Troy Dunham

The drawings and paintings of Troy Dunham radiate with color and imagery of one who knows and loves the many complexions of nature. The vivid colors and striking imagery of Dunham's paintings enliven any living space or corporate office environment.

Drawing and painting from an early age, Troy always knew he would be an artist. He studied at the College of Marin and finished his B. A. Degree in Art at San Francisco State University in 1977, where he studied under photo realist painters Robert Bechtel and Richard McLean. Dunham has been exhibiting his artwork at One Man Shows and galleries since 1976. He travels extensively gathering subject matter for his artwork, and is a seasoned wilderness guide and historian.

Dunham's work has been featured in national exhibitions of Contemporary Realism and Western Art, including shows in New York, Chicago, Scottsdale and Southern California. He has received commissions from Harvard University, the Pentagon, corporations, and his work has hung in the office of the Governor of California. He did commercial illustrations for clients like The GAP, and his watercolor, acrylic and oil paintings have won awards and appeared on magazine covers. Troy has exhibited at the Marin Art Festival and the Sausalito Art Festival and galleries in Jackson Hole Wyoming, Beaver Creek Colorado, Las Vegas, Carmel California and Napa Valley California-to name a few.

In 1991, Troy wrote and illustrated an award-winning book about a fictitious national park titled, Pine Needle National Park VISITOR GUIDE. This unique humor book about the great outdoors, focused on the different ways that people relate to nature. The book showcased over 100 illustrations by Dunham, including pen and ink wildlife drawings and watercolor landscapes.

Dunham combined his love of history and art in 1995 working with an internationally known museum exhibit company, creating permanent exhibits for the Washington State History Museum. He has served as technical advisor on film projects for PBS, the Discovery Channel and the History Channel. Troy has been honored by State and National Parks for his contributions to educational programs.

This artist doesn't have to look far to find inspiration and subjects to paint. He lives north of San Francisco, in Marin County California, surrounded by oak topped rolling hills, rugged coastline, the Napa Valley wine country with the Sierra Nevada Mountains not far away. Troy also travels extensively throughout the west, seeking out images he'll put on canvas. "I am sometimes frozen in my tracks by a beautiful scene. It might be a brilliant sunset or light hitting a grove of trees, or colors reflecting on water... When I find a beautiful scene, I want to share it."

Dunham's favorite painting subjects incorporate vibrant colors, engrossing textures and strong patterns of light. Sometimes the end results are paintings that are calm or serene, other times they create a bold visual impact.

For Troy Dunham, creating is a continuous process of discovery. He says, “Making each new art piece is like falling in love with painting all over again. I find tremendous satisfaction in doing artwork that gives joy and brings the beauty of nature into people's homes."

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