ARTIST STATEMENT
EXHIBITION HISTORY
GALLERIES
MY FAVORITES


Artist Statement -



Dave Martsolf

Dave Martsolf was born in 1949 in Kansas, moved to Western Pennsylvania in early childhood and at age 12 moved to New Hampshire where he resides today. Martsolf’s father and grandfather were architects and his mother a professional photographer. Martsolf attended MIT and later UNH where he earned a degree in Fine Arts. His early work was influenced by the great masters and others such as the post-impressionists Miro, Matisse, Kandinsky, Klee, Picasso, and the surrealist Salvador Dali. Architectural instincts developed due to his close association with architecture in his youth.

Dave’s focus has been in visual arts his entire life. His style extends from realism to surrealistic to fantasy and abstraction. His work uses the mediums of oils, watercolors, inks and pencils, to the more technically-oriented media of computer-based art. Beginning in the late 80’s Martsolf spent productive time with the tools of Bryce, Poser, Kai’s Power Tools, and similar photo editing and photo manipulation products. He was creator, owner and artistic director of Damsel Software Group in the 1990′s as a producer and manufacturer of original content screen savers.

Today, Dave has returned to handmade art. He continues to believe that art can be a vehicle to communicate visceral yet at the same time cerebral thoughts and feelings in a single still image. Envisioned and fashioned correctly in the surreal genre, these images can transport the observer to a dream reality totally absorbing and alive with all manner of doorways to emotions and experiences never before realized. His more recent abstracts present a more direct communication with the energy of the here and now, leaving the more philosophical constructs behind.

Dave is now adding to his watercolor collection, exploring in parallel his love of realism, abstraction, and surrealism. Grander conceptual surreal oils and large energetic abstracts are also underway again for the first time since the 1970’s and 80’s when all of his earlier surrealist pieces were created. Martsolf notes, “The computer has great power and abilities, but in the end what you get to hold in your hand is a print. There is something lost in that. I love to look at a piece that is a real one-off original. There is a unique one-on-one experience that happens when the piece is hand-made. As a painter I know how many hours are involved in making unique pieces. Computer art can also take many hours, but the result, a print, simply does not have the same life as a unique piece. Call it old fashioned if you will, but the skill to build a unique piece where infinite “Undo” commands are not available, now that is the stuff of legends.

Artist Exhibitions



Born 1949 in Manhattan, Kansas, lived his early life in western Pennsylvania, and moved to New Hampshire at the age of 12, where he currently resides.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology 1967 - 1970 Architecture
University of New Hampshire 1970 - 1973 Fine Arts, Art History
University of New Hampshire 1983 - 1985 Bachelor of Arts in the Arts

Gallery Representation

Arts League of Lowell, Lowell, MA, 2018-
The Brush Art Gallery Studios, Lowell, MA, 2018-
Gallery Z, Lowell, MA 2018-
Arts Worcester, Worcester, MA 2018-
Galatea Fine Art, Boston, MA, 2012-2013
Vertex Art Gallery online httpswww.vertexartgallery.comartistsgallery.html

Solo Shows

“David Martsolf – The Rational Surrealist”, Gallery Z, Lowell, MA, 2018
“Unbridled Imagination”, Galatea Fine Art, Boston, MA, 2012
New Hampshire College, Manchester, NH, 1981, 1984
Ainsworth Gallery, Boston, MA, 1979
First and Second Unitarian Universalist Church, Boston, MA, 1979
Gallery 33, Concord, NH, 1977

National Juried Group Shows

Electron Salon, Los Angeles Center for Digital Art, Los Angeles, CA, Jan 2018
3rd Annual Colorful Abstractions On-line Juried Art Exhibition, Fusion Art, Nov 2017
3rd Annual Figures Faces On-line Juried Art Exhibition, Fusion Art, Oct 2017
Gallery 25N.com Art-Competition.net “Dreams 3” on-line Art Exhibition, Aug 2017
Caladan Gallery “Reality” on-line show, Dec-Jan 2011- 2012
Water A National Juried Photography Exhibition - Photoplace Gallery, Middlebury, VT July-August 2009
Springfield Art League, Springfield, MA, 1983, 1984
Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, OH, 1982
North Platte Valley Artists Guild, Scottsbluff, NE, 1979
Washington Jefferson College, Washington, PA, 1978, 1980
Greater Fall River Art Association, Fall River, MA, 1978
Ellsworth Gallery, Simsbury, CT, 1977, 1978

