My Sister’s Gallery Presents: “Stories of Color” by Dave Gardner

“The act of creating art has been the theme of my life.” Dave has been drawing, painting, designing, and making art for more than 50 years. He was trained as an architect in Minnesota taking art classes along the way at the University of Minnesota. “Architectural education focuses on design and to communicate a design idea for a building you need to master perspective drawing, composition, form, lighting, texture and color. These skills are common to the artist as well as the architect.” After graduation he continued his art training at the Minneapolis College of Art & Design. He worked as both an architect and commercial illustrator for several years in Minneapolis and before moving back to hometown Rochester, NY. He designed many buildings around New York while operating his architectural firm in Rochester for 26 years before merging with a large national firm in 2017. Dave retired from architecture in 2020.

Dave continued to study art taking numerous classes and workshops from notable instructors. He has taken classes over many years at the MAG and other local venues studying with Dick Kane, Jeanne Lindsay, g.a. Sheller and Fred Lipp. Nationally he has taken workshops around the country with David Taylor, Steve Rogers, Skip Lawrence, Ted Nuttall, and Mary Whyte to name a few. He has been teaching drawing and watercolor painting at the Memorial Art Gallery’s Creative Workshop for several years. “If you want to learn more about something – try teaching it!”

Dave’s primary medium is watercolor which he loves for its spontaneity. His artistic voice is impressionistic owing to his fresh, alla-prima approach. Dave’s subject matter is often “Place” – a building or streetscape or landscape. He’s frequently drawn to water and the play of light. For this show Dave has focused on colorful topics such as florals and organic still lives.  He belongs to many local and national watercolor associations. His work has received both numerous local and national awards.

To make a purchase from My Sister’s Gallery at the Episcopal Church Home, please contact Diane Cotton, Gallery Coordinator at 585.546.8439 x3102 or cotton@EpiscopalSeniorLife.org.