Don Clausen

American, 1930-2020

Don was a passionate artist all his life. He started out with his animal drawings for children while attending art school. He then went on to his more abstract “boat paintings” and finally settled on abstract expressionism. His idea of a vacation was carving wood sculptures. He showed his art for many years at the De Tours Gallery and Maiden Lane Gallery in San Francisco, Zantmans in Carmel, Alta Galleria in Berkeley and had art shows in Grand Rapids Michigan in 2016 and 2019, plus various other galleries and shows over the years. One of his paintings is on the label of the 1986 Kenwood “artist series” Cabernet Sauvignon. Born in 1930, Clausen is a graduate of the California College of Art in Oakland, California. “I always search for new ways of seeing things,” he says. “I’m an incurable experimenter. I live for art.” He uses a palette knife for his oil abstract paintings; in the 1960s and 1970s he also painted seascapes and did some sculpture in wood and metal. In his luminous abstractions, Clausen employs every color of the rainbow, the strong lines forming geometric shapes that appear to fly through space. Nothing is weighed down in his paintings; it’s as if images came to him from outer space or other realms. He turns the physical world into dabs and streaks of color that convey an engulfing sense of motion. Whether abstract or representational, his works convey enormous energy and vitality, like masterpieces by Jackson Pollack and Willem de Kooning. They also are distinctive for their sculptural quality, a result of his thickly layering the paint and then slicing down to the canvas with a palette knife or section of a venetian blind; his choice of tools is as eclectic as his subject matter. “I’ll paint with anything,” he says. “I like sticks because I can carve into the paint with them.” Few artists demonstrate Clausen’s versatility, proved by his genius for shifting from one artistic form to another. He shows outstanding talent for portraiture, conveying a profound sense of his subjects’ characters, through sensitive detail, such as the tilt of a head, expression of the mouth or smile lines. A great admirer of Rembrandt and Vermeer, Clausen has learned how to evoke a psychological state from studying those masters. He also paints landscapes and cityscapes, particularly splendid is a golden-brown San Francisco that he did of the city long ago. He has spent a lot of time studying the broad horizons of French painter Vlaminck. “Everything is abstract more or less,” he says, “as it’s fundamentally composed of shapes and lines.”

Creator: Don Clausen

Mixed-Media Painting by Don Clausen

$1,900

Mixed-Media Painting by Don Clausen

By Don Clausen

Located in Palm Springs, CA

Mixed-media painting by Don Clausen (1930 - ), dated 1971. Painting is on wood. Don Clausen is/was active in California and is known for abstract expression. He uses a palette knife ...

Category

1970s American Vintage Don Clausen

Materials

Wood

Francisco Franco Mixed-Media Painting

$4,700

H 39.5 in W 29 in D 1.5 in

Francisco Franco Mixed-Media Painting

By Francisco Franco

Located in North Miami, FL

An original vintage framed by artist, this mixed media oil, brass on canvas abstract painting is very powerful and highly decorative.

Category

2010s Spanish Don Clausen

Materials

Brass

3 Original Mixed Media Paintings on Panels by Jourcin

$1,800 / item

H 47.25 in W 23.5 in D 1.75 in

3 Original Mixed Media Paintings on Panels by Jourcin

Located in Long Island City, NY

Three original mixed media paintings on panels by Jourcin with gilded accents, circa 1962. Signed Price is per painting.

Category

1960s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Don Clausen

Materials

Lacquer, Paint

Charming Mixed Media Painting

$2,200

H 30 in W 30 in D 2 in

Charming Mixed Media Painting

Located in Houston, TX

Charming Mixed Media Painting Offered is a lovely mixed media botanic painting on canvas of potted plants and fllowers in beautiful tones of yellows, greens and gray blues. This vers...

