David Hunter

Simplify nature’s complexity into precise and visually concise shapes. Develop a unique interpretation of landscapes emphasizing their visual language. Master the concepts of subject selection, limited values, movement, and color strategy. Prereq: PD120, PD157, or similar exp.

A native of Central Florida and faculty member of Crealdé Art School, David Hunter is a printmaker and acrylic painter. He is well known for his sense of humor and patience with teaching art to students, adult and children alike. David teaches acrylic painting classes weekly each session, coaching students individually as they paint subject matters and techniques of their own choices. He conducts weekend printmaking workshops throughout the Southeast, covering intaglio (etchings, drypoints, etc.), relief and monotype techniques. For his own work, David works on line etchings which, due to their tedious and time-consuming nature, are limited in size. To balance the tedium of the line etchings, David paints large acrylic paintings, many of which are based on wildlife, woods, and marsh scenes typically found in Florida. Despite inheriting his father’s talent for artwork at an early age, he earned a B.S. and M.S. in zoology at the University of South Florida in Tampa, using his artistic talent to illustrate his master’s thesis with pen-and-ink drawings. After working as a biology research associate at the University of Central Florida, he taught 7th-grade life science and 8th-grade physical science for 5 years, returning to art in his spare time. In 1977 he participated in his first art show, took a year’s leave of absence starting in the summer of 1978, and continued on to become a full-time artist. Hunter was instrumental in forming the Florida Printmakers Society in 1986 becoming its first president. He’s also a long-time member of the Miniature Art Society of Florida, the Miniature Painters, Sculptors and Gravers Society of Washington, D.C., a signature member of the Miniature Artists of America and, more recently, the Central Florida Printmakers. David has participated in and consistently draws top awards in art festivals in Florida and competitions throughout the U.S.

Growth as an artist is directly related to the acceptance of one’s self as an individual who dresses, talks, visualizes and creates differently from any other human. In fact, we are unique functioning designs. The more I embrace this the more freedom I exhibit as an artist. Understanding this, coupled with the history of art and a working knowledge of technical and visual language skills, enables me to create. These distinct aesthetic and sociological experiences create values and circumstances that shape my life and in turn impact my artwork. It is the pursuit of this individualism that is important to me. All artists are connected by history, visual elements, and principles of design. However, it is who we are and how we visually interpret the environment that creates our individual identities as artists. Growing up in rural Mississippi was challenging.  Traditions such as storytelling, family, and faith had a tremendous affect in shaping my work. These traditions and experiences shaped my values. I see it as a refreshing force in a world that can sometimes be cold, static and impersonal. My philosophy is a balance between intellect and superstition, science and magic, New York and Mississippi. Currently, I am involved with a more sculptural approach to the vessel and recently have returned to a mixed media form of painting and drawing.