David Sommers

David Sommers

Medium: Oil on canvas

Artist Statement:
My work is grounded in a disciplined investigation of how we see—and how painting can transform perception into structured, meaningful experience.

I operate at the intersection of observation and design. Working both en plein air and in the studio, I translate direct visual experience into constructed compositions governed by geometric armatures, proportional systems, and the Golden Section. This dual approach allows me to reconcile immediacy with order—capturing the vitality of a moment while imposing a clear and intentional structure.

My paintings draw from the legacies of Impressionism and Cubism, uniting atmospheric color with underlying geometry. I reduce visual complexity into essential forms—planes, arcs, cylinders—not to simplify reality, but to reveal its underlying logic. Through this process, I seek a clarity that heightens perception rather than diminishes it. Paradoxically, I find great joy in fusing the rational design process with a love for the a beautifully lit scene or object.

The Lehigh Valley provides an ideal context for this kind of work. Bethlehem, in particular, embodies a dynamic convergence of industrial history, architectural structure, and natural landscape. The visual rhythm of the steel stacks, the geometry of bridges and riverbanks, and the shifting light across layered urban and natural forms align directly with my interest in structure, transformation, and time. This is not simply a subject for me—it is an active dialogue between place and perception.

In addition to my studio practice, I maintain an extensive record of public engagement through teaching and lectures. As a National Board Certified educator with over three decades of experience, I have developed and delivered presentations on art history, aesthetics, and the spiritual dimension of visual art. My work in this area focuses on making visible what is often overlooked: how artists use color relationships, compositional design, and symbolic structures to create meaning. A notable example includes a major public lecture and workshop at Muhlenberg College’s First Friday series, attended by over 100 participants, where I explored the intersection of design, color, philosophy, and mythology in artistic practice.

I am also bilingual in English and Spanish and see this as an essential extension of my role as an artist. I am prepared to contribute to meaningful outreach within the Lehigh Valley’s Spanish-speaking communities, particularly through partnerships with churches and community organizations. My experience of teaching and preaching in Latin America allows me to engage theological themes through visual art, creating spaces where cultural identity, faith, and artistic inquiry intersect in a way that is both intellectually rigorous and accessible.
This commitment to teaching is not separate from my painting—it is an extension of it. Both are rooted in the same pursuit: cultivating deeper attention and more intentional seeing.
As a resident artist at the ArtsQuest Creative Factory powered by PPL, I would contribute a highly disciplined studio practice alongside meaningful, inclusive public programming. I would actively engage the Creative Factory community through lectures, workshops, bilingual outreach, and open studio sessions designed to demystify the artistic process and invite participation at a high level.

My work ultimately asks a direct question: how can painting move beyond depiction to become a structured, perceptual experience that changes how we see? My goal as a resident artist is to pursue that question rigorously—while bringing others into the process.