His love for the Australian wilderness dates back to the 1970s, when he spent a year exploring the country in an old Volkswagen van.

David is the artist in residence for the month of December at the Q Pop Up Gallery in Kew. He has travelled all the way from his home in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

David said the trip to Australia has already given him space and time to carry out his passion for painting.

At school, David topped his year in the subject but said the stringent methods which were in place at college didn’t suit his style of art.

He took a year off in the 70s and travelled around Australia where his love and passion for art came back.

While he loved art, David said he needed a more consistent income and decided to enter the workforce.

He spent 26 years in a defense-related career as a marine helicopter pilot, intelligence officer and systems analyst/project manager with Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC).

During his career art was David’s outlet.

“I’ve always been an artist,” he said .

David grew up on Aruba, which is a tiny Dutch Caribbean island off the coast of Venezuela.

“It was an off the beaten track kind of place,” he said.

David’s mother struggled to keep him entertained and would go to the market in search of play toys.

“I remember she came back with a clay model kit and she asked me to go make a snake and coil basket,” he said.

“I came back a few hours later with a whole circus.”

In 2009 David retired to pursue art as a professional career.

“I was subsequently inducted as a signature member of the National Watercolor Society and have been in numerous exhibitions at national, state and local levels,” he said.

Art is something which David does for himself, not to make money.

“I will give away my art work if I find someone who really connects with it,” he said.

David is also a keen photographer and will often capture a landscape before he sketches.

“I could see very well when I was younger but now I can’t focus so well without glasses,” he said.

“That’s where photography really helps.”

David uses photography as a guide to start his work but recalls a lot from memory in relation to the lighting, colour and textures.

The Q Pop Up Gallery in Kew is open from Thursday to Sunday from 10am until 4pm.

For more information visit www.qpopupgallery.com