American, b. 1947

Born in January of 1947, David Bareford began his study of art in high school in Warren, New Jersey under the instruction of Lawrence Von Beidel.  By graduation in his senior year, David had won two awards in a local art show.  He continued his education at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois where he studied for two years.

While at Wheaton he primarily studied metal sculpture with instructor Donald Seiden of the Chicago Art Institute. In 1970 Bareford graduated with a BA in Fine Art from the University of Montana in Missoula, Montana.  Upon graduating, David began his career as a watercolorist. He concentrated on painting outside, studying the ever changing effects of natural light on subjects.  He states,

“the rich transparent quality of watercolor lends itself well to his study of light and shadow. I enjoy the challenge of watercolors because of the changing relationships between the colors.  It’s a fluid medium, so the paint doesn’t dry exactly the same color or value, as when it is applied.”

David Bareford’s work was soon included in the American Watercolor Society’s Traveling Exhibition, where he quickly gained national recognition. He received numerous awards for his watercolor paintings as he continued to exhibit his work in such acclaimed juried shows as the American Watercolor Society and the National Academy of Design Annual Exhibition held in New York City.

After several years of successful study in the medium of watercolor, Bareford turned his attention to oil painting. He continued to work outside, capturing and conveying the movement of natural light. Bareford commented in an interview in 1972, “I paint paintings, not pictures. The primary concern of a picture is representation, to show just what something looked like - but the primary concern of a painting is expression, to show the action and vitality that is present in the atmosphere of the place. Even though the painting may not look exactly like the scene itself, it may convey better what it was really like. I want my paintings to be new every time someone looks at them, and to be interesting whether they are viewed near or at a distance.”

David Bareford’s distinctive style incorporates traditional themes with spontaneity. About his work he comments,

“The term inspiration is overworked and doesn’t apply to what I try to accomplish. I work at painting, I don’t wait for inspiration.” His answer for his success in painting: “long hours, a lot of second tries, and an unwavering commitment to excellence, meeting my own criterion.”

It is David Bareford’s profound ability to capture natural beauty in a work of art which has gained him overwhelming success as an artist and painter. The essence of his creative spirit remains in his thirst for the splendors of harmony in both form and color.

“I paint things I feel are beautiful. Sometimes I’ll watch the fishing boats coming in for the day in the afternoon sun. The sun will be gleaming on those old boats, making the green and reds and oranges of their hulls vibrant--simply beautiful in the light.  I know what kind of life these men live - how they struggle to make ends meet, how their boats are old and beat up. But at that moment those boats are beautiful, and I don’t believe that I have to talk about the unattractive parts of life in my paintings. I’ve chosen to look at the beautiful aspects.”

Certainly it is the vitality of his paintings which captivates and enriches his broad audience.

EDUCATION:
1970, BA in Fine Art from the University of Montana, Missoula, Montana

EXHIBITIONS:
2020, New York State of Mind, Online Exhibition, Cavalier Galleries
2019, Online Holiday Group Show, Cavalier Galleries
2017, Annual Small Works Online Exhibition, Cavalier Galleries
2016, New Arrivals - Summer 2016, Greenwich, CT, Cavalier Galleries
2016, Important Maritime Paintings, Nantucket, MA
1987, Missouri Historical Society Invitational Exhibit, Columbia, MO
1984, Grand Central Art Galleries, Inc.: Patrons Exhibit, New York, NY
1982, National Academy of Design: Oil, New York, NY
1975, National Academy of Design: Watercolor, New York, NY
New Jersey State Museum, Trenton,  NJ
Vero Beach Museum of Fine Arts, Vero Beach, FL
Cape Museum of Fine Arts, Dennis, MA
Mystic International, Mystic Seaport Museum, Mystic, CT
American Watercolor Society Traveling Exhibition, New York, NY
National Arts Club, New York, NY


COLLECTIONS:
Sears Collection, IL
Fleet Bank, Boston, MA and Hartford, CT
World Trade Corporation, DC
Otis Elevator Company, CT
First National Sank of Central Jersey, NJ
B. Meyer Plastics, NJ
American Telephone & Telegraph, NY
New Jersey Bell, NJ

MEMBERSHIPS:
American Watercolor Society
Allied Artists of America
Rockport Art Association
New Jersey Watercolor Society
American Society for Marine Artists
The Copley Society of Boston

AWARDS:
New Member Award, Rockport Art Association
John Chetcuri Award, Rockport Art Association
M. Grumbacher Award, New Jersey Watercolor Society
Warner Lambert Award, New Jersey Watercolor Society
Mary Lawrence Award, New Jersey Watercolor Society
Barbara Vassilieff Award, Allied Artists of America
Charles Romans Award, Allied Artists of America
Inveresk Award, Allied Artists of America