David G. Hyatt

Drawing on both my agrarian upbringing and professional experience as a craftsman builder, I am curious about imagery reflecting our collective search for, and creation of, place in the world. A solitary mapmaker surveying the wilderness speaks to our natural instinct to expand as well as our boundless optimism and appetite for it. An abandoned bulldozer, modified for the specific purpose of tree pushing, speaks to our nature to build and to improve the human condition. An old, neglected farm building, persisting only until weather and gravity have done their work, reflects the impermanence of our efforts. Together, this cycle of place-making and deterioration capture our quest for a better life while acknowledging its limitations. For me, painting place is a process of self-discovery as I interpret imagery that attracts me, using tools of water, paper, color, and brush to tell a story. This might take the form of an impressionistic work or even abstract expressionism. My impressionistic approach is earnest yet intuitive, flexible, and full of surprises, using the interaction of light, shadow, and reflection to explore place and the artifacts of human endeavor. My abstract work is more light-hearted, and I use additional mediums and tools to balance elements of depth, shape, color, and movement. Inspiration for my abstract work could come from just anywhere: a visual cue or even an idea.