Dave Malone has roots in the Wood River Valley. His mother founded the store Jane's and his father is a landscape architect. While his life has always been on the creative side, his painting career has only just begun, and it is taking off.
Malone has always perused the Ketchum galleries for inspiration and interest. Now, he is showing his latest collection of work at the Anne Reed Gallery in Ketchum and will open his show, "Micro-Environments: Visual Discoveries" on Friday, Nov. 28, for Gallery Walk from 6-9 p.m.
"I grew up, not in the fine arts, but having always been in the creative realm," said Malone who has been painting since 2004.
Malone had his own graphic design firm in Salt Lake City, Utah, which was a large part of his career until 2002. Shifting his focus from graphic design to sculpting, Malone found more freedom.
"After 9/11 I started thinking about the transition because of the economy," Malone said. "I juggle time between being a creative director and brand consultant and work with clients around the country and help evolve or establish brands."
As an emerging artist, Malone is establishing his painting process, which he said is mostly about discovery. His abstract forms are taken from nature and he uses the figure to establish a visual vocabulary. His work is familiar but leads the viewer into new territory.
"I paint still-life objects, which turn out to be interesting micro environments, and overlap objects, which creates a strange depth of field," Malone said. "I create flow and depth. I strive to see something new and see what forms come forward so the eye learns something new."
Malone admits to having trouble keeping up with his thoughts and will keep a notebook and a recorder with him. He said he can only travel so many paths at once and will circle back around because some of the same ideas keep resurfacing.
"I don't know where work will evolve to and I don't try to know," Malone said. "I want to let it take a natural course."
The works presented at the Anne Reed Gallery are abstract landscapes and stem from Malone's travels to the dessert observing nature's overlooked and small objects.
"I want to try and divorce myself from an objective-oriented process and be free," Malone said. "When you start protecting the process you stop being creative."