By Bonnie Gangelhoff
California-based painter David Molesky knows that many people his age are drawn to pop culture. But he is attracted to far older subjects, including mythology, ancient cultures, and natural wonders such as oceans and rocks. Molesky, 27, lives in Monterey, close to the scenic Pacific coastline he captures on canvas. “At this point in the history of art it seems futile to try to be even more new and original,” he says. “I would rather concentrate on the timelessness of the rocks and the sea.”
Although he was born in Washington, DC, and grew up on the East Coast, Molesky was drawn to the West as a teenager. In 1995, he moved to the Bay Area to attend the University of California at Berkeley, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in fine art.
These days he regularly heads out on his bicycle to discover intriguing ocean views to paint. To capture a scene, Molesky believes that he has to sense all the variables that surround the solid mounds of rock—the swirling sea, the wind, and the constant flow of birds along the shore. “Aside from the experience of being in nature, I would be happy if the viewer could gain a sense of the solidity of the rocks against all things transitory,” Molesky says. He is represented by Winfield Gallery, Carmel, CA, and Lisa Coscino Gallery, Pacific Grove, CA.
Featured in “Artists to Watch” September 2005