A new gallery exhibit has premiered in our gallery for the month of March! David Garrison is an internationally recognized pastelist with over 50 years of experience. He is a professional artist who has shown his work on three continents. His paintings appear in galleries and private collections throughout North America and Europe — and now in Kirksville! Keep reading below for more information on Garrison and his works.
David Garrison
Garrison has exhibited extensively in both North America and France. His work has been shown twice in China. It was featured as part of a traveling exhibit of oil landscapes. The show traversed Asia, ending in the Grand Museum of Art in St. Petersburg, Russia.
During these international shows, Garrison has earned several very prestigious awards. He won first place in the Hudson Valley Art Association’s annual exhibit in White Plains, New York. Garrison is the only American to ever be awarded the Lead Crystal award for “art excellence” in the exhibition of contemporary artists sponsored by the City of Bueil, France. He was awarded the “Master of Light” and “Master Pastelist” titles by the Societe Pastellistes de France (Pastel Society of France).
Garrison was elected to the American Artist Professional League. He has exhibited in the league’s headquarters at the Salmagundi Club in New York City. He has been asked to teach workshops by both the Societe Pastellistes de France (the oldest and most difficult to be elected to in all of Europe) and the Pastel Society of America (New York City).
His murals are currently displayed in some of the finest hotels along the eastern seaboard, as well as the midwest. These include Marriot Hotels, Hampton Inn and Suites, Hilton Gardens, and Holiday Inns. Some of Garrison’s murals adorn public welcome centers around Iowa. They can be seen in both Burlington and Fort Madison. Iowa’s Governor gave the address at the public unveiling of the Fort Madison mural.
His work can also be found in the private collections of some of the leading political figures in Iowa. They have been bought by classical entertainers and collectors of fine art on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.
artist statement
I believe that a painting is not just an illusion in two dimensions, but it is also a moment in life captured on canvas. Painting is a language varying in mood and atmosphere, which is one of the three things I teach in my workshops. The other two are quality and knowing when to bring the painting to an end to avoid overworking the art. If you keep adding to it you lose the beauty of what you originally intended it to be. My workshops concentrate on teaching the artist to tap into their skill, to focus their desire, and to add the techniques and products to their own art to reflect the diversities of life itself. There are two important distinctions to hold close: “Paint what you love and paint what you know”.
I enjoy the challenges of capturing various subjects; not only through the smaller choices but also through how I elect to portray those subjects. Allowing the viewer to interpret parts of the painting is more interesting than if the painting is spelled out for them. I want the viewer to see the use of the medium, the end of the brush stroke, the spontaneity, and the freshness of a new painting. If I can give the viewer an impression of the atmosphere, a sense of light and deep shadows, if I can open their eyes to the simple beauty around us, then I have accomplished a great deal.
awards
2014 “Master of Light”, Societé de Pastellistes de France
2010 “Master Pastelist”, Societé de Pastellistes de France
2008 Andrew Marlo Award, Pastel Society of the West Coast
2005 Lead Crystal Award, 19th Salon de Peinture, France
2003 Lead Crystal Award, Contemporary Artists Exhibition, Bueil, France
1998 Hudson Valley Art Association Annual Exhibit, White Plains, NY
bibliography
Stéphanie Portal, “Cécile Houel et David Garrison”, Pratique des Arts, September 2016. 76-80.
Alex M Jones, “Bringing a Mood Into Focus”, Southwest Art, July 1977. 70-75.
“The Agony and Ecstasy of a Living Artist”, Pastel Society of America, Pastelagram, 2002
publications
“Make Your Landscapes Glow”, The Artist’s Magazine, March 1998. 70-73.
special honors
2013 Elected to Covington International “Who’s Who” for “Master of Light”
1986 Listed in Who’s Who in American Art
Education
1987 BA, Iowa Wesleyan College, Mt. Pleasant, IA
1969 American Academy of Art, Chicago, IL
(Special Instruction with Bill Parks of the American Academy of Art)
