Dava Dahlgran

Artist Bio

Dava Dahlgran CPSA, CPX works almost exclusively in colored pencil. She creates both 100% pencil pieces and mixed media pieces using colored pencil with metallic leafing. As well as traditional art papers Dava enjoys working on a variety of surfaces. These include raw wood, sanded Pastelbord™ and Gessobord™. Her favorite genre is still life and she likes each piece to have a story to tell.

The personal artistic journey for Dava includes studies and work in the Commercial Art field followed by work in a print shop, during which she learned photography and how to run a small printing press. This in its own round-about way lead to becoming a crime lab photographer. Surprisingly, that was one of her best learning experiences for color theory because it included time spent printing color photos. Her last employment before being able to devote all her time to fine art was in picture framing and gallery sales. Throughout her adult life she has found time to belong to, and sit on the boards of, various local, area, and national art organizations as a way to give back to those who have helped promote and encourage art and artists.

Dava is a Charter and Signature member of the Colored Pencil Society of America and has exhibited extensively across the country in local, national and international juried shows. Her work has been published in books and magazines. She teaches colored pencil classes whenever she has a space to do so and enjoys teaching one and two-day workshops for organizations and small private groups.

Dava and her husband have three children, six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. They live in Janesville, WI where she has the luxury of two studios! In addition to her home studio she and three other artists share Studio 23A in Olde Towne Mall on Main Street in Janesville. They can be found working there most Tuesday and Friday afternoons. Visitors are always welcome.