David McCullough’s work spans many mediums: watercolor, acrylic, acrylic-and-sand, cement, tile, digital, steel, glass, and the list goes on. He lives and works behind the burgeoning strip of nightlife on Henderson. McCullough sees the development as a boon to our neighborhood, a chance to interact with people who are attracted to his yard, which is overflowing with an eclectic mix of plants. “A lot of people will come by and see the garden and want a plant, or want to break off some of the plants that I have there for medicinal use,” he says. “It’s that kind of interaction that sparks a sense of community, a sense of belonging.” As an artist, McCullough is interested in capturing the resonances and rhythmical qualities of a place; he finds a place and tries to interpret what nature tells him, and he does this accompanied by jazz and music by indigenous people. “I’m working like a drummer. My palette’s on the right, so I kind of percuss my brush marks,” he says. During a recent Dallas Arboretum event, he was asked to paint live, accompanied by the Dallas Wind Symphony, in front of a picnicking crowd on the lawn. He started painting before the symphony began, during a Jack Hanna-type demonstration of an owl for the children in the audience. This provided McCullough’s initial inspiration for a canvas dominated by a brown, blue and mulberry owl; the owl is surrounded by craggy blue tree limbs and swirling, thick lines of paint. McCullough is represented by the HCG Gallery at 1130 Dragon. Call 214.760.9230 or visit hcggallery.com to see a selection of his work.

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