Department of Art
I love the world of splendor and wonder, where dreams are vast and possibilities are endless! That’s the world I want to live in and that’s why I create. To bring to life luminous landscapes, carefree characters, and worlds that radiate joy and beauty.
From an early age stories and art were a big part of my life, from the Berenstain Bears to the Hardy Boys and Disney animation and beyond. It was Bill Watterson’s Calvin and Hobbes that provided the first poetry I enjoyed, kickstarted a love of watercolor, and spawned a desire to draw and illustrate.
Growing up in Alaska I spent many childhood days camping, wandering the woods, and enjoying life at remote cabins. It was during such trips that I would stay up late into the night listening to stories of cryptids, UFO’s, and all things bizarre and unexplainable on the radio. These experiences and influences have all intermingled in my mind are expressed in my work.
I see art as a way to process life, like a visual journal. Thoughts, feelings, and ideas get doodled and drawn and painted. It is a way of reliving and reshaping past experiences as well as diving into worlds of my own making. As a result, my creations are often an amalgamation of nostalgia and fantasy. Whether I’m illustrating figures, landscapes, or an ongoing narrative these ingredients are visible.
I enjoy the vividness of bright colors, the movement of messy sketches and the playfulness of exaggeration. These elements are easily seen in my digital work, but also expressed in energetic watercolor paintings, charcoal illustrations and ink doodles. Regardless of the medium, each piece expresses the wonder and whimsy of life and shares a bit of that world with the viewer!
David is the author and illustrator of multiple books that take a look at the lighter side of Alaskan life. He works in various media, including charcoal, watercolor, and digital, to express the delight and whimsy with which he sees the world. His work has been exhibited prolifically throughout his home, has appeared in local gallery shows, and exists in private collections.
Born and raised in Alaska he discovered early in life the joys of exploring the outdoors under the Northern Lights and the Midnight Sun. He also discovered mosquitoes, bears, sunburn, and Bigfoot!…Okay, so Bigfoot’s debatable. It was while recovering from these experiences that he discovered his favorite pastimes, daydreaming and doodling.
David is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, a closet musician, and a big fan of smoothies!
