Skip to main content

David Shepherd Figurative 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.

to
4
1
11
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
16
9
6
1
12
9
9
8
6
5
4
3
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
16
16
20
508
315
282
230
16
Artist: David Shepherd
Your Eye Is A Diamond (ii), Oil Painting
Your Eye Is A Diamond (ii), Oil Painting

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 Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Loose Lips Sink Ships, Oil Painting
Loose Lips Sink Ships, Oil Painting

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 Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Sustension, Oil Painting
Sustension, Oil Painting

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 Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Within and Without, Oil Painting
Within and Without, Oil Painting

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 Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Kiss, Oil Painting
Kiss, Oil Painting

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 Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Lazarus, Oil Painting
Lazarus, Oil Painting

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 Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Oculus, Oil Painting
Oculus, Oil Painting

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 Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Passing Ships in the Night, Oil Painting
Passing Ships in the Night, Oil Painting

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 Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Plastic
Plastic

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 Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Grapeshot, Oil Painting
Grapeshot, Oil Painting

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 Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Honey Dust, Oil Painting
Honey Dust, Oil Painting

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 Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Never Going Back, Oil Painting
Never Going Back, Oil Painting

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 Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Steel Magnolia, Oil Painting
Steel Magnolia, Oil Painting

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 Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Gaining Ground, Oil Painting
Gaining Ground, Oil Painting

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 Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Healthy Choices II, Oil Painting
Healthy Choices II, Oil Painting

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 Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Healthy Choices, Oil Painting
Healthy Choices, Oil Painting

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 Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Related Items
Jim Rey b.1938. CA/CO artist. Oil on canvas, "A Tough Position" 18 x 24
Jim Rey b.1938. CA/CO artist. Oil on canvas, "A Tough Position" 18 x 24

Jim Rey b.1938. CA/CO artist. Oil on canvas, "A Tough Position" 18 x 24

Located in Basalt, CO

Jim Rey b. 1939. Original oil on canvas painting with custom frame. 18 x 24 canvas size. This work was painted in 2004, at a most expressive time in Rey's career. From the artist's...

Category

Early 2000s American Realist David Shepherd Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

“New Americans" 1941 WPA Exhibited Carnegie Percy Albee
“New Americans" 1941 WPA Exhibited Carnegie Percy Albee

“New Americans" 1941 WPA Exhibited Carnegie Percy Albee

Located in Exton, PA

Monumental, important WPA painting signed by Percy Albee. The painting is oil canvas measuring 36" x 48". Titled verso "New Americans", this WPA painting was exhibited at the Carnegi...

Category

1940s American Realist David Shepherd Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Cruising Altitude" (2025) Original Portrait of Young Girl, Oil Painting
"Cruising Altitude" (2025) Original Portrait of Young Girl, Oil Painting

"Cruising Altitude" (2025) Original Portrait of Young Girl, Oil Painting

Located in Denver, CO

"Cruising Altitude" (2025) by Denise Dambrackas is an original oil painting that depicts a young girl sending a plane into flight, amongst a vibrant and colorful sky, presented in a ...

Category

2010s Realist David Shepherd Figurative Paintings

Materials

Linen, Oil, Panel

“Penobscot” Ship Portrait Sidewheeler Steamboat Paddle Steamer Oil on Canvas
“Penobscot” Ship Portrait Sidewheeler Steamboat Paddle Steamer Oil on Canvas

“Penobscot” Ship Portrait Sidewheeler Steamboat Paddle Steamer Oil on Canvas

Located in Yardley, PA

A wonderful realistic portrait of the Penobscot, a mid-19th century coastal sidewheel steamer, rendered in Cameron’s hallmark marine portrait style - technically meticulous, historically informed, and visually serene. Executed with crisp linework and a soft, luminous palette, the ship is shown in profile navigating calm Atlantic waters under both steam and sail, her red paddle box emblazoned boldly with her name. Commissioned in 1843 by Menemon Sanford’s Steamship Line and constructed in New York, the Penobscot was a near twin to her sister ship, the Kennebec, but became especially prized for her seaworthiness. Measuring 228 feet in length with a 48-foot beam and twin 14-foot paddlewheels, she carried schooner rigging fore and aft, providing the added stability necessary for coastal and offshore passages. Initially assigned to the Maine coastal excursion routes, she would later be reassigned to the elite New York–Philadelphia line and eventually sold and renamed Norfolk for pre-Civil War service along the southern coast. This work is oil on canvas and is signed in the lower right. It is housed in its original black frame and retains the artist’s description of the ship on the reverse. Size: 22 inches tall by 44 inches wide (painting) 26 inches tall by 48 inches wide by 1 inch deep (frame) Provenance: Private collection; Acquired from the above About the artist: A Delaware artist, Scott Cameron paints the simple elegance of the America’s Cup races, serene coastal marsh scenes, timeless landscape vistas and historic steamboats in a style reminiscent of the era in which they reigned. An admirer of Andrew Wyeth and the Brandywine School of painters, Scott has combined the detail and quiet stillness of that School in his landscapes with the Luminist School’s sense of light glowing from within. A soft gentle atmosphere seems to fall over each scene adding to the peacefulness of the setting, and a sense of a time gone by. His America’s Cup scenes capture the action at a moment in time, allowing the beauty of the wind-filled sails to become the central design element of each painting. Scott Cameron has exhibited his oil paintings in numerous national and regional shows from the Mystic Seaport Museum to solo and group shows in some of the foremost galleries throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states. Favorite painting locations are the waterways and coastal inlets of Martha’s Vineyard and Maryland’s Eastern Shore and the gentle rolling landscapes of rural Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland. Meticulous research is behind every historic steamboat and America’s Cup painting...

