December Cod Fishing is autobiographical description of Don's time in Gloucester, MA, 1970's to the early 1990's. In the early 1970's the young artist moved to Gloucester with Museum school friends. Don was invited to live and pursue his calling at Stillington Hall, a Jacobean style estate owned by Mary Buswell, the widow of english actor and inventor Leslie Buswell. soon to pass on to their only son, Peter Buswell. Don pursued developing his technique for the large reduction woodcut while helping run the estate. During the summer months Don would still return to Ogunquit to paint.

Don often fish for Cod with Mrs. Buswell's two Spaniels, rowing out from below the estate into Gloucester harbor. As this scene suggests, at the end of a winters day home bound and visiting trade ships are heading into port. Don and the two Spaniels are surrounded by animated sea creatures, and setting sun, and the John Hayes Hammond Castle in the distance.

The original drawing for this dewoodcut design was executed directly on the woodblock. The woodblock went missing several years ago, and we would love to locate it.