About David
Sometimes it takes a while to figure out what you really want to do in life. Having that “eureka” moment when you realise you can combine the things you love to do the most and make a career out of it. In my case it was painting, teaching, and hiking. Funny how the answer can be right in front of your nose all along!
I’ll be your artistic guide on our hikes helping you not only discover the technical side of painting but inspiring you to find your creative voice. It’s our hope that your time with us will be more than just a fun thing to do. Come and join us and immerse yourself in amazing natural beauty and uncover a side of yourself you always knew was there!
I’m excited for many reasons. I’d say the first one is that I am able to share my passion with you for getting out into nature and painting. I’ve been a teacher for many years now and realised that I needed to exchange my indoor classroom for an outdoor one. There’s nothing quite like that feeling of getting your equipment ready and heading out to an amazing spot to paint. Sometimes just standing there and absorbing those colours, listening to the subtle sounds of nature, and taking in a deep breath of the smell of the woods, waterways or mountain trails…there’s nothing quite like it. This is where I love to be and I’d love to share this with you.
A little bit about me, I’m half Swiss, half Kiwi, and was raised in Hawai’i. I developed a deep love and respect for nature in all its forms and expressions. Growing up on the Big Island of Hawai’i, I was able to experience the myriad of world’s climates, 8 of the 13 to be exact. Whether it was the tropical, arid, semi-arid, temperate, or polar climates, I was lucky enough to explore them all. Needless to say spending so much time in these environments was crucial in my character development. I loved hiking in the valleys of Waipio, Waimanu, and Pololu, standing atop the mountain peaks of Mauna Kea or Hualalai or exploring the live volcanoes, rainforest and lava-scapes of Kilauea.
My love for spending time in nature was paralleled to that of making art. Ever since I can remember I was always drawing, painting, or sculpting something. I developed a deep love for natural forms whether they were the human body, portraits, or any natural environment. I would sometimes sit for hours watching the shapes, colour and movement of things and get lost in those perfect moments. That feeling of peace, awe, and centredness has always been my guiding principle. Anytime I needed to realign myself it was either locking myself in my studio and making something or going out and losing myself in nature to find myself again.
Here’s some of my work to give you an idea: