Morocco: The Marketplace in Marrakech
22 x 28 in.
Oil on canvas
2018

In 2009, I had the wonderful experience of painting in Morocco. The Jemaa el-Fnaa is a square and market place in Marrakesh’s medina quarter. It remains the main square of Marrakesh, used by locals and tourists, and its’ atmospheric character inspired this painting.

David Tanner is a representational oil painter in Richmond, Virginia. Since receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in illustration from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1991, his study of traditional painting technique includes workshops with modern masters Nelson Shanks in Philadelphia and Robert Liberace in Washington DC. 

After more than a decade of commissioned oil portraiture, David has focused on figurative and plein-air painting since 2006. Frequent traveling has provided rich opportunities for capturing the light and color of locations in Russia, Italy, Spain, Morocco, and Great Britain. While visiting painting collections in these countries, David has studied the work of Sargent, Sorolla, Zorn, Repin, and other late 19th and early 20th century masters.

Juried national exhibitions include Oil Painters of America, Salon International, Plein-Air Richmond, and Bath County Plein-Air Festival. National awards include eleven paintings honored in the Portrait Society of America’s Member’s Only Competition between 2011 & 2018. In 2018, his painting First Draft was awarded a Certificate of Excellence in The Portrait Society’s International Portrait Competition; his painting Fiddler On The Balcony was awarded “Select 50” in the 2019 PSA International Portrait Competition.  Other honors include placement in competitions hosted by PleinAir MagazineThe Artist’s Magazine, Raymar Fine Art and BoldBrush.

David’s Self-Portrait won 1st prize in American Artist magazine’s annual competition and was featured on the cover of this respected publication in September 2012. He has also been featured in Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine and American Art Collector. A five-page interview on his working methods can be found in PleinAir Magazine April 2015. In November 2016, David was interviewed for PBS television’s “Virginia Currents”.

David is an active member of the Portrait Society of America, and teaches oil painting at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond, where he was elected Master Teacher in 2006.

A rotating display of available paintings can be seen year-round in David’s gallery space at Crossroads Art Center (2016 Staples Mill Road, Richmond, Virginia, Mon-Sat 10-6, Sun 12-4).

View more of David’s work, read his blog, and sign up for his newsletter at DavidTannerFineArt.com.