At 7 Douglas was first exposed to art by a young lady in his 1st grade class who taught him the idea of “seeing” instead of “perceiving” the world around him. At 14 he got an oil painting set for his birthday and taught himself how to paint.
 

In the1980’s Douglas opened “Orr Gallery” in Aberdeen and began teaching basic drawing and painting.  At Grays Harbor College he earned an Associate of Arts Degree before moving to Long Beach CA in 1986 to work on a Bachelor’s of Graphic Arts degree at California State University.
 

As Vice President of the Long Beach Shakespeare Company, he designed and built the lobby and theater space of the Richard Goad Theater, and designed and constructed many of their stage sets.
 

In 2008 he turned a vacant 25,000 square foot furniture store in Long Beach CA into the “EXPO Arts Center” which now plays host to guests monthly as the center piece for the First Friday Long Beach Art Walk which attracts over 40,000 visitors monthly.
 

At the EXPO Arts Center, Douglas also owned and curated monthly exhibits at his own Gallery Expo, where he showcased local emerging artists from across the country.
 

As a muralist Douglas has painted ‘The Hands & History” mural, the “Bubbles” mural, the Morck Hotel “Possibilities” mural, the “Walk In The Park” mural all in Aberdeen as well as the “Hometown Feed” mural in Montesano and the “Beach” mural on the Ocean Shores Convention Center.
 

Douglas now lives a 16,500 sq. ft. old Eagles building where he created the Aberdeen Art Center. The Aberdeen Art Center features a class room, three art galleries, a Meeting Room, and much more.
 

In 2020 Douglas received the Governor’s Art and Illuminary Award his work on community art projects during the covid lockdown.