Born in Jacksonville, Illinois but has lived in many areas such as California, Colorado, the Southwest and Chicago, Illinois. He now resides in Burlington, Iowa and Normandie, France.

Artist Statement

“I believe that a painting is not just an illusion in two dimensions, but it is also a moment in life, captured on canvas. Painting is a language varying in mood and atmosphere that reflects the diversities of life itself. I enjoy the challenges of various subject matters, so my approach to the painting process is to involve the viewer with those subjects as much as possible; not only through those choices, but also through how I elect to portray those subjects. Allowing the viewer to interpret and finish parts of the painting is more interesting than if the painting is totally spelled out for them. I want the viewer to see the use of the medium, the end of the brush stroke, the spontaneity, the freshness of a new painting.

If I can give the viewer an impression of the atmosphere, a sense of light and deep shadows, if I can just open their eyes to the simple beauty around us, then I have accomplished a great deal!” – David Garrison

Professional Organizations and Activities

• Pastel Society of America, Signature member; PSA New York City, New York
• Member of National Society of Mural Painters, American Artist Prof. League, New York, NY
  and Hudson Valley Art Association, White Plains, New York
• Listed in Who’s Who in American Art since 1986
• Commissioned to paint one 3,5′ x 12′ mural for Holiday Inn and Suites, Beaver Falls, PA
• Commissioned to point one 12′x 18 ‘ mural for Marriott Hotel ai Middletown, NY 2003
• Commissioned to point one 6′x 20′ mural for Holiday Inn Holidome of Frederick, MD 1998
• Commissioned to paint two 6′x 20′ murals for the Marriott Hotel, West Des Moines, IA 1997
• Commissioned to paint one 3,5′ x 12′ mural.for Holiday Inn Suites, Charlotte, NC 1997
• Commissioned to paint an outdoor 40′x 70′ State of Iowa Sesquicentennial Mural in Ft.
  Madison, IA 1996. Governor Terry Branstad gave the keynote address for the mural’s unveiling.
• Commissioned to paint the Iowa Welcome Center Mural, at the Port of Burlington Welcome Center, in Burlington, Iowa 1988. (it’s durability confirmed when it withstood the flood of 1993 with no damage whatsoever.)
• Commissioned to paint one 7,5′ x 21 ‘ mural for Hampton Inn and Suites, Baltimore, MD ” French Style Hot Air Baloon in Flight”
• Commissioned to paint in 2007 Hampton Inn & Suites, Raleigh NC: “The Birth of Flight”

Education

• Bachelor of Arts Degree, Iowa Wesleyan College, Mt. Pleasant, Iowa
• Graduate of the American Academy of Art, Chicago, Illinois
• Additional study in Anatomy with Bill Parks of the American Academy of Art, Chicago, Illinois

Exhibitions

• 2009 American Artist Professional League’s 81st Grand National Exhibitition, Jack Richardson & Co. Award winner, New York, NY
• 2008 Pastel Society of West Coast, Sacramento, CA; Andrew Marlo Award 2008 Guest of Honor: Art du Pastel en France, Giverny, France 2007
• One person show: “Impressions de France” at the gallery Art et Industrie, Paris France 2006
• Society of Master Impressionists 2006, Sunset Art Gallery, Amarillo,Texas, Award: 1st Place
• American Artist Professional League Exhibit at the Salmagundi Club, NYC 2009 (accepted, upcoming November)
• Best of American Pastels, Vol. II (3 entries) October, 2009
• Kennedy Pub. Co.- Pastel Society of America Exhibits 2000 through 2009 each September
• Awarded fourth place at the 2005 Salon International du Pastel, Vernon, France
• 20eme Salon Artistique’ award in silver, Marcilly Sur Eure, 2004
• Exhibited with 19 ‘eme Salon De Peinture, Bueil, France; awarded Lead Crystal award
  for `Excellence in Art’- October, 2003
• Exhibited with Art du Pastel En France at Centre Phillippe, Vernon, France, August, 2003
• Exhibited at the Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, Ohio, 2003
• One of 15 pastel artists chosen from the United States to send pastels to tour Italy in fall of 2002
  with the tour, then going on to St. Petersburg, Russia, winter, 2003
• One of 15 pastel artists chosen from the United States for a traveling exhibit with the PastelSociety
  of America and Art du Pastel En Normandie in France at Yvetot and Vernon, 2002
• Received special award at the American Artist Professional League Exhibit, Salmagundi Club,
  Fifth Ave. New York City
• Exhibitions at the Hudson Valley Art Association, White Plains, New York
  Oil Painters of America exhibits in Chicago, Illinois and San Antonio, Texas.