David Swanagin
Burnettown, South Carolina
David Swanagin is an American oil painter specializing in mood evoking landscapes. He draws inspiration from the tonalism movement of artists focusing on the effects of light and shadow throughout the day; primarily at dawn or dusk.
Born in the beautiful low country of Beaufort, South Carolina, Swanagin has always been drawn to expressing himself artistically. After moving to California at a young age after his father, a marine, was transferred to a base there, Swanagin’s family eventually moved back South, settling in Augusta, Georgia. It was there that he spent most of his youth; learning to play the drums and creating his first detailed sketches and drawings. Later, his first visit to Claude Monet’s estate in Giverny, France sparked his interest in impressionism; which eventually evolved into tonalism. Already an established artist in Georgia and South Carolina, Swanagin relocated to Nashville, Tennessee in 2002 to further his career as a professional drummer and broaden his representation in galleries. Though he has since relocated back to South Carolina, we hare privileged to have a close relationship with him and to continue to represent him as one of our artists.
Swanagin travels frequently through both of his creative careers and finds inspiration for paintings along the way. Whether he’s working on a commissioned piece, a new collection for his next show, or works to fill the many galleries who represent his work, Swanagin strives to capture the essence of his subject by perfectly rendering the feel of the moment with the expert stroke of his brush. He says of his art: “My goal as an artist is to create mood evoking paintings; focusing on a strong sense of light and shadow…”
Want to hear more about David? Check out the video interview from when he was our Artist of the Month!
