The Art of David Arsenault

About Us

I resist labels for myself and others, yet we tend to feel we understand things better if we can name them. My style has been called many things: Hyper-realism, American Realism, even Photorealism. As best I understand and experience it, photorealism typically tries to dispassionately capture in paint what's seen through a camera lens. And while I admit to using a camera as a tool to help me capture things I connect to and want to remember, that's my point of departure. The goal is to present something that looks and feels as real to me as the world we live in BUT is filtered through my feelings, imagination, and memories. If it's done well, it serves as an opening with the same purpose: a very personal connection for you, the viewer. The painting surfaces are very ''flat,'' with unremarkable brush strokes barely visible. Why? Because I don't want it to necessarily feel like a painting either, at least not texturally. With the exception of commission pieces, I'm usually very picky about what I paint. If I don't have a strong response, I typically won't make a painting. And if you haven't recognized it, I'm exclusively a studio painter. Physiologically, emotionally, and spiritually, I don't enjoy the rush to completion of plein air painting. Perhaps it's because, like my mother before me, I perform every task in ''first gear.'' But I really do enjoy the process of painting slowly--almost contemplatively. It's not still life, but rather ''life, still.'' Quiet moments of solitude, presented for your consideration.