Regional Group Shows

“Artist Co-op Exhibition”, Gallery Z, Lowell, MA, July 2018
“New England Group Show”, Arts League of Lowell, MA, July 2018
“From All Sides”, Arts League of Lowell, MA, May-June 2018
“Take Back the Night”, Arts League of Lowell, Lowell, MA, April 2018
“Looking for America”, Gallery Z, Lowell, MA, March 2018
“Four for Education”, The Brush Gallery, Lowell, MA, March 2018
“Honoring Gaia”, Arts League of Lowell, Lowell, MA, March 2018
“NE Collective III”, Galatea Fine Art, Boston, MA, August 2012
The LAP Gallery “Zines Show”, Waltham, MA, May 2012
Artmarket Gallery Exhibitions – Juried Show – Boston, MA, June 2009
Experimental Art Gallery – Juried Show – Salem, MA, June 2009
Trees Atlanta - Trees in Art Exhibit - Atlanta, GA, May 2009
Group Show - Gale Library Annual Art Exhibition - Newton, NH, April 2009

Awards

1st Prize, “From All Sides”, Arts League of Lowell, MA, May-June, 2018
Certificate of Excellence, Artavita.com’s 26th On-line Art Contest, April 2018
People’s Choice Award, “Honoring Gaia”, Arts League of Lowell, Lowell, MA, March 2018
Grand Prize, The Art List’s on-line Artist of the Month Contest, Feb 2018
Certificate of Excellence, Artavita.com’s 24th On-line Art Contest, Sept 2017
Sawyer Memorial Award for Painting, 38th Annual New Hampshire Art Association Exhibition, Currier Gallery of Art, Manchester, NH, 1985
Best of Show, New Hampshire Arthritis Foundation Annual Art Exhibit, Concord, NH, 1981, 1982
Jurors Prize, UNH Revisited Alumni Show, Durham, NH, 1981
Honorable Mention, Washington Jefferson College, Washington, PA, 1978

...

Artist Publications



Awards

Grand Prize Winner, The Art List theartlist.com , Artist of the Month, February, 2018
Certificate of Excellence, Artavita's 24th Online Art Contest, 2017
Honorable Mention, Washington Jefferson College, Washington, PA, 1978
Jurors Prize, UNH Revisited Alumni Show, Durham, NH, 1981
Best of Show, New Hampshire Arthritis Foundation Annual Art Exhibit, Concord, NH, 1981, 1982
Sawyer Memorial Award for Painting, 38th Annual New Hampshire Art Association Exhibition, Currier Gallery of Art, Manchester, NH, 1985
...

Artist Collections



University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH
Tenants of the Trees, Silver Lake, Los Angeles, CA
Many private collections



