David Najar

Art Brokerage: Park West Artist: David Najar Israeli Artist: b. 1962. Born in 1962, Najar grew up in Israel. His teachers recognized Najar's artistic skills, but his family was less supportive of Najar's talent. Najar was in his 30s when he realized that he wanted to create art for a living. He signed up for painting classes, instructing Krav Maga by day and painting at night. After a year of classes, his art teacher praised Najar's abilities, but asked him to leave the class because of his "independent style." The artist didn't let the critique deter him. In 2003, renowned Israeli artist Itzchak Tarkay began to mentor Najar. The two artists painted together until Tarkay's passing in 2012. Najar also learned from Moshe Rosenthalis, a Lithuanian artist who was a soldier and illustrator during World War II before immigrating to Israel. Characterized by coiled brushstrokes, rippling patterns, and saturated hues, Najar uses nature and his love for artists like the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists as inspiration. Najar paints spontaneously, instinctively choosing colors to express his emotions. Utilizing impasto and rubber brushes, Najar uses color and texture to define the relationship between light and shadow in his paintings. Often focusing on landscapes, his compositions feature themes of reflection by utilizing water sources, the setting sun, and shadows. He also paints figures and still lifes, focusing on bright colors that are deepened by heavily contrasting shadows. Original paintings wanted.