David Bareford

Member since 1975

From the start I had an affinity for watercolor. I knew I could master this medium and over time, with great effort, I did. However, the tactile quality of the oil medium and the paintings left by masters who came before , made me want to try my hand at oil painting . And once I did I was hooked!

Although I started out painting landscapes and street scenes, my love of the water and boats soon had me painting marine subjects: sailing, yachting and eventually “crew” which is the collegiate sport of rowing.

Living in Stonington Connecticut for the last 32 years gave me access to a great deal of excellent subjects. The fascinating New England coastline with it’s many harbors and coastal towns including Newport , Rhode Island, Greenwich, Connecticut and Gloucester, Massachusetts. Maine, Cape Cod and the islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket are all great subjects for the painter and are all places in which I have painted.

I have been inspired by so many great painters: N.C. Wyeth and Dean Cornwell. Sir William Russell Flint, Frank Tenney Johnson, Edward Seago and John Singer Sargent. And closer to home, Aldro Hibbard and Frederic Mulhaupt. I remember an exhibit of Joaquin Sorolla in New York City that overwhelmed me with the size and brilliance of the paintings. More recently a show at the Museum of Fine Art in Boston featured the work of William Merritt Chase. I was stunned by the magnificent full length figures and his beautiful brush work.

When I’m creating a painting my goal is to capture whatever it was that captured me. I‘m showing the viewer the beauty I see and at the same time creating something beautiful in its own rite.

I began my study of art at the University of Montana in Missoula Montana. I have benefited from my association with other artists, via workshops and exhibits. I believe an artist learns to paint by painting. Other people help you along the way, but you learn best by doing.

My work has been shown in numerous exhibits and is featured in major collections both at home and abroad. I’ve received many awards such as the Yachting Award at the 34th annual Marine Art Exhibit at Mystic Seaport in Mystic Connecticut. I am a member of the Rockport Art Association, the Copley Society of Art in Boston, the American Watercolor Society and Allied Artists of America. Also, I am a Fellow of the Ameican Society of Marine artists where I have served as Managing Fellow. My work is available at the Christina Gallery on Martha’s Vineyard and in New York City, Greenwich Connecticut, and Nantucket at Cavalier-Ebanks galleries.

All images ©David Bareford