Statement
It has taken me 10 years of painting to discover why I do what I do, and why I am drawn so strongly to the imagery I represent.
I grew up in a small town outside of Atlanta, at a time when the suburbs of Atlanta were still “out in the country.” I was fortunate to spend many weekends with my grandparents in rural Georgia, where the woods and old rusty cars and tractors were my playground. Today, when I see the rusting memorabilia of the rural south, I feel a deep sense of nostalgia.
This imagery is inspiration for my creative expression, although it actually originates from a time in which I never actually lived: A time when working the land was part of our daily survival, and the automobile was both a new modern convenience and an exciting new art form. Remnants of this life are rapidly becoming extinct, as it is only a matter of time before those rusty cars are completely disintegrated back into the earth. As a nod to my childhood memories as well as the passing of time, I want to preserve Southern American life in its current state of decay... “landscapes of rust.”
I use my plein air work as a way to “capture a feeling.” I use my camera to record a moment. Back in my studio I like to combine these into large scale paintings of those things I wish I could keep forever... old signs, decaying building, old cars, trucks and tractors, and beautiful rural landscapes. My paintings are my memories, and accordingly, some of my painting take the angle of a child’s viewpoint; lower to the ground.
My wife, Julie, and I spend our vacations and summers traveling the United States in search of those places that still exist in my memory.
Biography
From an early age, Boyd was encouraged by his parents to create. There was never a shortage of art materials at the Boyd household. Even the walls of his childhood bedroom were left unfinished so that he could draw at will. He was influenced by his father; the elder David Boyd is a renowned illustrator and character who draws for Jeff Foxworthy and Mark Morgan, Inc. Luckily, young Boyd was also heavily influenced by his mother, Rosalyn Boyd, the "quintessential southern belle", beloved Heritage school teacher, and instructor to thousands with a penchant for dance and music. These facts coupled with early indication that the young Boyd had little, if any, math, or organizational skills pointed him towards a life of crime or a career in the visual arts. After early dreams of becoming a hired assassin or race car driver diminished, Boyd chose the latter of the two.
After moving to Savannah for college, Boyd began studying architecture, then graphic design and finally art history and illustration at Savannah college of Art and Design. He graduated with a BFA in Illustration in 1995. Boyd painted his first painting during this time, focusing on the moonlight through the live oaks of Savannah’s Washington Avenue.
Boyd considers himself an obsessed experimenter. Recently he has been focusing on studio and plein air oil paintings of the urban and rural landscape. Boyd has studied under Millie Gosch, Gene Costanza, Jill Steenhuis, Roger Dale Brown, Marc Chatov, Scott Christensen, Greg LaRock, Sherrie McGraw, Ken DeWaard, Marc Hanson, and James Richards.
Boyd is a member of OPA and AIS. He has been selected for regional OPA shows and AIS National where he was awarded an Honorable mention by the judge, Kevin McPherson. In addition, Boyd has participated in and won awards at plein air events around the southeast including the Plein Air Affair in St. Simon’s Island, Georgia, where he received the 3rd place award for his quick draw painting, the Callaway Gardens Plein Air Paint Out, the Paintin' The Town plein air event in historic College Park, Georgia, where he won second place, and most recently, Boyd received the Emerging Artist award at Florida's Forgotten Coast Paint Out Quick Draw event, earning him an invitation to the 2014 Forgotten Coast Paint Out.
Boyd’s work can be seen at Anne Irwin Fine Art in Atlanta, Georgia, Fine Lines Gallery in Newnan, Georgia, 12 Canoe Point in Cashiers, North Carolina, and Quincy Avenue Art and Things in Seaside, Florida. Boyd’s work can also be seen at his studio by appointment. View Boyd’s work at www.davidboydjr.com, www.compelledtopaint.blogspot.com. You can also find him on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pintrest.
