David Pease has been drawn, for as long as he can remember, to draw and observe his environment. As a kid growing up in a tough socioeconomic position, he was prone to get lost in nature and imagination. He would pretend and dream of being so many other places. For most of his childhood, he drew the places he dreamed of living and being. At age 19, David began studying studio art at UTK School of Art. In his second semester, he was introduced to gesture drawing. He loved the lines, speed, and the flow of the moment. For many years, his drawing practice and art were all about human figures. He blended charcoal, pastels and watercolor paint. He loved it. He participated in gallery shows through his undergraduate years and for several years after graduating.

There came a period where his art practice diminished as he worked to survive and lived through a difficult long-term relationship. Eventually, David went back to school to study public and therapeutic horticulture. During his master’s program, he folded his background in studio art into his work as an educator at UT Gardens, and programming in therapeutic horticulture with youth, adults, seniors, differently-abled populations, and folks in clinical therapeutic programs.

Dealing with the grief of losing his uncle in a tragic fire and his dad shortly after in a dramatic and unexpected fashion, he turned to drawing practice and to nature as an intentional therapeutic exercises. Now, drawing is no longer about escape. Drawing became an inquiry into mindful observation of the environment, natural cycles, and being present. His drawing practice is now meditative. He set himself up to be mindfully present in the moment, with a limited palette, an environment to observe, a timer, my eyes, my hands, and the sounds of Tibetan singing bowls. As folks who practice meditation begin with a focus on the breath as anchor, David looks at colors, lines, shapes, and forms in nature to anchor himself. In this group of works there are scenes from many miles of mindful walking in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. He shares these scenes because these places and drawing them have helped to heal trauma and grief.

Contact David at: davidpeaseart@gmail.com *A percentage of each piece sold will be donated to The Friends of the Smokies.

The ORUUC Gallery is open during office hours, Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Sundays. For information on becoming an exhibitor, visit https://www.oruuc.org/the-art-gallery-at-oruuc