Growing up, a lot of kids are fascinated with trains and boats. For painter David Knowlton, that love has never really stopped. In fact, it’s grown to near epic proportions. Originally from Wisconsin and now living in the art hub of Santa Fe, New Mexico, Knowlton paints ocean liners, passenger trains, steam locomotives and more, executed in a manner that makes them look gargantuan. For something that’s already massive, like an ocean liner, take a moment to ponder that.
Night Crossing, oil, 41 x 48”
“When I was a kid I always loved ocean liners and trains, and when I grew up, I never lost that feeling about them,” says Knowlton. “In most of my paintings, the subject matter is really prominent—a monumental view of something. I’ve always been interested in low horizon lines and long horizons. This perspective from a low vantage point that makes things look larger than they are…For a while I was just enamored with perspective. It’s so interesting to work with and fool around with perspective.”
Influenced by the allure of Santa Fe, the artist also paints Southwestern landscapes, as well as architectural scenes featuring various buildings like feed mills and big red barns (although he says the barn scenes are less frequent since moving out of Wisconsin). He also focuses heavily on the edges of objects and making them “pop out.” He adds, “You’ll notice on some paintings there is a sort of halo around them.”
Daylight, oil, 48 x 55”
An upcoming solo show at Sorrel Sky Gallery in Santa Fe titled The Real and the Ideal features new works by Knowlton, completed in the last year or so. “The focus of David’s work is very much about color, shapes, patterns and textures. And while his subject matter is instantly recognizable, he holds our attention with a distinctly stylized perspective,” says Shanan Campbell, owner of Sorrel Sky Gallery. The exhibition opens April 7 with an artist reception from 5 to 7 p.m., and remains on view through April 30.
Ghost, oil, 42 x 48”
In paintings like Ghost, the ship feels almost like a giant, spectral figure floating in the dark ocean. Also in the show is another nocturne depicting an ocean liner, titled Night Crossing. “It’s an image that I’ve had in my head since I was a little kid,” says Knowlton. “I was staying at my grandparents house when I was probably 8 or 9, and they were watching a movie on TV where there was this big night scene with a big looming ship…It scared me so much I had nightmares about it for years. I never forgot about it…So I got the idea to paint it during Covid…It was always there with me. Most of my paintings have been positive images…and this one, I was just feeling different at the time. [I wanted to] paint how I felt.”
Night Train, oil, 24 x 35”
Other paintings in the exhibition, like Night Train, feature a speeding Santa Fe train painted from Knowlton’s signature low vantage point, with rocky formations and a starry sky in the backdrop. That slight halo Knowlton mentions can be seen in this piece.
“I’ve always depicted things in an ideal way,” he says, “and I’ve always had this desire to create things.” —
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