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Artist Favorites



Valerie Leri, , , Original Painting Acrylic, size_width{sailboats_in_harbor-1511281261.jpg} X
Original Acrylic Painting, 2017
12 x 10 x 1 inches (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Ronnie Greenspan, , , Original Mixed Media, size_width{fantasy_creatures-1511215237.jpg} X
Original Mixed Media, 2017
22 x 28 x 1 inches (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Vadim Amelichev, , , Original Painting Oil, size_width{new_harvest-1539267767.jpg} X
Original Oil Painting, 2017
40 x 70 x 2 cm (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Tea Pokrajcic, , , Original Painting Oil, size_width{zenee-1511217607.jpg} X
Original Oil Painting, 2017
64 x 96 x 2 cm (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Victoria Velozo, , , Original Painting Oil, size_width{all_for_one-1511487866.jpg} X
Original Oil Painting, 2017
110 x 110 x 2 cm (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Laraib Yousaf, , , Original Painting Acrylic, size_width{all_down-1511505017.jpg} X
Original Acrylic Painting, 2017
14 x 15 x 4 inches (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Daniel Clarke, , , Original Watercolor, size_width{oia_greece-1520955553.jpg} X
Original Watercolor, 2017
12 x 18 x 0.1 inches (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Sold
Pol Ledent, , , Original Painting Oil, size_width{an_oak_in_summer-1511612727.jpg} X
Original Oil Painting, 2017
70 x 70 x 2 cm (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Pol Ledent, , , Original Painting Oil, size_width{an_oak_in_summer-1511612727.jpg} X
Original Oil Painting, 2017
70 x 70 x 2 cm (121.9 x 61.0)
Rafal Mruszczak, , , Original Painting Oil, size_width{dolphins-1511266774.jpg} X
Original Oil Painting, 2015
100 x 70 x 2 cm (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Peter Seminck, , , Original Painting Oil, size_width{fly_like_a_seagull-1511164531.jpg} X
Original Oil Painting, 2017
120 x 80 x 2 cm (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Peter Seminck, , , Original Painting Oil, size_width{fly_like_a_seagull-1511164531.jpg} X
Original Oil Painting, 2017
120 x 80 x 2 cm (121.9 x 61.0)
Azhar Shemdin, , , Original Painting Acrylic, size_width{to_be_centered-1511525625.jpg} X
Original Acrylic Painting, 2017
24 x 30 x 2 inches (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Olga Beblova, , , Original Painting Acrylic, size_width{radiance_of_emptiness-1514560525.jpg} X
Original Acrylic Painting, 2015
75 x 75 x 5 cm (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Olga Beblova, , , Original Painting Acrylic, size_width{radiance_of_emptiness-1514560525.jpg} X
Original Acrylic Painting, 2015
75 x 75 x 5 cm (121.9 x 61.0)
Rebecca L. Baldwin, , , Original Painting Acrylic, size_width{olmsteads_dream-1510634678.jpg} X
Original Acrylic Painting, 2006
24 x 18 x 2 inches (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Rebecca L. Baldwin, , , Original Painting Acrylic, size_width{olmsteads_dream-1510634678.jpg} X
Original Acrylic Painting, 2006
24 x 18 x 2 inches (121.9 x 61.0)
Bruno Paolo Benedetti, , , Original Photography Digital, size_width{red_and_yellow_flow-1511028352.jpg} X
Original Digital Photograph, 2013
6 x 4 x 1 inches (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Carola Eleonore Thiele, , , Original Digital Other, size_width{ghost_of_the_moment-1509265589.jpg} X
Original , 2015
80 x 80 x 2 cm (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Deborah Wilson, , , Original Watercolor, size_width{higher_perspective-1509386576.jpg} X
Original Watercolor, 2014
16 x 14 x 3 inches (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Ian Dunne, , , Original Painting Acrylic, size_width{heaven-1509326197.jpg} X
Original Acrylic Painting, 2017
20 x 16 x 1 inches (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Mihaela  Ionescu, , , Original Painting Acrylic, size_width{abstract_view-1510145602.jpg} X
Original Acrylic Painting, 2016
27 x 35 cm (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
David Larkins, , , Original Painting Acrylic, size_width{just_in_case-1509713149.jpg} X
Original Acrylic Painting, 2017
24 x 24 x 1 inches (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Not For Sale
Michael Fornadley, , , Original Painting Oil, size_width{In_the_wilderness-1518707700.jpg} X
