Meet the artist
B I O G R A P H Y
Davis Perkins is a California landscape painter with an unusual background.
He has had a long career as a smokejumper, firefighter, paramedic, and professional artist. After serving as a paratroop sergeant—first with the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, and later with the 12th Special Forces Group of the Army Reserve—Davis worked 13 summers as a smokejumper, parachuting into forest fires with the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management.
During the winter, he attended art school, graduating from the University of Oregon with a degree in fine arts. His early work was featured in solo exhibitions at the Alaska State Museum and the Smithsonian Institution Air & Space Museum. Both museums selected his work for their permanent collections. In addition, one of his paintings hangs in the Pentagon as part of the United States Air Force Art Collection.
In 2015, Davis was selected as a Signature Member of the Oil Painters of America.
Davis exhibits his work in galleries and other art venues throughout Northern California while continuing his life of travel and public service. In 2007, he climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro and created paintings inspired by the view from the summit.
He remains active as a paramedic and as a member of the Disaster Medical Assistance Team of the Department of Health and Human Services. Since 2010, Davis has served on medical relief missions to Haiti, Ethiopia, Cambodia, Liberia (during the Ebola outbreak), Vanuatu, Nepal, Lesvos, Greece (to aid with the refugee crisis), Mosul, Iraq (working with trauma patients during the Battle of Mosul), and Ukraine, serving with an international medical team during the current conflict.
Davis Perkins - Liberia Mission, Ebola
A R T I S T S T A T E M E N T
The experience of nature in its rawest form first inspired my paintings. As a smokejumper, it was critical for me to pay careful attention to the terrain, weather, and all the elements of nature. As an artist, I try to use that observation in my paintings to capture the look and feel of movement in the clouds and to convey mood and atmosphere.
I start a painting by blocking in the essential values from dark to light while keeping the source of light consistent. I try to capture the basic essence of the subject matter so that it reads as a realistic image.
I work both en plein air and in the studio. I like to paint rather loosely. I often start by brushing on a wash of color and then use a palette knife to add texture and detail. The palette knife helps me work quickly and stay loose and spontaneous so that I don’t overwork the subject.
Many artists have inspired me, including the legendary painters Winslow Homer, John Singer Sargent, Frank Wootton, and Robert Henri. I have also been influenced by contemporary artists Richard Schmid, Matt Smith, and Lynn Boggess.