Born: Chicago, Illinois
Age: 46
Education: Pasadena City College, Scottsdale Community College.
David St. Albans has been a professional, fine artist and graphic artist for some twenty five years. He currently resides in Phoenix, Arizona.
David began drawing at the age of four, following in the footsteps of his father who was an amateur artist. David took as many courses in art and art history as his grammar and high school's allowed. While attending South Pasadena High School in California, David was able to take a few college level courses before attending Pasadena City College in 1974. At that time Pasadena City College was ranked number one in the state of California for courses in the arts. David took courses in Illustration, Cartooning, Painting, Ceramics and Animation at that time with a 4.0 average. However, the artist was not interested in attending college for degree purposes, but only for knowledge in his chosen profession. The artist therefore took three years of art and literature related classes as well as some Anthropology and American Indian History classes. David won honors in both Ceramics and Illustration and had work in various school shows. He was also featured in the school newspaper during this time. In order to get through school he worked as a tutor in Anthropology. David's first published work came in the form of comic stories for "Fantastic Comics #1." put out by Talos Publishing in his last year at school.
During his last year in college he took a job as a Scrimshaw Artist with the Beverly Hills based firm of Scrimshaw Handicrafts, Inc. (Scrimshaw: Engraving on Ivory an oldtime whaler's art). Few artists ever get to actually practice their profession for monetary gain. David became a master Scrimshander and sold his work internationally and had work collected by several Eastcoast maritime museums during this thirteen year period.
While living in Provincetown, Massachussetts, working as a professional scrimshander, he had his first actual fine art gallery showings at the Provincetown Artists Cooperative Gallery and the Unicorn Art Gallery in 1979.
At this time David was interested in Science Fiction and Fantasy Art and began attending conventions and showing his work in Fantasy Art galleries and convention shows. He moved to Tucumcari, New Mexico in 1981 and continued to work as a scrimshander and freelance graphic artist. He won numerous awards at various shows around the New Mexico area during this time. He also began to be published by various horror and fantasy magazines as both an illustrator and a poet/writer.
In 1983 David opened his first fine art gallery, "The Blue Moon Art Gallery, in Tucumcari, NM. In 1985 he opened another Gallery in Madrid, New Mexico called "The Crystal Dragon" Gallery, where he made scrimshaw jewelry and painted American Indians and continued to illustrate and write for magazines.
In 1986 David moved to Santa Fe, NM and did freelance work for Ted Miller Knives, Inc. Doing engraving work on antler, bone, ivory, mastadon and mammoth, walrus and other fossil ivories, as well on aircraft aluminum, helping Ted Miller win several first place art awards at various Indian Arts and Crafts shows throughout the southwest.
In 1987 David moved to Albuquerque and became involved with the shows and conventions put on by the Albuquerque Science Fiction Club. Here he also won numerous awards and had numerous showings of his work, being written up in several local papers. He accomplished a 30 foot mural for the New Mexico Museum of Natural History. He also freelanced in jewelry making, design, scrimshaw jewelry and belt buckles, having several private collectors of his work. However, in about 1989 one of his most avid collectors passed on, and the writing was on the wall for Scrimshaw, since the ivory trade had all but dried up due to highly restrictive ecological laws. David decided to change his profession at this time. He became art director and part owner of "Wild West Shows and Tours Co.", writing and directing skits, plays, melodramas, constructing props, and set designs for various Old West dramas and comedies. He also played in these live street theater and legitimate theater productions and became a part time actor with the John Robert Powers agency.
As a hobby, david took up his old brushes and pens and leapt back into the world of cartooning, joining S.W.A.C. (South West Writers and Artists Club). Eventually becoming the editor of the SWAC newsletter, and winning some prizes for cartoon art, as well as producing several self-[ublished comics and appearing in various comics and magazines, nationwide, including Beth RObbin's "The Gate," "Fun and Perils in the TrudyVerse," and Rick Vietch's "Rapid Eye Comics."
