"Bringing the Museum to You"

By permission of the artist, The Cyber Art Show is pleased to a 12-piece Exhibition of works by American contemporary Impressionist painter Dave A. Santillanes (born 1972 in Colorado).

A native of Colorado, Dave Santillanes received a BFA in Graphic Design at Colorado State University in 1995. It wasn’t until after graduating college that Dave began his first explorations into oil painting. These early studies quickly merged with his love of the outdoors and it wasn’t long before oil paint and an easel accompanied him on his wilderness treks.

Dave’s goal with each landscape painting is not a literal rendering of the scene but to capture and convey its essence. This involves simplifying his compositions for the sake of design, and eliminating superfluous details, but he’s careful not to eliminate the scene’s sense of ‘place’. Dave’s work is also characterized by a realistic rendering of color, light and atmosphere. To accomplish this, each of his studio paintings begin in the field with a plein air study. This direct approach to capturing color and light allows him to achieve a realism unattainable through photographic studies alone.

Dave’s passion for painting has led to a number of recent awards including the Bronze Medal at the 2010 Oil Painters of America National Show. He has also been named one of Southwest Art Magazine’s Artists to Watch.

                         ARTIST'S STATEMENT

"As my painting style continues to evolve my goal with each piece is not a literal rendering of the scene. Instead it is to capture and convey its essence.

In terms of composition, I look for simplicity. I’ve found that there are many opportunities to simplify a scene without compromising its sense of ‘place’. Therefore I’ll seek out the big abstract shapes in the landscape and  use them for the underlying design concept. And because I’ve departed from a literal interpretation, I’m free to rearrange elements to fit this concept. In this way I am able to describe the scene in my own “words.” 

Finally, capturing the essence of a landscape involves a realistic rendering of color, light and atmosphere. This requires direct observation and is why most of my paintings begin in the field with a plein air study. But studying the physical aspects of nature isn’t the only reason I paint outdoors; for me, the sensory experience of being there is equally important. There’s no better way to get to know a place on earth than to sit for a couple of hours and contemplate it while painting. This intense observation brings a spiritual intimacy with the scene that can’t be achieved in mere passing and allows me to “speak” with complete sincerity in each painting."