Original Oil Painting, 1997
57 x 38 x 2 inches (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Dave Martsolf, , , Original Drawing Pencil, size_width{and_the_earth_boiled_away-1539205508.jpg} X
Original Pencil Drawing, 2017
10 x 6 inches (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Barbara Stamegna, , , Original Painting Oil, size_width{night_blossom-1510677914.jpg} X
Original Oil Painting, 2002
70 x 70 x 2 cm (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Natalia Ostapenko, , , Original Painting Oil, size_width{the_cult-1509021985.jpg} X
Original Oil Painting, 2017
900 x 120 x 3 cm (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Natalia Ostapenko, , , Original Painting Oil, size_width{the_cult-1509021985.jpg} X
Original Oil Painting, 2017
900 x 120 x 3 cm (121.9 x 61.0)
Peter Tulyakov, , , Original Painting Oil, size_width{the_old_georgian_wine-1509543687.jpg} X
Original Oil Painting, 2008
50 x 60 cm (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Peter Tulyakov, , , Original Painting Oil, size_width{the_old_georgian_wine-1509543687.jpg} X
Original Oil Painting, 2008
50 x 60 cm (121.9 x 61.0)
Marino Chanlatte, , , Original Painting Acrylic, size_width{water_lilies_12-1509925744.jpg} X
Original Acrylic Painting, 2017
9 x 12 x 1.5 inches (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Brett Roeller, , , Original Painting Oil, size_width{lilith-1508957566.jpg} X
Original Oil Painting, 2017
24 x 48 x 2 inches (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Irina Maiboroda, , , Original Woodworking, size_width{full_moon_forest_ii-1508615831.jpg} X
Original Woodworking, 2017
8 x 15 x 0.3 cm (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Nicholas Down, , , Original Painting Oil, size_width{fierce_and_dangerous_beauty-1535718784.jpg} X
Original Oil Painting, 2017
36 x 36 x 2 inches (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Sold
Daniel Clarke, , , Original Watercolor, size_width{paris_back_street-1510243320.jpg} X
Original Watercolor, 2017
12 x 18 x 0.1 inches (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Ali Ghotbi, , , Original Painting Acrylic, size_width{untitled-1509175232.jpg} X
Original Acrylic Painting, 2017
170 x 150 cm (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Marina Novikova, , , Original Drawing Pen, size_width{can_you_see_the_dragon-1509270518.jpg} X
Original Pen Drawing, 2013
40.7 x 30.9 x 1.9 cm (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Raphael Perez  Israeli Painter , , , Original Photography Color, size_width{assaf_henigsberg_tel_aviv-1508768397.jpg} X
Original Color Photograph, 2017
50 x 90 inches (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Not For Sale
Quintensiaga Oil Gallery, , , Original Painting Oil, size_width{ravage-1508447828.jpg} X
Original Oil Painting, 2017
80 x 120 x 2.5 inches (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Quintensiaga Oil Gallery, , , Original Painting Oil, size_width{ravage-1508447828.jpg} X
Original Oil Painting, 2017
80 x 120 x 2.5 inches (121.9 x 61.0)
Tatsiana Yukhno, , , Original Painting Acrylic, size_width{interior_abstraction-1515270323.jpg} X
Original Acrylic Painting, 2017
24 x 10 x 1 inches (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Luise Andersen, , , Original Painting Acrylic, size_width{stage_10_payne_s_gray-1510265732.jpg} X
Original Acrylic Painting, 2017
18 x 24 inches (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Not For Sale
Nikhlesh Kumar, , , Original Drawing Charcoal, size_width{child_labor-1508840588.jpg} X
Original Charcoal Drawing, 2017
18 x 12 cm (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Austen Pinkerton, , , Original Drawing Crayon, size_width{fluke-1508931218.jpg} X
Original Crayon Drawing, 2017
770 x 550 x 25 mm (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Austen Pinkerton, , , Original Drawing Crayon, size_width{fluke-1508931218.jpg} X
Original Crayon Drawing, 2017
770 x 550 x 25 mm (121.9 x 61.0)
Austen Pinkerton, , , Original Drawing Crayon, size_width{fluke-1508931218.jpg} X
Original Crayon Drawing, 2017
770 x 550 x 25 mm (121.9 x 61.0)
Austen Pinkerton, , , Original Drawing Crayon, size_width{fluke-1508931218.jpg} X
Original Crayon Drawing, 2017
770 x 550 x 25 mm (121.9 x 61.0)
Shengfan Huang, , , Original Painting Oil, size_width{fall_in_spain-1508114297.jpg} X
