Artospective: Real Cowboys Paintings by David Kammerzell.

Pedro Esquival 45”x44”.

An Interview with David Kammerzell.

Who are you and where are you from?

My name is David Kammerzell and I was born in Houston, Texas. But now I live in Denver, Colorado, USA

How you got into this?

I have been interested in art from an early age. After college I was a traditional illustrator for a while. But as I struggled with the inconsistent pay of that profession, I began looking for something that would provide a more steady income and began working in TV. I created the animated graphics for one of the local news stations for a few years and then I moved to Starz, a premium cable channel, working there for 20 years. During all that time I would paint on the side as time would allow. About four years ago I was layed off and my job there abruptly ended. So it was time to say goodbye to TV and time now to paint full time.

What is your driving force?

Commercial art is the biggest influence in my work. I have always loved and admired the great technical skills and virtuosity of many of the illustrators of the early to mid- 20th century - J.C. Leyendecker, Norman Rockwell, and Maxfield Parrish to name a few.

What kind of work do you do and why?

My painting style pays homage to those illustrators while portraying scenes that are, like many advertisements, more colorful and sexier than they are in real life. I am also interested in creating a sense of nostalgia, a word that some have described as “the pain from an old wound". I seek to put the viewer in a narrative where the boundaries between memories and longing are blurred.

Tell us more about your thought process.

I will begin by selecting a vintage photo to work from. The photos I use are black and white and are around 100 years old of real people. I will then take the photo into Photoshop where I will work out the composition and background elements. This is a process that was born out of my many years as a designer. There I would always have to work up mockups of an idea for approval before work on the final piece could begin. I find it works well for me now as it will solve a lot of the questions one encounters working on a piece. Once I have a composition that I am happy with I will transfer it onto a canvas or panel, and the actual painting part of the process begins.

Please share with us the one modern artist whose work you find Interesting and why?

There are so many incredibly talented artists out there! I think 100 years from now people will be saying that this period will be like a second Renaissance with all of the amazing creativity that is going on! So picking one artist is extremely difficult. But Daniel Sprick is a rare and gifted talent. His work is not only technically masterful but you can sense a spiritual presence from his paintings as well.