In the late Nineties, Donal O'Toole's interest in the landscapes of Arizona, northern New Mexico, and southern Colorado was sparked when he began collecting emerging Native American artists. A serendipitous visit to La Posada, an old Harvey House in Winslow, Arizona, opened his eyes to the rich history and intermingling of Anglo, Spanish, and Native cultures in the Southwest during the Twenties and Thirties.

Inspired by the paintings of Los Cinco Pintores, Maynard Dixon, and the Santa Fe and Taos Schools, he rekindled his passion for landscape painting, which had begun with the discovery of Cezanne as a young person. His artistic challenge became painting landscapes in abstract planes of color that viewers' eyes could resolve into familiar shapes of blue mountains, chaparral, pinyon, and chamisa.

Today, O'Toole calls an old cattle ranch south of Santa Fe, New Mexico, home, where he can fully pursue his passion for painting landscapes that capture the romance and majesty of the still unspoiled Southwest. Surrounded by the unblemished beauty of the region, he has found solace and inspiration to translate his deep connection to the land into vibrant and evocative artworks.