The Story

Dan Donovan is an artist based in Ashfield, Nottingham, UK. 

Donovan's schooling was a challenge, being dyslexic in the 1960s and 70s was no easy task, but the ability to draw and express himself through art proved to be a saving grace. After completing an enlightening two-year Art Foundation course in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, he left formal education and worked in factories and the local stone quarries. 

By his mid-twenties, Donovan had built enough connections to begin a full-time career as a freelance creative. For nine years, he worked as a published cartoon illustrator before expanding into graphic design, photography, and filmmaking as his primary source of income. Throughout this time, he continued to draw and paint, and by the early 1990s, his style was evolving toward abstraction. This freer, more expressive approach gave his art new meaning, becoming both a vehicle for personal expression and a way to gain clarity of thought. 

This period marked the beginning of new chapters. Donovan began working with arts and community organisations, delivering workshops that promoted creativity and well-being through expressive painting. 

His own journey as an artist has been central to his work as a creative tutor. He understands the transformative power of art and has witnessed how participants find focus and liberation through painting. 

2026 marks a significant new chapter for Donovan. Fifty years after his early beginnings as a student at Chesterfield Art College, his paintings are being exhibited in galleries for the very first time. His focus on his own work has shifted from private pursuits to actively elevating his profile as an artist through exhibition opportunities.


Frontier Gallery, Sheffield UK
24 Feb - 12 March 2026
Group exhibition

The Drawing Room Gallery, Nottingham UK
11 April - 25 April 2026
Group exhibition

Tarpey Gallery, Castle Donington UK
27 June - 9 August 2026
Open Art exhibition

BARtje tVerzet, Kortrijk Belgium
24 to 26 July - 2026
Solo exhibition