Western Landscape artist Fonny Davidson was born in Wenatchee Washington in 1947, and has spent his whole life involved with the arts. His mother started him playing the violin when he was four, and he has continued to be an active musician all of his life. Fonny’s ties to the Northwest region run deep. His mother’s family settled in the central Washington area as cattle people during the mid 1800s. His father, born in 1887, was raised along the Lolo Pass in Idaho where his grandfather Davidson was a blacksmith.

For many years Fonny preferred the method of painting landscapes “en plein air”, choosing to work almost exclusively outside from live subject matter. He can still be found tramping the hills with his pochade box in a pack searching for the right spot. Over time, strict adherence to that process has lessened and he now works from sketches and slides in the studio as well. His still life paintings have always been tied to the studio where control of the beautiful, constant North Light is possible.

“To be a traditional painter is difficult. Most schools don’t teach traditional methods, and most painters don’t, or won’t, go through the training needed to learn how to use them. Like most good painters, I am trying to capture the essence of where I am, who I am, and how I relate to the environment I live in. I believe the key to this is to be honest with yourself, and try to reflect honestly through your work.”