Meet David Foster of DFosterArt in Bishop Arts District

Today we’d like to introduce you to David Foster.

David, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I am originally from The Gem City, the birthplace of aviation Dayton Ohio. Art for me began as a kid. Living in Dayton, I remember riding through downtown with my father and asking him about different sculptures and paintings that represented the aviation and history of Dayton. I have always taken a liking to art. Like most kids, I used to draw and create things from my imagination. I remember drawing pastel-colored aliens and monsters. As well as different characters from my favorite cartoons like DBZ and Invader Zim. My mother was also an artist so I received much of my ongoing interest in art from her. I remember walking around the house as a child and seeing different paintings she had created for the family. Paintings of beautiful bluebirds on velvet canvas, drawings of the Pink Panther, Susie Q. with exquisite detail. All I could think about was how I wanted to be able to do that same thing!

As I continued to grow and mature, so did my artistic abilities. Around the age of 11, my parents also began to take serious notice of my drawing capabilities and gave me a variety of drawing projects. I would have to draw for at least two to four hours every Saturday. Eventually, this leads me to try out for Stivers School for the Arts. I was accepted and went to school there in 7th-12th grade.

I was pretty bad in comparison to my peers right up until my Junior year. I had six teachers who truly pushed my artistic ability during those years. Ms. Kurma (7th-8th), Ms. Tyner(10th-11th), Justin Teilhet(10th-12th), Ry McCullough(10th-12th), Jason (10th-12th) and Ms. Whips(12th). These teachers truly put an emphasis on skill and helped develop my artistic mindset. As well as my overall creative nature. Of these teachers Ry, Justin and Jason were the three who truly connected with students pushing us all to reach our greatest potential. This artist helped develop my skill to the point in which I was a lucky participant in Young Arts. A competition in which over 5000 students of all artistic disciplines apply, but only 26 are accepted in each category. I was one of the few selected. I was flown out to Miami FL for an entire week all expenses paid. I was able to make connections with some of the best artists across the country, showing my work at the Margulies art collection. putting on one of the best high school art shows in the country.

Upon high school graduation, I continued to study art at Ohio University! We are the BOBCATS NOT THE BUCKEYES! But, it’s still a BUCKEYE nation when it comes to football! OHIO AGAINST THE WORLD BABY!!! As my studies continued I had the honor of working with professors John Sabraw, and Duane Mcdiarmid. Sabraw was my drawing and painting instructor. Sabraw is one of the most down to Earth assholes that you will ever meet. He wasn’t afraid to call you on your bullshit but was very helpful and humble in the way he matured your artistic abilities. Mcdiarmid is one of the most quirky people I have ever met. He is a sculptor who introduced me to performance art. I was able to create some of my most powerful pieces under his direction. Pieces that spoke directly to race and power struggles through interpretative performance art, voice, and visual expression.

During my years at Ohio University, I was accepted into a range of Undergraduate Juried shows every year and won the official presidents award my sophomore year. I expanded my reach by joining organizations such as the Black Student Cultural Programming Board, Art club, Black Student Union, and became a made man of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity incorporated, the greatest frat in the world!

By joining these programs I made connections with all different walks of life. Soon enough I was creating events to celebrate all different forms of art; poetry, dancing, visual etc, in order to bring people together and spread awareness of the injustices that occur around us on a day to day basis. One in which we were recognized for was shedding light on those whose lives were taken to early by crooked law enforcement. Each member of my fraternity took on the role of a black person who was wrongfully gunned down. I created a sculpture of a man in black face hanging from a rope. The idea was to show how police and racists see our community, in comparison to who we actually are as people. I wanted the community to have a sense of shock and disgust while my brothers told the stories of people like Trayvon Matin, and Mike Brown. Drawing attention to injustices, and pushing for change is still one of the main focuses in my current artwork today.

Currently, I am a full time 5th-grade science teacher in the Deseto area, and I also instruct art classes at One River School of Art and Design in Frisco Texas. I teach teenage art classes on Saturdays, and full workshop art camps during the summer of all different age groups. I moved to the DFW area in 2016 and obtained my masters of education from Johns Hopkins in 2018. Since my journey in Texas has begun, I have done a range of art shows. I want to give a huge shout out to Symone Hines who put me back on the ball in terms of getting my art out into the world. Thanks to her I have worked with organizations such as Ladies N’ Art Show, and Video Games N Art to name a couple. I have also done group shows such as Pancakes and Booze, and Arts Goggle. And yes! I will be participating in both of these again this year so please come out and support. You can follow me on all social platforms @DFosterArt. (Shameless plug)

As I continue to learn and grow on my artistic journey, I am working to become an artist that has a range of pieces in different collections and galleries such as the Margulies Collection, The MOMA, and The Guggenhiem to name a few. Whether I reach these goals or not, I will always, always, always create art. Art is not just a means of expression, but its a means of communication, creating awareness, a way to bring cultures of various traditions together. Art bigger is than one’s self and I use my work to reflect the environment around me. Art is love and pain. Art is passion and purity. Art is hate, jealousy, and envy. Art is peace, emotion, guidance and everything in between. ART. IS. LIFE.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Just like everything else in life, art definitely has its challenges. Figuring out how to fund a $500 project, to doing the research and putting the work ethic forward to make sure the messages within my pieces ring true to who I am and what I want the viewer to grasp. I’ve always been taught that nothing worth having comes easy. Art was not a natural talent that I picked up. I am still currently honing my craft. My skills are always growing as I take on new projects and tasks.

Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I am a freelance artist and I can do all forms of art. Sculpture, drawing, and painting, are my main forms of working. Portraiture drawing and plaster sculptures are my specialties in art. One of the things I am known for are the ways in which I take cartoon characters from my favorite shows and draw them as black characters. My favorite characters were almost never black characters, so I feel as an artist I have creative control to change and alter them to look like me. Some of the things I am most proud of within my work is my versatility of creation and attention to detail. My attention to detail and the messages within my pieces are what separate me from the average artist.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
My plans are to become an art professor and begin to become recognized in a range of galleries. I’m looking forward to the direction that my art career is headed in. At the moment, I have begun to transition back into the functional realm of design, creating pieces such as decorative flower walls, and elegant hanging shelves, while staying true to my specialties.

Pricing:

• Custom paintings, and drawings start at $40.00 and adjust based on size and requests.
• Prints: 4″x6″ or smaller $5. 8″x10″ $15. 12″x18″ and bigger are $20.
• Paintings and drawings: 8″x10″ $40. 18″x24″ and larger start at $150.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://dfosterart.wixsite.com/dfosterart
• Phone: 937.559.7836
• Email: dfosterart@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dfosterart/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DFosterArt
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/dfosterart
• Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/dfosterart

Image Credit:
Personal photos shot by Symone Hines

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