A sense of place, the mystery of nature's beauty, the serenity of natural rhythms... "My paintings are about light and the colors revealed by various kinds of light -- morning, evening, and high noon, the twilights, and the four seasons. They are also about the rhythms of darks as found in nature in the form of shadows and planes turned away from the light. These ideas of light & color, and natural rhythms, as well as the literal subject of my paintings become a metaphor of the spirit and allow me to ponder the mystery of life."

"I always paint when I travel, even if it's only in my head. Perhaps my paintings are simply records of my movements around the small part of this planet I've been fortunate enough to visit. But also, they are records of my movements through ideas. Most of the paintings you get to see are pretty consistent as records of a particular landscape with a sense of place."

"My paintings evoke special memories for me. I could only be lucky if they evoked special memories for you. Perhaps you have traveled to the same place or a similar place. The images in my paintings are taken from trips into Colorado, Utah and Arizona, and New Mexico primarily, but painting as I travel is my way of getting to know a place. For reference I use sketches that help fix the moment in my mind and linger on to be resolved as I continue to develop as an artist and human being. Since so many of us are on the move in these harried times, I hope I might be able to stop you for a moment to linger over the light and colors from places I've visited. Maybe you've been there. If you haven't, maybe you'll want to go."

David Schwindt paints primarily the landscape of the Southwest because it is most familiar to him and he knows it intimately having moved to western Colorado when he was four years old. Memories of the big skies and open spaces on the plains of eastern Colorado and Kansas during his early childhood influenced his desire to paint the dramatic skies of the West as well as its mountains and canyons. He studied color theory and basic design at two western universities before completing a degree in art in 1971 with minors in music and humanities at Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO.

While working as a guidance counselor at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, NM, David was inspired by his students and the Santa Fe arts scene to make art his full time career. Inclusion in the prestigious "Introductions '74" show at the Albuquerque Museum marked his transition as a professional. For several years he focused on watercolor painting and served as president of the New Mexico Watercolor Society. Winning awards at watercolor shows encouraged him to seek venues for his oils, and he found encouragement there also, including three first place awards in oil painting at the New Mexico State Fair. He has been invited to jury and judge local and national shows and enjoys teaching workshops to pass on the education so generously given him by other artists including Milford Zornes, Millard Sheets, George Post, Al Brouillette, and Wilson Hurley.

In 2000, after more than 25 years in New Mexico, David and his family moved to Tucson, AZ where he has added the Sonoran desert to his repertoire. He continues to travel the West and explore new subject matter wherever he finds it.

Here's what others have to say about David...

"Wow! How you inspire me!! I learn somethin' every time - when is your next workshop?"
Georgia Doubler
Retired Art Education Professor
Green Valley, AZ
October, 2008

"David captures the color and light in such a marvelous way that once you've seen his paintings, you're hooked for life!"
Deb Matthew
Artist, collector, workshop director - Starlight Ranch
Edgewood, New Mexico

"Rather than being a copyist, Schwindt has carved a quiet niche as an understated but firmly rooted member of the American landscape tradition."
Wesley Pulkka
Albuquerque Journal Art Review
1997

"David, your paintings were clearly my favorite of all the ones they had on exhibit - I'm inspired."
Gay Marks
Artist
Silver City, New Mexico
October 2007

"Your painting, "Cloud Mesa," arrived on Tuesday morning. We opened it in the office; all of us were stunned when the wrappers came off. The moment was very special and very quiet. Gary Tussey, who paints and Jeff Prine, who draws and takes photographs were the first to speak. "Dude - this is awesome!" was Gary's silence breaker. Jeff said, "That's art." Gary lightly touched the rim of a mesa - "I love this light." Veronica Sword, the art director said she saw the clouds move. "Really! Don't look too long - you'll see them move! The light is so real!"

"I think that was the perfect reception for what is already (and has been for five years) a personal treasure. The scene is one that's familiar and much loved by me. The mesas are ancient and steadfast; the clouds are their complement - always new and transient. I become mesmerized by the light, the perfect color and density of the desert and of the clouds you've captured. I used to lie on our lawn in Cortez and watch the big cumulus build in the afternoon. I can go back to those afternoons in an instant gazing at Cloud Mesa."
Janis D. Fairchild
President and CEO, Diversified Animated Technologies Associates, Inc.
Denver, Colorado
February 2007