Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Donovan Gay comes from an artistic family of painters, sculptures and designers and was exposed to a creative environment from an early age. His Great, Great Grand-Uncle is the famous English poet and playwright John Gay (The Beggar’s Opera (1728)).
Donovan has spent a large part of his adult life as a Waldorf teacher, showing pupils how to draw and paint and appreciate the diverse possibilities of art in every academic subject and in every walk of life.
Now based in the U.K. his style is strongly influenced by his childhood in South Africa, where the quality of light is intense and almost constant in the summer months. Additionally he incorporates his experiences of living in the Highlands of Scotland and the mountains of North Wales into his work.
He is currently based in Cardiff.