BIOGRAPHY

Don Brestler was a self-taught painter whose passion for North American wildlife and the adventure of the Old West is captured in canvases painted over the span of 70 years.  He diligently strove for originality, refusing to copy from photographs or other works of art.

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His commercial artworks graced four magazines, 10 books, numerous newsletters and logos, and over 130 Christmas cards.  Don's oil paintings have been displayed at the Calgary Stampede, the Remington Carriage Museum in Cardston, and both the Library and the Lebel mansion in Pincher Creek, among numerous other locations in Southern Alberta. He also participated in the American/Canadian Classic Art Show & Auction in Billings, Montana, in addition to winning the Purchase Award from the Stockmen's Memorial Foundation for his painting "North The Longhorns" that hangs in their permanent collection.

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Don was born in the Dirty Thirties in Calgary, Alberta. As a young man, he lived the cowboy life as much as possible.  He worked on the Knight Ranch and the McIntyre Ranch, packed and wrangled horses for Andy Russell, broke horses at the Ya Ha Tinda Ranch, and occasionally he rode bronc at local rodeos.

Don showed artistic talent in his early years but he did not take formal art classes.  Don's interest in wildlife and the history of the Old West became the focus of his self-styled art, expressed through oil paintings and pen and ink sketches.

Most of his life was spent in Twin Butte, Alberta where he painted, sketched,  wrote his own songs, played guitar, and viewed the Canadian Rockies from the living room of the house that he finished building in 1979.  He was married to Ingrid and had two daughters, Joni and Cory.

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Born

Donald Charles Brestler
27 May 1934
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
 

Died

25 September 2019  (aged 86)
Pincher Creek, Alberta, Canada
 

Occupation

Wrangler, Ranch Hand, Police Officer, Truck Driver

Spouse

Ingrid (Schupp)  ​​m. Nov 22, 1961
 

Children

Joni Brestler

Cory Brestler