David Sharpe is a Canadian landscape painter who lives in beautiful Stratford, Ontario and maintains a studio in the Alberta foothills near the ranching town of Cochrane. He is influenced by the American, British, and Russian Impressionist painters, with a special affinity for the American Tonalists of the 20th century. An honors graduate in illustration from the Alberta College of Art and Design, Sharpe worked as an illustrator for several years, followed by creative-director positions in various ad agencies across Canada for 35 years.

Describing how he sees colors and composes his paintings, Sharpe says, “There’s no big, complicated idea behind it, it’s just all about light. Seeing it, feeling it, and trying to convey it as I see it around me. Compositions with a simple, strong design that capture a mood and atmospheric sense of place also attract me. If my work strikes the same visual and emotional chord in a viewer that it did in me when I painted it, then I’ve succeeded.”

Sharpe’s work is collected in both Canada and the United States, and he has won numerous awards at plein air events and exhibitions. The artist is also a longtime instructor, having taught drawing and design at numerous Canadian universities as well as workshops at galleries, art centers, and online.

The artist is a founding member of the Ontario Plein Air Society and the only Canadian member of the American Tonalist Society. He is represented by Mountain Galleries (Banff and Jasper, Alberta; Whistler, British Columbia) and Village Studios (Stratford, Ontario).