"Pun Intended”

                  – Charlotte Magazine

 
Don Stewart takes an intellectual, yet humorous approach to art. The artist’s preferred medium, a holdover from his academic roots, accounts for the crisp detail in his work. Ballpoint lines bring out tones and textures unattainable with conventional pen and ink; the black and white drawings come alive with hidden images and visual puns.

“This is still-life that just won’t stand still,” he says, and with good reason. Stewart’s exquisite bouquet of exotic flora, Hummingbird (above), hovers among a whole group of thematic drawings, which includes the Crab, Sunflowers, and Juke Box. Each is designed around a consistent theme that relates directly to the final image. Supposedly pun-free, even here the artist has difficulty keeping his pen in check. Look for the fly ball in Don’s Baseball Glove, and the troll hiding in Bass (it’s trolling).

Single Puns are among Stewart's favorite, and most popular pieces. Fast Food and Shoe Horns are perfect examples of this type - entire pictures illustrating a single common phrase or clever play on words. Don't miss the Dragonfly, Cat Fish, and Tool House (right), also in this category.

"A Forest of Images" - Mayovox

 

 

 

 

By far the most complex images to fall from Don Stewart's inquisitive mind involve his full-blown collections of visual puns, the Pundemonia. In his Golf Bag drawing, Don reaches beyond the usual gathering of links paraphernalia to include a set of playing cards (all clubs), a steam iron, mouse trap, and badminton birdie - all carried by a 1959 model Caddie. His Computer (right) contains a tiny bag of microchips, pie a la modem, and a real mouse. Ship Shape involves a see-worthy (sorry) compilation of nautical punnery, from aye charts to crew socks.

Drawings in this category come complete with a list of ingredients, to help you find your way.

Each of Don Stewart's composite drawings takes up to a month to complete. Reproductions in limited and open editions are printed on acid-free paper, for years of enjoyment.