Born and raised on Cape Breton Island, Doug Fraser grew up immersed in the arts through Celtic folklore, Gaelic song, and traditional Cape Breton step dancing. While creativity surrounded him, it was through sketching that his artistic talent first emerged. The seventh son in a family of nine boys and three girls, Doug was raised in a home where financial abundance was scarce, but family, laughter, and a deep appreciation for the arts were ever-present.

An older sibling’s gift of a simple paint set—without even a brush—sparked a lifelong passion. With canvas considered a luxury in such a large family, Doug painted wherever he could, often directly onto the walls of his childhood home. More than 35 years later, some of these early “fresco-style” works still remain. His mother, recognizing the importance of creativity, lovingly painted around his artwork whenever the rooms needed refreshing—a quiet but powerful testament to parents who placed great value on artistic expression, an idea Doug continues to champion today.

After many years of self-directed exploration, Doug began his career as a full-time professional artist working primarily in oil on canvas. Having exhibited and selling his work through galleries and art shows, he now welcomes visitors from around the world into his own working gallery, where he enjoys having a conversation thru art.

Doug’s work is a pursuit of light. His distinctive style and deep connection to the Cape Breton landscape and its rich cultural history allow him to create the ethereal perspective for which he is known. Through his masterful use of light, color, and subject matter, his landscapes and seascapes resonate deeply with viewers around the world.

" ....Fraser’s work elicits a sense of quiet reverence for the land. His tranquil and atmospheric paintings are nevertheless evocative. The transcendental quality in his paintings recalls landscape artists from a bygone era, when such dramatically rendered scenes gallantly proclaimed or fiercely rejected human conquest over nature. Like these artists, Fraser asks his audience to consider the relationship between society and the natural environment, imploring us to stop and take notice of the beauty of the world around us.... "
– Laura Schnieder, Curator CBU Art Gallery

Drawing from the rich settings in Nova Scotia Canada, his studio is located on the hills behind the Village of Inverness on the West Coast of Cape Breton Island.  

His work is found in both public and private collections all over the world.