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David Shepherd Paintings

English, 1931-2017

David Shepherd was born in the UK in 1931. He was not only one of his generation’s most well-known artists, but also an outspoken preservationist. At the age of just eight years old, he won a painting competition for the magazine Nursery World, marking the beginning of his painting career. Yet, after his school years, he traveled to Kenya in the hopes of becoming a game warden. Though he was rejected, the trip would ignite his passions for wildlife and wildlife preservation. He continued to paint throughout his lifetime, and many of his canvases took as their subjects the wildlife that he had grown to love. In addition to his animal subjects, he also dedicated paintings to the locomotive. He was a famed collector of steam locomotives, devoting much of his time later in his life to the preservation of these powerful engines. Shepherd was heavily involved in the founding of a heritage steam railway, the East Somerset Railway, and owned a number of historic locomotives. Both his painting of animals and steam engines were remarkably popular amongst the collecting public, and they remain highly prized today.

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Artist: David Shepherd
At Rest, Yet Alert - Watchful Tiger, 2001, David Shepherd Original Oil Painting
By David Shepherd
Located in London, GB
David Shepherd’s At Rest, Yet Alert - Watchful Tiger, 2001 is a masterful example of wildlife art, capturing the raw power and quiet intensity of one of nature’s most formidable pred...
Category

Late 20th Century Impressionist David Shepherd Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Amor Fati, Oil Painting
By David Shepherd
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
"I endeavor to make paintings that are calming and pleasurable to look at," says artist David Shepherd. In this hyperrealistic painting of a close-up view of an eye framed by delicate flowers, David investigates taking people out of gender. "Today and in the future, more and more people will use science to change themselves," says David. "The viewer cannot know if the model is a man or woman, a boy or girl. Regardless of this, all people are beautiful. Our eyes are a window to our souls, which is the truth of who we are."


About the Artist
Canadian artist David Shepherd fuses techniques from both old and modern masters to create contemporary interpretations of the human form. While offering strong nods to pop art and cubism, the work remains grounded by David’s training in 19th Century academic realism. Combining discrete techniques within a single tableau is initially jarring to the viewer, creating an unexpected visual complexity in the work and demonstrating the artist’s breadth of skills. “I think in the future we will be much more interested in works of art that show a mastery of multiple styles,” says David. Each artwork effectually suggests the surreal nature of human existence within a convoluted modern society.


Words that describe this painting: flowers, floral, portrait, child, hyperrealism, photorealism, face, still life, political, gender, transition, controversial, eye, people, flora, realism, representational, contemporary, oil painting, white


Amor Fati...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Realist David Shepherd Paintings

Materials

Oil

Out on the Plains, Painted in 1983
By David Shepherd
Located in London, GB
Image dimensions: 43cm x 77cm Framed dimensions: 61.7cm x 92.6cm Signed lower right. David Shepherd's original oil painting depicts two majestic male lions in the African bush. D...
Category

20th Century Realist David Shepherd Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Honey Dust, Oil Painting
By David Shepherd
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Part of David Shepherd's latest series of hyperrealist paintings focusing on women's faces. A sensual portrait rendered in extremely precise painting. Among o...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Realist David Shepherd Paintings

Materials

Oil

Sustension, Oil Painting
By David Shepherd
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Provocative hyperrealist oil painting created with breathtaking detail. Artist David Shepherd used water and flowers to create a feeling of life, and to serve...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Realist David Shepherd Paintings

Materials

Oil

Loose Lips Sink Ships, Oil Painting
By David Shepherd
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
"The flowers hide the face so that you don’t make assumptions about the model, you focus on the beauty of existence," states artist David Shepherd. "You appreciate that they are a person without any impressions of their character. When I compose a painting I think back to my childhood memories. It ties in with what I was saying above. When you’re a child it’s much easier to make friends and enjoy people. That innocence allows for such pure emotion. I always try and get back to that feeling when I’m composing my work."