The lure of hollywood came over David and he set out for California, his old stomping grounds where he worked mostly as a journalist for two local papers in Glendale and Montrose, CA, but found much had changed there and that Hollywood was not to his tastes or sensitivities. He then returned to Albuquerque and continued his trade as a part time illustrator, graphic artist and fine artist. He was often published in the local alternative newspaper, NEW CITY, as well as having published art in children's books (Bungle and the Magic Lantern of Oz and Wooglet in Oz), and in tattoo magazines, alternative art magazines and in self-published endeavors as well). His work also appeared in Simon & Schuster's The Bobapocryphon: Revelations X. One can note that the word "eclectic" could be put to good use when refering to David's body of work, as he has tried his hand and succeeded in nearly every form of art known.
At about this time David began to teach himself graphic arts for the computer and began producing computer graphic arts as a freelancer. His work also appeared in comic books and other graphic media, nationwide.
Since the opportunities in New Mexico seemed somewhat limited, David and his wife Rosanne, after marrying in Las Vegas, settled there in 1996. In Las Vegas David continued drawing, painting, writing and also doing faux finishes, mural work and wall treatments for local patrons including Paul Steelman of Steelman Architecture fame. David meanwhile became adept at web page building, Adobe Photoshop and Coreldraw, designing graphics for the TWISTED SAGA Co., the A.G.R.E.E. Casinowear Co., and La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries.
At the same time he produced his own comic/counterculture magazine "Huh?" and "Infamous Funnies," as well as appearing in Delaine's "Not My Small Diary," and Bill Griffith's "Zippy Quarterly."
David's artwork modern interpetations of traditional Southwestern Retablos, Works based on Heronymous Bosch's sketches and Day of the Dead artwork can now be seen at the ADELANTE GALLERY 34505 N. Scottsdale Rd. A-14, Scottsdale, AZ 85262 Scottsdale,Arizona. (Meg Witwer-Proprietor). Recent awards include the "Vortex Award for Art 2004-1005" S.C.C. "Excellence Under the Stars" Award 2004 for Art. "Shining Star" Award for Art 2005. S.C.C. "Artists of Promise Award" 2005, Herberger Foundation. S.C.C. Mosaic Show, 2005. David is also now licensed through the Joan Cawley Gallery of Tempe/Scottsdale, Arizona.
David St. Albans, always a spritual seeker, began drawing Angels after a rather startling epiphany in October of 1994. After becoming a Reiki Practitioner that year he began to converse with angelic entities for the purpose of healing. His wife had been speaking with her Angels for many years previously. David had been intrigued by this very astounding link his wife had with the other world, which she established shortly after her own father's passing on. As a result Rosanne began studying the works of Ernest Holmes. Now both she and David are adherents to the tenants of the Church of Religious Science...which seem to be tenants which the Angels themselves find closest to their Spiritual way of thinking.
At this time during his deeply personal spiritual search he began to sense the words and voices of these entities which called themselves angels, and who seemed to have good advice to give and real working knowledge of spiritual and physical healing. As a way to spiritually connect with these awesome beings, David began doing pictures of angels, aside from his usual work which revolved around spirituality, dreams and visions. Some of those angels and visions you will see here on the preceeding pages.
David has also written a book called "Speaking Of Angels" Which describes his five year experience with these beings from "The Other Realm."
David began doing healing work with Angels and Reiki (He is now a Reiki Master/Teacher), on-line in 1998 on the MSN new age newsgroups. He also set up a website about his experiences.
David's most recently published book, "Blood of the Dragon: The Journals of Vlad Tsepesh called the Impaler" is out now from iUniverse.com press. Published in 2004, this 760 page novel about the REAL Vlad Dracula and how he became the world's most formidable vampire, was 15 years in the making and is an in depth study not only of vampires and Vlad, but of the history of the world from 1430 to the present! A definite must for Dracula fans, Vampire afficianados and lovers of the Macabre. A taste for blood, horror and reading is required!
Please feel free to visit David St. Albans' website "Angels On The Internet" and his own St. Alban's Art Gallery there, and experience his other websites or write him personally at the e-mail below. As he welcomes all commentary, critique and exchange of artistic ideas and friendship.
