artist statement / bio

As a child, I loved creating art with any means available. I still become totally absorbed and ultimately transformed when bringing life to a blank slate through color, line and form. What I hope most to impart with my works is an awareness of the beauty and fragility of our natural environment – and JOY.

Nature and environment inspire my work. Color for me is a voice that helps me express emotions. Recognizable elements that tend to emerge are eyes, hearts, birds, fauna and flora. I’m also fascinated by the microscopic and macro aspects of nature and our universe. As technology advances, we get to witness incredible imagery of detailed shapes and colors that were impossible to see before.

In my latest exploration of life hidden in our oceans, I hope to elevate awareness of its importance and fragility. Considering we obtain about 70% of our oxygen from ocean plants — yes, oceans provide us with more oxygen than rain forests do — it would behoove us all to be caretakers. Their survival will provide ours.

Marine creatures’ transformations are exquisite to watch. The chameleon-like ability of some of them to change color to match the environment they swim through is their attempt to remain alive. Others retract in an instant when they sense danger, or hide in sand or coral. Survival — it’s an intrinsic instinct of all lifeforms.

Only humans are depleting nature’s resources at an alarming rate. The most important thing humanity’s selfishness has forgotten is that without biodiversity, we as humans will eventually cease to exist as well. I strive to remind people to take care of each other and the world — and to experience joy while doing so.

 

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Born and raised in Durban, South Africa, David Milton was strongly influenced by the colors and rhythm of life around him. He gives expression to his emotions by transferring his feelings to painting and sculpture.

After moving to the U.S., he continued studying at the Design Center in Pasadena, California, the Otis Art Institute and at UCLA. David's home base is in Bellingham, Washington. Currently, he and his wife Lori Gudmundson cruise, live, work and play aboard the sailing vessel Ubuntu in the Caribbean, the Bahamas and along the East Coast of the U.S.