About the Artist
Canadian artist David Shepherd fuses techniques from both old and modern masters to create contemporary interpretations of the human form. While offering strong nods to pop art and cubism, the work remains grounded by David’s training in 19th Century academic realism. Combining discrete techniques within a single tableau is initially jarring to the viewer, creating an unexpected visual complexity in the work and demonstrating the artist’s breadth of skills. “I think in the future we will be much more interested in works of art that show a mastery of multiple styles,” says David. Each artwork effectually suggests the surreal nature of human existence within a convoluted modern society.


Words that describe this painting: flowers, floral, portrait, realism, hyperrealism, photorealism, hyperreal, face, beauty, eye, rainbow, calm, calming, love, lips, people, large, people, flora, realism, oil painting, pink


Loose Lips...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Realist David Shepherd Paintings

Materials

Oil

Steel Magnolia, Oil Painting
By David Shepherd
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Artist David Shepherd paints a hyperrealistic image of an eye surrounded by dewy magnolias in full bloom. He explores the idea of united humanity by obscuring the identity of his subject. "As we move forward in history, we move past the limitations of gender and race to see all people as equal and able to have a voice in society and be seen as beautiful," says David. The piece draws a symbolic comparison between the uniqueness of every flower and the singularity of a person.


About the Artist
Canadian artist David Shepherd fuses techniques from both old and modern masters to create contemporary interpretations of the human form. While offering strong nods to pop art and cubism, the work remains grounded by David’s training in 19th Century academic realism. Combining discrete techniques within a single tableau is initially jarring to the viewer, creating an unexpected visual complexity in the work and demonstrating the artist’s breadth of skills. “I think in the future we will be much more interested in works of art that show a mastery of multiple styles,” says David. Each artwork effectually suggests the surreal nature of human existence within a convoluted modern society.


Words that describe this painting: flower, floral, portrait, child, realism, hyperrealism, photorealism, eye, beauty, rainbow, bright, love, petals, detailed, oilpaint, people, people, flora, realism, oil painting, white


Steel Magnolia...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Realist David Shepherd Paintings

Materials

Oil

Your Eye Is A Diamond (ii), Oil Painting
By David Shepherd
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength while loving someone deeply gives you courage," says artist David Shepherd. He presents a vibrant, realistic piece of a face covered in vibrant flowers. A prismatic light...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Realist David Shepherd Paintings

Materials

Oil

Passing Ships in the Night, Oil Painting
By David Shepherd
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Provocative hyperrealist oil painting created with breathtaking detail. Artist David Shepherd explains that he used the glass surface in this piece as a light...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Realist David Shepherd Paintings

Materials

Oil

Healthy Choices II, Oil Painting
By David Shepherd
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Artist David Shepherd paints a hyperrealistic close-up image of lips sipping on a flower. A torrent of dewy nectar drips slowly to the subject's mouth. Her sp...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Realist David Shepherd Paintings

Materials

Oil

Gaining Ground, Oil Painting
By David Shepherd
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Artist David Shepherd promotes and explores the idea of united humanity regardless of who he paints. Focusing on the eye in this hyperrealistic piece, he surr...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Realist David Shepherd Paintings

Materials

Oil

Maternal Instinct, Painted in 1992
By David Shepherd
Located in London, GB
Image dimensions: 38cm x 61cm Framed dimensions: 52.5cm x 75.5cm Signed lower right. A wonderful, original oil painting by prolific wildlife artist David Shepherd. David Shepherd...
Category

20th Century Realist David Shepherd Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Plastic
By David Shepherd
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
In this hyperrealistic painting, David depicts a model holding plastic to her face. The work is meant as a commentary on global warming and a need to plan fo...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Realist David Shepherd Paintings

Materials

Oil

Tiger
By David Shepherd
Located in Belgravia, London, London
Oil on canvas Canvas size: 20 x 34 inches Framed size: 28.25 x 42.5 inches Signed lower right
Category