Category

1980s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Don Clausen

Materials

Paint, Canvas

Emmanuel Romano Mid Century Mixed Media Painting

$2,850

H 29.5 in W 47.5 in D 2 in

Emmanuel Romano Mid Century Mixed Media Painting

Located in Tampa, FL

Born in Rome, Emmanuel Romano (1897–1984) was an internationally recognized artist whose works have been exhibited in leading institutions including the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; ...

Category

1950s Italian Vintage Don Clausen

Materials

Paint

1989 Postmodern Mixed-Media Painting

$680Sale Price|20% Off

H 37.5 in W 30.5 in D 1.5 in

1989 Postmodern Mixed-Media Painting

Located in Miami, FL

1989 Postmodern Mixed-Media Painting Offered for sale is a 1989 Postmodern mixed-media with great composition and saturated colors on paper. The acrylic and pastels mixed media is n...

Category

Late 20th Century American Post-Modern Don Clausen

Materials

Acrylic, Wood, Paper

Textured Mixed-Media Abstract Painting, 1990s

$3,500

H 48 in W 36 in D 2 in

Textured Mixed-Media Abstract Painting, 1990s

Located in Pasadena, CA

Modern and abstract are words that describe this stunning mixed media work from the 1990s. Done in a black and white palate the piece feels rather archaeo...

Category

1990s Don Clausen

Materials

Paint

Mixed-Media Painting by Purvis Young, Untitled, Circa 1990

$3,900

H 38 in W 24.5 in D 0.5 in

Mixed-Media Painting by Purvis Young, Untitled, Circa 1990

By Purvis Young

Located in Miami, FL

Mixed-media work by artist Purvis Young. Acrylic on paper, plastic and white metal sign insert cover. Folk Art painted in black, white, pink, yellow, red and green. Work on found obj...

Category

1990s American Folk Art Don Clausen

Materials

Metal

1970s Danish Mixed-Media Painting

$923

H 24.02 in W 35.83 in D 1.58 in

1970s Danish Mixed-Media Painting

Located in London, London

Mixed-media On paper Danish 1970s.

Category

Late 20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Don Clausen

Materials

Paint

Huge Painting by Don Robertson

$5,500

H 47.25 in W 55.12 in D 1.97 in

Huge Painting by Don Robertson

By Don Robertson

Located in Bois-Colombes, FR

Great abstract painting in the manner of Victor Vasarely, circa 1970s.

Category

1970s American Vintage Don Clausen

Materials

Canvas

Abstract Mixed-Media Painting, Signed E. Navarra, 1960s

$1,958

H 41.34 in W 31.89 in D 3.94 in

Abstract Mixed-Media Painting, Signed E. Navarra, 1960s

Located in PARIS, FR

Abstract Mixed-Media Painting, Signed E. Navarra, 1960s Striking abstract composition from the 1960s, executed in mixed media on canvas, featuring a textured surface with subtle rai...

Category

1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Don Clausen

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Mixed Media Painting on Board

$1,500

H 60.13 in W 48 in D 1 in

Mixed Media Painting on Board

Located in Denton, TX

Layers of paper and paint make this artwork stand out on it's own. Unsigned.

Category

20th Century Modern Don Clausen

Materials

Wood, Paint, Paper

"Elusion II" Abstract Mixed-Media Painting by Louis Shields

$3,800

H 30 in W 40 in D 1.75 in

"Elusion II" Abstract Mixed-Media Painting by Louis Shields

By Louis Shields

Located in Middleburg, VA

An eye-catching composition from Louis Shields' Reductive Series, Elusion II explores form, fragmentation, and the interplay of bold primary tones with subdued pastels. This abstract...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Don Clausen

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic, Paint, Fabric

Don Clausen furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

Don Clausen furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of wood and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Don Clausen furniture, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original furniture by Don Clausen were created in the mid-century modern style in united states during the 1970s. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Lee Reynolds, Curtis Jeré, and Leonard Baskin. Prices for Don Clausen furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $1,900 and can go as high as $2,550, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $2,225.