My journey as a creative has been a wildly rewarding sprint.  With a BFA concentrating in Graphic Design in my back pocket - I dove into that proverbial first job…which is always a dud.  About the best thing I can say about it, is that I survived. It did however, segued into bigger and better things — and in time, I became lead-designer (Creative Director) for our city’s most prominent and respected ad-agency. 

Life was exhilarating/stressful/challenging/rewarding…for decades.

Then, the world changed.  Literally the entire industry underwent some fairly radical changes — and the sands shifted. The obvious question for me at this third-quarter juncture in my career was “what’s next?!”

One thing I knew: decades of digging deep into my soul to find creative solutions for our client's challenges (utilizing the principles of design and the elements of art) was now entirely instinctive and flowed effortlessly through my veins.  It became apparent pretty quickly that both my formal training and the bulk of my career had created a solid foundation for a slightly different creative venture — and that was to create original fine art.

My art, much like my career as a creative, is quite diverse. It ranges from small, intricate jewel-like miniatures to large-scale compositions of textures reminiscent of weathered grunges, radiant patinas and surprisingly-colorful rusts.  Most of the art I create is inspired by what I observe around me – naturally occurring textures, shapes and color nuances.  Sometimes it’s in nature itself.  Other times it’s the impact that nature’s had on what man created. The degradation caused by time and the elements, often reveals new, interesting combinations. The thread of continuity in my art is the fact that most of it is non-representational (or abstract).

So…we’re off and running — again!  

And guess what?!  Life is still exhilarating/stressful/challenging and extremely rewarding. 

~  David A. Crain (DAC Design and Art)