Artist Statement
Most of my work is focused on landscape painting, either depictions of the natural world or scenes from around the town near where I live in Northern Wisconsin. When people ask how I chose what to paint I usually say it is just whatever I find that seems interesting. That often means a scene from the natural world. Images of water, rock formations, growth and decay, and of course the light that unifies everything we see all tend to keep showing up in my work. The other theme I keep coming back to is the urban scenes from around town. In these paintings, I am looking at what are interesting arrangements of buildings, vegetation, and light. They tend to be well lived in places where over time the shapes and forms have taken on what feels like a natural relationship to one another.
My paintings always begin with a place I know and have had some time to observe and get a feel for. I record an initial impression in my sketchbook and often then complete a small plein air study on location. I am a great believer in the value of painting directly from life and think this has done more than any other single thing to help me develop as an artist. For larger works done in the studio, I also usually take some photographs for reference as well. Ultimately, a larger painting becomes a combination of observation, memory and my imagination.
Biography
David Peacock lives on a lake in Northern Wisconsin with his wife, dog and several cats. He received an MFA in Painting from The University of Texas at Austin and has a BFA in Painting and BS in Geology – both from Florida State University in Tallahassee. His work has been exhibited nationally and won numerous awards, and is represented in many private and corporate collections across the country. He is currently a member of the American Impressionist Society, Outdoor Painters of Minnesota, and Wisconsin Visual Artists.
