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Artist Profile

David Santillanes 		The Light
The Light
Oil Painting
Originals
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A native of Colorado, Dave Santillanes grew up at the base of the Rocky Mountains. Early family trips into the mountains fostered a deep love and appreciation for the wilderness and probably influenced his later preference for outdoor work, such as wildland firefighting, trail building and working on a ski mountain.

After graduating from Colorado State University with a BFA in graphic design, Dave found work as a Digital Imaging Technician and also began to focus his artistic energy on oil painting. These early explorations into oil painting quickly merged with his love of the outdoors and, naturally, oil paint and a field easel became part of his outdoor gear. His explorations into oil painting and the wilderness continue.

A self-taught artist, Dave's work is characterized by a realistic rendering of color, light, and atmosphere. To capture these elusive elements, each studio painting begins in the field with a plein air study. This direct approach allows Dave to achieve a realism unattainable through photographic studies alone. And while direct observation is important to study the physical aspects of color and light, Dave also believes that "painting outdoors brings a spiritual intimacy with the scene" allowing him to "speak" with complete sincerity in the final painting.

Dave's passion for painting has led to a number of awards including the Bronze Medal and Award of Excellence at consecutive Oil Painters of America National Shows and the People's Choice Award at the 2014 Maui Plein Air Invitational. His work has also been featured in Plein Air Magazine and Southwest Art Magazine.


Located Downtown at 802 Lincoln Avenue
PO Box 770879, Steamboat Springs, CO 80477
970-879-5515   or   970-819-2850
www.wildhorsegallery.com
wildhorsegallery@wildhorsegallery.com