Don Schaffer enjoyed a diversified career in the field of art. He was born in Hico, Texas in 1904. His extensive studies include the Taxco Art School, Otis Art Institute, College of Mexico City, University of California, Chouinard Art Institute, and California State College at Long Beach. After more study at the University of Southern California in architecture, he decided to pursue a career in that field.

The Depression altered his plans and he found himself working for Warner Brothers Studios as a designer and layout artist for the cartoon department. Later he would be employed in similar work at Meto-Goldwyn-Mayer and Disney Studios. At Disney, Schaffer worked as an animation artist for such film classics as "Fantasia" and "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs".

While Schaffer's commercial art career occupied much of his early years, his later years were marked by the production of plein-air landscapes, including desert scenes of the Southwest. He painted in Taxco for a while and finally moved to Oregon. Here he painted numerous seascapes and landscapes in the plein air Impressionist style. These included oils and watercolors. Schaffer also created genre work, portraits and still life.

Schaffer would often sign with a different spelling of his last name "Don Shaffer" or simply "Shaffer". He died in Oregon in 1986.

Source:
Matthew's Galleries

Born on a farm near Hico, TX on July 10, 1904. Schaffer moved to Los Angeles in the 1920s to study at USC. After his education, he remained there and became active in the local art scene. During the Depression he began a 17-year stint as a film animator at Warner Bros and MGM. After studying psychology at California State, he was a marriage counselor in Long Beach during 1967-75. He then moved to Beaverton, OR where he painted and operated a gallery until his demise in November 1986. Exh: Painters & Sculptors of LA; Long Beach AA, 1970; Buena Park (CA) Festival of Arts, 1971; Los Altos Public Library, c.1972 (solo); Spectrum Club, 1973 (award).