A CPA by day and painter by night, David Cressman says his dive into painting began with a lot of “midnight oil.” An Impressionist at heart, his European cityscapes are an ode to Claude Monet and capturing ever-changing light.
Though David has painted most of his life, it wasn’t until a trip in 2005 to The New York Metropolitan Museum of Art that launched his artistic career. “I remember getting fixated on a Monet painting for 45 minutes – it was kind of a revelation. I knew I wanted to paint at that level of sophistication.”
You may notice a common theme with David’s artworks – atmospheric scenes of Venice, London, and Morocco often take the forefront. This is quite intentional as David believes, “the more you know a subject, the more you can get loose with your painting style and focus on the changing light.” While David frequently paints using a photograph or live feed of a city, he has also traveled throughout Europe for artist workshops with masters like Ken Howard.
“Venice is my favorite place to paint, there’s something particularly dreamy about the city. You can see the same views that Monet saw and draw upon references from how he interpreted the city.” You can see David’s inspiration in the city in his piece Venetian Sunrise, just one of many studies, which focuses particularly on reflected light, water, and architecture. "For me, the real subject of my paintings is always about the light and atmosphere. In particular, the dramatic contrast of light and shadow at the golden hours of sunrise and sunset provide a constant source of inspiration and challenge." His favored compositional elements are buildings in conjunction with the reflection of light on water and the fine balance between the vertical and horizontal lines brings a sense of equilibrium and elegance to each work.
For David, it is all about trusting your instincts and following your path as an artist. “I have no preconceived ideas when I start a painting, I just follow a feeling.” A feeling that almost transports us back in time to Monet’s view of Europe.