DAVID HALBACH 1931 -0000 As a seven-year-old, David was inspired to pursue a career as an illustrator when he saw Disney’s “Snow White.” By the sixth grade he was producing paintings. Halbach attended the Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles, where he was introduced to plein air painting. Following graduation from Chouinard and a tour of duty in the Navy, Halbach worked for years at Disney Studios and takes great pride in being one of eight illustrators who worked on “Lady and the Tramp.” In addition to working at Disney Studios, Halbach’s career prior to pursuing fine art included teaching art for the Los Angeles Unified School District, running his own advertising agency, and working with National Geographic on a film project for children.
“Painting from life is absolutely necessary in my art.” Halbach travels from his home in northern California to Indian reservations and reenactments in Arizona for his subject matter and is especially interested in Hopi Indian culture. By his mid 50’s Halbach was accepted as a member of the Cowboy Artists of America, which he understandably says was “about the proudest day in my life,” because his preference for working in watercolor makes him unique among its members. “Watercolor media is an exciting one, particularly in the beginning stages when painting ‘wet into wet.’ One has less control and therefore it is surprising and exciting to see the colors intermingle,” says Halbach.
Like so many of his fellow Western artists, Halbach didn’t begin to focus on developing as a fine artist until his mid 30’s. He prefers to paint from life, saying,
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