When he was 18 years old, David Ligare was confident enough to knock on the door of Salvador Dali in Cadaques, Spain when he wanted see a professional artist’s studio and get advice from a master. Two years later, he hitch hiked his way to New Mexico to learn about egg tempera painting from Peter Hurd, Andrew Wyeth’s brother-in-law. And at age 21, he began exhibiting his watercolors at Wickersham Gallery in New York, the first of several important venues where he would exhibit and sell his paintings. All of those early experiences are remarkable given that most 20-something artists lack the skills and focus needed to boldly launch a career in any field, but especially in art. But Ligarre was certain enough about his decision to be a successful full-time artist, clear enough about the kinds of paintings he wanted to make, and skilled enough to accomplish his objectives. With those talents, he dropped out of art school, travelled through the US and Europe, won an award from the American Watercolor Society, and secured representation by a top New York gallery.
I mention all this as an introduction to a man I have admired since we first met 30 years ago. I’ve always been inspired by … and a bit envious of … Ligare’s extraordinary skill, intelligence, and individuality. For all those three decades, I have been impressed with his ability to understand and apply complicated ideas to the content of his paintings and execute them with singular clarity and originality. As I spent decades cramming painting into a busy work and home routine, Ligare was on a steady course towards creating an amazing body of work. Now as he reaches his 70th birthday, that body of work is being celebrated in an exhibition at the Crocker Museum of Art in Sacramento, CA from June 7, 2015 through September 20, 2015. From there, the paintings will travel to the Laguna Art Museum, Laguna Beach, CA (October 18,2015 – January 17, 2016), the Georgia Museum of Art, University of Georgia, Athens, GA (February 13 – May 8, 2016), and the Triton Museum of Art, Santa Clara, CA (June 11 – August 14, 2016). It will accompanies by a catalog with a forward by Donald Kuspit and essays by Scott A. Shields, David Rodes, and Patricia Junker. Ligare will be featured in the digital edition of the March, 2015 issue of PleinAir magazine. For more information, visit http://www.davidligare.com.
Outdoor Painting Adventures 