Artist's Statement
I developed a love for drawing and painting early on growing up in Detroit through the public school system which was quite good at that time. Working with young teachers who were able to communicate their passions for art and literature left a lasting mark on me. I attended Wayne State University and received a traditional training in drawing and color use.
Upon graduation I relocated to San Francisco and became involved with the Bay Area Figurative School. I was involved early on with Fort Mason, studying and showing my work there as well as the Marin Civic Center.
My work is based on visual images, either something I see or something I remember seeing. When I first started painting I worked exclusively from life, what was in front of me. As I developed I started working from sketches and photos. They start a conversation with the painting and some inner vision evolving in my mind. Much like the conversation of jazz musicians performing together. While my art has always connected to the visual world I subconsciously recreate the image. The final work is conceptualized through the communication between the original image, the painting in progress, and my internal vision.
Education
Wayne State University, 1973
Bachelor of Fine Arts
Shows
- Fort Mason Center for the Arts
- Santa Rosa Veterans Building
- Marin Civic Center
- Palo Alto Center for the Arts
Showings were all juried.
Instagram@davesusickart
