David is a strong believer in drawing inspiration from his local environment.
After relocating from the dusty outback of New South Wales to tropical Queensland, he quickly discovered that painting beach scenes and seascapes was among his most enjoyable and relaxing forms of expression. Living and working alongside some of Australia’s most famous beaches, has become a driving force behind his observations of Australian beach life and his passion to illustrate it.
David’s Black Dog series is perhaps the most iconic and highly collected of all of his series.
Although these works are highly sought after, they are few and far between, and it’s with good reason once you understand the process behind their creation. The iconic black dog that you will see in many of David’s outback works depicts Bogart, his childhood pet. Bogart was a true companion and close friend to David throughout his youth – smart, watchful, protective and ever present, he was never far from David’s side and would often travel across town in search of David if he was ever left behind at home.
The Dragonfly and Bull Ant series came about as the result of a promise that David made to his father, Pro Hart, to keep his secret techniques and styles alive after he passed away.
David’s father was also an artist who had a fascination with insects. Pro’s portrayal of insects, ants, and dragonflies in particular, extended from the joyous to the macabre both in paintings and sculpture.
Inspired by Australian wildflowers and waterholes on the family property, David’s Flower series is among his most highly collected works.
As he freely experiments with colour, and new methods of application, David’s flower images have taken on ever-evolving textures and energy over the years. Using a wide variety of mediums and painting implements, such as broad paint brushes and pallet knives, the flower series continues to mesmerize viewers with thick textures, movement, and colour.
David finds that the best way to express his love for storytelling, and his passion for Australian history, is with a paintbrush and canvas, and with the earthy tones of the outback.
This series is where it all began for David more than 35 years ago on his kitchen table in Broken Hill, NSW; with a few brushes, some paper, and some paints laid out on an old board, David began his first works depicting life in the outback.
The ‘Brushstrokes of History’ exhibit is the latest major body of work from David and is the result of more than eighteen years of research and painting.
Inspired by his own personal discovery of the many misconceptions and varied interpretations that surround early Australian history, the series has become a tribute to the voices of the past.
The water birds series draws from a similar heritage to David’s outback series.
The serene and tranquil water scenes within this style are almost a complete flipside to his dusty landscapes, However these two styles and subjects are very much connected to David’s heritage, and his life growing up in the outback.
