▷ David Shevlino | Buy Original Art Online

United States • 1962

Biography

The art of David Shevlino consists of pieces that come from life. Being inspired by noncomplex aspects such as swimming, children, sunny afternoons and suburbs, has provided David with enough room to become a brilliant artist he is today. His paintings are a wonderful visual experience to behold, which can be contributed to his masterfully developed method of painting with broad strokes and bright colors. This artist's long career has been filled with many separate stages all of which have had their own characteristics, but what has always stayed present in his Shevlino's artwork is that unique playful mood we've come to love.

Shevlino was born in Jersey City in 1962. Growing up in The Big Apple meant being surrounded by art constantly and it didn't take long for young David to fall in love with it. He began to take trips to local museums and galleries while still in his early teenage years. Shevlino's first visits to exhibitions helped him develop a great affinity for figurative painting. Naturally, the young man tested himself at painting, trying to perfect his technique to a level anywhere near the masters he was observing daily. By his own admission, even then he felt a strong pull towards the traditional art - David had no interest in the contemporary Pop Art that was booming in New York City during the 70s. However, as time went by, he started to explore some looser methods in which the line tried to find the balance between representational painting and abstraction. David realized he felt most comfortable on that middle ground and his paintings took a turn for that direction. At that time, the artist demonstrated a firm sense of control while tightening up the composition through skillful modeling of human form. In the meantime, David joined The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and The University of Pennsylvania with goals of pursuing his career as a painter. Shevlino received a bachelor of fine arts from in 1992. He also studied at The Art Students' League in New York.

After many trials and errors he endured during college days, Shevlino's art was shaped into what it is today. David's paintings are characterized by broad brushstrokes, a sensuous application of paint and a knack for tonal harmonies which help with setting the wanted mood. The artist explained it best himself: His style aside, Shevlino's work has quite a casual note throughout - he usually places his compositions near swimming pools and suburban backyards. David paints a wide range of subjects but always focuses primarily on the human figure and its shape. He makes a fine equilibrium between disturbing the lines and still keeping the overall form clear and intact as much as possible. The artist always tries to invent new ways of simplifying the complexities of certain elements his paintings require - this is at its most obvious in his urban landscapes when David figures out how to unburden his works from demands of depicted crowds, traffic and architecture. From time to time, David is prone to improvisation, but only when he tries to hurry himself up in an attempt to not lose the particular moment is he trying to capture on canvas.

David can be considered as an extremely active artist. He has exhibited his artwork in numerous shows in many cities - New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, California, Colorado, Florida, Washington D.C., Georgia, Maine, North Carolina. His pieces can be found in many private and public collections around the globe. It should also be noted that David is a member of the Philadelphia Sketch club and is very engaged in his community. When he is not painting in his Delaware studio, he is teaching workshops throughout the east coast. Interested viewers may even acquire video lessons from his official website if they are unable to join David's workshops in person. Such activity definitely helps when building the reputation of a trusted and reliable artist - the man even knows how to play drums and loves filming himself performing before posting such videos online! Shevlino was honored with awards on many occasions - most notably by the Delaware Division of the Arts, Fellowship of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts Fellowship.

What we love most about Shevlino's artwork is his unique, wonderful balance between slow, careful observation and the mad rush to capture fleeting light inside his paintings. His art can even be associated with David's other talent, his drumming skill - his canvases seem full of rhythm and playfulness characteristic when playing drums. And, as any good drummer will tell you, it is good to test yourself with new things. Same applies to David's paintings as he has been known to experiment with new styles and approaches even now, after many decades since he first started painting. Ultimately, David describes what he sees around himself in a uniquely personal style of painting. His method may be blurry and seemingly unstable, but it's also undeniably beautiful to view.

The artist is represented by Gallery 1261 in Denver, US.

Nationality

American artists