By NVOS artist Cathryne Trachok
Not everyone with a camera is an artist, even though it seems everyone with a camera is a critic. NVOS artist Dave Courtney has a camera, and is an extremely talented artist. Granted, almost everything in the Napa Valley just screams out to be photographed, but the results are not always successful. Dave is the exception; everything he photographs is elevated. There is a sense of grandeur to his photographs that make you feel like you are really there. The depth, color, composition, and subject matter are well chosen, and well developed.
Dave’s photographs are in collections all over the country, and we are lucky enough to have him here in the Napa Valley. His studio is shared with his wife, Terri Courtney, and walking in to the studio, one is hit with color, form, and textures which take your breath away. For Open Studios, the Courtney’s will also be hosting jewelry artist Cathy Kough, and painter Jean Cullinane.
To visit Dave’s studio, just take a look at the Open Studios map, Studio #32, or just go straight to 3151 Sunnydale Drive, in Napa, California. To catch some of Dave’s amazing photos online before you head to the studio, visit his website at www.courtney-art.com.
After working in the printing world for many years, and learning all the aspects not only of color, but also of how colors are reproduced, Dave is a master at his craft. Talking with him, one gets the sense of his understanding, and as an artist, he has a clear grasp of what tricks of light will make a piece go from nice to spectacular.
Cathryne Trachok works from, in, and around the Napa Valley, using her vision to create artworks celebrating the beautiful world we live in. You can meet her and see her work at Studio #4 during Open Studios, and you can see her work online at www.catrachokstudios.com.