Original Oil Painting, 2016
80 x 100 x 2 cm (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Elham Ghorbani, , , Original Painting Acrylic, size_width{untitled-1508244620.jpg} X
Original Acrylic Painting, 2015
50 x 70 cm (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Amaia Mills, , , Original Drawing Pencil, size_width{medusa-1508022625.jpg} X
Original Pencil Drawing, 2017
10.9 x 10.9 inches (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Carlos Pardo, , , Original Painting Oil, size_width{she_on_sundays-1508143952.jpg} X
Original Oil Painting, 2016
25.6 x 19.6 x 0.1 inches (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Rossen Stanoev, , , Original Painting Oil, size_width{Coast_in_blue-1508762760.jpg} X
Original Oil Painting, 1992
60 x 50 x 2 cm (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Rossen Stanoev, , , Original Painting Oil, size_width{Coast_in_blue-1508762760.jpg} X
Original Oil Painting, 1992
60 x 50 x 2 cm (121.9 x 61.0)
John Gamache, , , Original Painting Oil, size_width{joel_bagnal_the_goldsmith-1512924245.jpg} X
Original Oil Painting, 2017
30 x 24 x 2 inches (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Sold
Tony Rodriguez  Juan Antonio Rodriguez Olivares, , , Original Painting Oil, size_width{who_we_are-1508089103.jpg} X
Original Oil Painting, 2015
50 x 40 x 4 inches (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Pol Ledent, , , Original Painting Oil, size_width{popies_invasion-1509195895.jpg} X
Original Oil Painting, 2017
80 x 80 x 2 cm (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Sold
Maha  Hamed, , , Original Painting Oil, size_width{abdelwahaab_morsi-1507212978.jpg} X
Original Oil Painting, 1966
33 x 42 cm (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Maha  Hamed, , , Original Painting Oil, size_width{abdelwahaab_morsi-1507212978.jpg} X
Original Oil Painting, 1966
33 x 42 cm (121.9 x 61.0)
Damjan Pavlovic, , , Original Painting Acrylic, size_width{a86_large_wall_painting_series-1507986280.jpg} X
Original Acrylic Painting, 2017
140 x 100 x 4 cm (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Michael Fornadley, , , Original Painting Oil, size_width{Cradle_to_the_grave-1518708546.jpg} X
Original Oil Painting, 1994
57 x 38 x 2 inches (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Farah Ravazadeh, , , Original Painting Oil, size_width{yellow_butterfly-1506604102.jpg} X
Original Oil Painting, 2016
6 x 8 x 2 inches (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Farah Ravazadeh, , , Original Painting Oil, size_width{yellow_butterfly-1506604102.jpg} X
Original Oil Painting, 2016
6 x 8 x 2 inches (121.9 x 61.0)
Farah Ravazadeh, , , Original Painting Oil, size_width{yellow_butterfly-1506604102.jpg} X
Original Oil Painting, 2016
6 x 8 x 2 inches (121.9 x 61.0)
Wim Van De Wege, , , Original Painting Acrylic, size_width{summercolors_ii-1507192526.jpg} X
Original Acrylic Painting, 2017
80 x 60 x 3 cm (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Denise Dalzell, , , Original Painting Acrylic, size_width{whereabout-1566609939.jpg} X
Original Acrylic Painting, 2017
24 x 20 x 3 inches (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Dave Martsolf, , , Original Drawing Pencil, size_width{red_cap-1539206107.jpg} X
Original Pencil Drawing, 2017
6.5 x 4.5 inches (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Dave Martsolf, , , Original Drawing Pencil, size_width{airbender-1539206044.jpg} X
Original Pencil Drawing, 2017
7.5 x 8 inches (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Dave Martsolf, , , Original Drawing Pencil, size_width{airbender-1539206044.jpg} X
Original Pencil Drawing, 2017
7.5 x 8 inches (121.9 x 61.0)
Dave Martsolf, , , Original Drawing Pencil, size_width{airbender-1539206044.jpg} X
Original Pencil Drawing, 2017
7.5 x 8 inches (121.9 x 61.0)
Dave Martsolf, , , Original Drawing Pencil, size_width{Dragon-1539205947.jpg} X
Original Pencil Drawing, 2017
9 x 7 inches (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Dave Martsolf, , , Original Drawing Pencil, size_width{life_in_a_bottle-1539205968.jpg} X
Original Pencil Drawing, 2017
7 x 8 inches (121.9 x 61.0)
United States
Dave Martsolf, , , Original Drawing Pencil, size_width{life_in_a_bottle-1539205968.jpg} X
Original Pencil Drawing, 2017
7 x 8 inches (121.9 x 61.0)