the activity of painting, from a love of nature and being outdoors, and from regular contact with talented artist-colleagues.