Uncovered by David Shkolny
SITE #1:
Sir Winston Churchill Square
David Shkolny
Uncovered
“ I slipped into a mode of very deeply concentrating on colour relationships and tones, not tied so much to representation but to creating moody atmospheres”
David Shkolny works from his imagination, as well as plein air, trying to solve a perpetual puzzle of colour, form and space that elicits an emotional response. People will see oil paintings on a small scale that often have implied landscape references or allusions to architecture or interiors. People their own frame of reference when viewing the work, and hopefully they find touchstones or fragments of their experiences in the paintings.
ARTIST STATEMENT
About six years ago I began exploring a new dimension to my art. To provide some context, I have been working primarily in pastel for several years, creating expressionist/impressionist landscapes, with a healthy dose of experimentation. I love working in this medium; it allows for both nuance and simplicity.
More recently, my focus has turned to painting on old book covers, salvaged from various sources ($7 to fill this basket with books!). It appeals to me on different levels: scrounging to find suitable surfaces (canvas or linen bound only) in various charitable institutions like Goodwill; the thrill of the unexpected colours of the book covers and their aged patinas help spark ideas for paintings; the intimate sizes and finally, just a fondness for old stuff and poking around these kinds of shops.
I started off painting familiar impressionist-based landscapes, albeit in oil instead of pastels. After a few weeks of this direction, feeling more familiar with how to approach painting on book covers, I slipped into a mode of very deeply concentrating on colour relationships and tones, not tied so much to representation but to creating moody atmospheres.
I’m not sure how I got here, it could be the influence of working on a small scale that causes one to go more inward, but I’m enjoying the process regardless. Each “canvas” is like an unread book waiting to be uncovered.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
David Shkolny was born in 1969, in Pinawa, Manitoba and grew up in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta. He currently resides in Edmonton, where his studio is located.
He first attended Red Deer College and later obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree (Majoring in Painting and Printmaking) from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in 1992.
David works in soft pastels, acrylic, oil, and printmaking. He spends many hours painting, sketching and gathering resource material on location in Alberta and across Canada. David teaches several drawing, painting and pastel workshops and courses throughout the year, both locally and internationally.
His creations are in several private collections in North America and Europe, as well as the Canada Council.
In 2025, David was awarded first place in the inaugural Canada Paints Plein Air event in Calgary, for his pastel “Gerry”, depicting a fellow artist painting in Fish Creek Park.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daveshko/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidshkolnyartist/Twitter: @DavidShkolny Website: https://davidshkolny.com/