20th Century Impressionist David Shepherd Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Giant Refreshed BOAC Boeing 377 Stratocruiser Canopus Airliner Aircraft Painting
By David Shepherd
Located in Sutton Poyntz, Dorset
David Shepherd. English ( b.1931 – d.2017 ). Giant Refreshed, 1953. BOAC Boeing 377 Stratocruiser, Canopus. Oil On Canvas. Signed & Dated 1953 Lower Right. Image size 19.7 inches x 2...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist David Shepherd Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Grapeshot, Oil Painting
By David Shepherd
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Artist David Shepherd paints a hyperrealistic portrait of a woman adorned with white flowers. "The eye is like a fingerprint, it uniquely identifies us," says...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist David Shepherd Paintings

Materials

Oil

Lazarus, Oil Painting
By David Shepherd
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Bright pink petals frame a close-up portrait. For artist David Shepherd, the eye—like a fingerprint—uniquely identifies a person, yet their identity, orig...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist David Shepherd Paintings

Materials

Oil

Healthy Choices, Oil Painting
By David Shepherd
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
In this provocative hyperrealist painting, artist David Shepherd uses honey and leaves as symbols of health, well-being and sexuality. "By only showing a part...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Realist David Shepherd Paintings

Materials

Oil

Oculus, Oil Painting
By David Shepherd
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Part of David Shepherd's latest series of hyperrealist paintings focusing on women's faces. A sensual portrait rendered in extremely precise painting. Among o...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Realist David Shepherd Paintings

Materials

Oil

Kiss, Oil Painting
By David Shepherd
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Part of David Shepherd's latest series of hyperrealist paintings focusing on women's lips. A sensual portrait rendered in extremely precise painting. Among ot...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Realist David Shepherd Paintings

Materials

Oil

Never Going Back, Oil Painting
By David Shepherd
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
A hyperrealistic painting of a close-up view of an eye framed by glistening white and pink flower petals. Part of artist David Shepherd's series investigating...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Realist David Shepherd Paintings

Materials

Oil

Within and Without, Oil Painting
By David Shepherd
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
In this hyperrealistic painting of a close-up view of an eye framed by delicate white flowers, artist David Shepherd investigates taking people out of gender....

Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Realist David Shepherd Paintings

Materials

Oil

Blending In, Oil Painting
By David Shepherd
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
A hyperrealistic close-up view of an eye surrounded by vibrant red and yellow flowers in full bloom. "The viewer cannot know if the model is a man or woman, a...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Realist David Shepherd Paintings

Materials

Oil

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Previously Available Items
The Old Bull, 1994, Original David Shepherd Oil Painting
By David Shepherd
Located in London, GB
Signed lower right. Image dimensions: 15cm x 15cm / 6 inches x 6 inches Framed dimensions: 26.1cm x 26.1cm / 10.3 inches x 10.3 inches David Shepherd is considered to be one of the ...
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The Family at Rest
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Three zebras relaxing in the sunshine. “I have long admired David Shepherd and his love of the big wild animals. In almost everyone’s eyes he will be forever peerless in his abili...
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Deep in the Forest, Jaguar
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Fresh Start, Oil Painting
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Located in San Francisco, CA

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In the Sheds, Swindon
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Located in New Orleans, LA
This exceptional oil on canvas was composed by the great British artist David Shepherd. Masterfully composed, it brings together two of the renowned painter’s passions - painting and steam locomotives. Shepherd owned a number of locomotives, all of them British built, which came to serve as the basis for his most coveted oils. Highly detailed, the works bring to life the majesty and might of British industry through the form of these titans of the railways. In In the Sheds...
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David Shepherd paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic David Shepherd paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of paintings to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of pink, orange, purple and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by David Shepherd in oil paint, paint, canvas and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 21st century and contemporary and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large David Shepherd paintings, so small editions measuring 13 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Nicholas Berger, Wes Hempel, and Rachel Personett. David Shepherd paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $2,725 and tops out at $82,590, while the average work can sell for $15,550.

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