Category

Late 20th Century American Realist David Shepherd Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Garden Stream" (2025) Realist Female Portrait and Flora, Oil Painting on Panel
"Garden Stream" (2025) Realist Female Portrait and Flora, Oil Painting on Panel

"Garden Stream" (2025) Realist Female Portrait and Flora, Oil Painting on Panel

Located in Denver, CO

Nadezda's "Garden Stream" (2025) is a beautiful handmade oil painting on panel. Part of her 2026 solo exhibition "She is Garden", this piece depicts a portrait of a young woman weari...

Category

2010s Realist David Shepherd Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

"Future of Flight" (2025) Original Portrait of Young Girl, Oil Painting
"Future of Flight" (2025) Original Portrait of Young Girl, Oil Painting

"Future of Flight" (2025) Original Portrait of Young Girl, Oil Painting

Located in Denver, CO

"Future of Flight" (2025) by Denise Dambrackas is an original oil painting that depicts a young girl sending a plane into flight, amongst a vibrant and colorful sky, presented in a r...

Category

2010s Realist David Shepherd Figurative Paintings

Materials

Linen, Oil, Panel

Puddle Jumper.  Woman With Umbrella Original Oil American Rainy Scene Painting.
Puddle Jumper.  Woman With Umbrella Original Oil American Rainy Scene Painting.

Puddle Jumper. Woman With Umbrella Original Oil American Rainy Scene Painting.

Located in Marco Island, FL

An ordinary scene of a woman walking down a sidewalk in the rain is elevated to a little gem of a painting. American life is captured in this Clyde Singer painting, Puddle Jumper (...

Category

Late 20th Century American Realist David Shepherd Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

“Eastern White Pines, c. 1910”, New England Landscape, Signed Oil Painting
“Eastern White Pines, c. 1910”, New England Landscape, Signed Oil Painting

“Eastern White Pines, c. 1910”, New England Landscape, Signed Oil Painting

By Charles Warren Eaton

Located in Yardley, PA

“Eastern White Pines, c. 1910” by Charles Warren Eaton (American, 1857-1937). A wonderful example of Eaton’s renowned compositions of Eastern white pine trees in his mature style. A...

Category

Early 20th Century American Realist David Shepherd Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Board

Along Central Park. New York City Street Scene Original Oil Painting.
Along Central Park. New York City Street Scene Original Oil Painting.

Along Central Park. New York City Street Scene Original Oil Painting.

Located in Marco Island, FL

New York City scene of two women walking down a sidewalk with a park in the background, in the foreground a man is walking a small dog. American life is captured in this Clyde Sing...

Category

1970s American Realist David Shepherd Figurative Paintings

Materials

Masonite, Oil

Robert K. White "Girl with Red Hair" Signed Oil, Contemporary Realist Portrait
Robert K. White "Girl with Red Hair" Signed Oil, Contemporary Realist Portrait

Robert K. White "Girl with Red Hair" Signed Oil, Contemporary Realist Portrait

Located in Miami, FL

ROBERT KENNETH WHITE – "GIRL WITH RED HAIR" Oil on Canvas ⚜ Hand Signed Lower Right ⚜ Frameless Display A PORTRAIT STUDY OF STRENGTH AND INTROSPECTION In this emotionally charged p...

Category

2010s Realist David Shepherd Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Robert K. White "Girl in Leptis Magna" Large 4-Foot Figurative Oil Painting
Robert K. White "Girl in Leptis Magna" Large 4-Foot Figurative Oil Painting

Robert K. White "Girl in Leptis Magna" Large 4-Foot Figurative Oil Painting

Located in Miami, FL

ROBERT KENNETH WHITE (b. 1950) – "GIRL IN LEPTIS MAGNA" Oil on Canvas ⚜ Hand Signed Lower Left ⚜ Frameless Display AN ENCOUNTER BETWEEN CLASSICAL HISTORY AND CONTEMPORARY PORTRAITUR...

Category

2010s Realist David Shepherd Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Mid-Century American Scene Painting of Michigan Coastal Sand Dunes Landscape
Mid-Century American Scene Painting of Michigan Coastal Sand Dunes Landscape

Mid-Century American Scene Painting of Michigan Coastal Sand Dunes Landscape

Located in Marco Island, FL

Flight by Zolton Sepeshy This is an important, large painting of an approaching storm on the sand dunes that line Michigan's coast, entitled Flight. Zolton Sepeshy, who lived and p...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Realist David Shepherd Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Previously Available Items
Fresh Start, Oil Painting
Fresh Start, Oil Painting

Fresh Start, Oil Painting

By David Shepherd

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Provocative hyperrealist oil painting rendered with breathtaking detail. "The world is a strange place," says artist David Shepherd. "Parents trying to interp...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Realist David Shepherd Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

David Shepherd figurative paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic David Shepherd figurative paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of figurative 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, purple and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by David Shepherd in oil paint, paint and more. Not every interior allows for large David Shepherd figurative paintings, so small editions measuring 18 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Willard Dixon, Carl Bretzke, and Kevin Weckbach. David Shepherd figurative 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 $25,350, while the average work can sell for $13,200.