“David Chapman is an artist of colour, lightness and vivacity. Although his pictures are the result of considerable serious attention. they appear spontaneous. Nothing, however, was achieved without consideration, observation, reflection, knowledge and hard work.” Michael Shannon an artist and friend of David wrote in October 1986 for the catalogue The Tasmanian Years 1927-1983, Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery curated by Diane Dunbar.

David was a significant Tasmanian artist who in the latter part of his artistic life lived at Palmerston Meadows, Cressy.

The paintings by David Chapman have been viewed throughout his life time through solo exhibitions and retrospective exhibitions.

Embedded in the cultural landscape of Tasmania at the end of his life magnificent paintings were executed. This exact landscape has been an inspiration to many artists both contemporary and historical including Tom Roberts.

Having painted all of his life both in NSW, Victoria and Tasmania. it was the surrounding “Cressy landscape”, which became an enormous inspiration to him and the result is a body of work which are joyful paintings about the Northern Tasmanian landscape. As time progressed, as often the case with artists in later life the palette changed somewhat but also too the works pictorially became less complicated.

Each year a trip would be taken to a new source of material whether it was interstate or overseas and his love of France was always in the background.

Following his death in 1983 a major retrospective in 1987 was held at QVMAG Launceston Diane Dunbar, Curator of Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery completed his catalogue raisonne.

“His work is a significant addition to the great, grand tradition of Australian landscape painting. His exhibitions help to show what a triumph of light and air, he created”, says Michael Shannon artist.