David Pavlak’s oil paintings are inspired
by his love of the natural world as he
integrates rural themes with unique
vision. Inspired by the beauty around
him. A gifted artist since childhood,
David finds expression in the unusual
textures and subtle blending of colors
that set the stage for the ethereal quality
inherent in his paintings. While his art
(especially his agricultural and equine art)
is where his heart lies, his path to becoming
an established artist has been anything
but linear.
Looking back, David recounts his journey. “I never planned a career that would have anything remotely to do with animals,” he recalls. “Though I was always an artist, I was never interested in trying to make a living at it; that aspiration came years later.” It took being laid off from his job at the US Steel Mill in his Ohio hometown to become the catalyst for what he describes as, “a strange series of events and coincidences that led me to an art gallery in Lexington, Kentucky.” From there his growing interest in horses developed into a passion that has endured for more than 25 years. David’s imagery reflects his devotion to those remarkable animals and the surroundings that have so influenced his life.
David subscribes to an old world style, dubbed “Neo-Renaissance.” He begins by taking a series of photographs for reference then “composites” his original concept into the scene. “The landscapes, however, come from my imagination,” David notes, “as do their colors, tones, shades, and hues.” The essence of much of his work was derived from the time he spent as managing partner of a notable Standardbred breeding farm.“The nature of an artist is to be a visionary, and I had a very specific vision. I wanted an artist’s studio with a home and a farm. It helped that I was a fairly good carpenter, and not afraid of heights.” He goes on to say, “Living and painting on a horse farm . . . the dream was pursuing me.” A testimony to his enduring talent, David’s works have resided for over two decades at Chuck Starr’s Collector’s Gallery in Lexington, Kentucky.
