In 1946 he attended the California School of Fine Arts (now the San Francisco Art Institute). His teachers includedClyfford Still and William Gaw who both praised his paintings for their dimension and bold colors.McDonald took first place in oil painting at the school’s first Student Body Art Exhibit in 1949, which included the paintings of Frank Lobdell, David Park and John Hultberg. These explorations differ from his later more developed style.
Young Richard J. McDonald with his early work