David Sandquist - Visual Artist

I’ve been an artist for as long as I can remember. As a child, I spent hours drawing highly detailed pictures of the stuffed birds in my grandma’s apartment. She lived with us after my grandpa — an avid bird hunter — passed away, and those birds became my earliest subjects. Even then, I was drawn to texture, form, and the quiet stories objects could tell. 

 

In my early teens, I started painting with acrylics. I was captivated by the album covers of Iron Maiden, especially the work of Derek Riggs — his bold, surreal imagery lit a fire in me. But I quickly grew disillusioned with the dull look of watered-down acrylics and began experimenting with oils. I loved the richness and depth they offered, but the odour was overwhelming in my small apartment, so I made the switch to watercolours. 

 

Watercolour was a challenge at first — its unpredictability and delicacy demanded patience and practice. But over time, it became my medium of choice. I found freedom in its fluidity and learned to embrace its subtlety. More recently, I’ve returned to acrylics, thanks to modern mediums that allow for vibrant colour and that still-wet look of oils, without the odour and with the ease of water-based cleanup. 

 

Art has always been my way of seeing the world — not just capturing it, but interpreting it. My journey has been one of constant evolution, and I continue to explore, experiment, and express through every brushstroke.