David Peterson

What drives David as an artist is the desire to connect emotionally with the viewer — to take some part of reality, filter it through his life experiences and artistic vision, yet leave enough unsaid so the viewer can feel and see something personal to them.

David, a self taught painter living on the Sunshine Coast, grew up in rural North Dakota. Being raised in an isolated yet beautiful country environment and now residing amongst the Australian coast gives David many influences to draw upon. David only started painting a little over a year and a half ago, but has had a lifetime of art in his blood. He grew up with a pencil in hand and drew comic book and cartoon characters on anything he could get his hands on. David’s love of comics came from his dad’s extensive collection of 50s and 60s comic books — from superheroes to Disney characters. The faded colours and classic dialogue all had a deep impact. His dream was to become an animator and story teller.

Although David comes to painting only more recently, he’s always been fascinated by storytelling, human emotion and what motivates us in our daily lives. All of his life experiences have led him to the single focus on stories that are so critical to create a shared understanding — ultimately bringing us closer together.

His work invites curiosity by beginning to tell partial stories ranging from fragments of his childhood, comic book and fantasy, contemplation, and our desire to be needed.