David Hale (AR6)

     David Hale is a illustrator, designer, muralist, and tattoo artist who lives and works in Athens, GA. Back in 2006 he received his BFA in Painting from University of Georgia in Athens. He is currently the owner and lead tattooist of LoveHawk Studios in Athens. He has a deep love and spiritual connection for the world and nature which is incorporated into his artwork. Much of his paintings have animals as his subject, many of which are birds of prey like hawks, owls, and eagles. His artworks have organic, natural tones of colors and mandala geometric patterns in others. Over the past few years his tattoo work has become increasingly well known in the world of body modification, people will travel from all over the country (even outside the country) to get a tattoo of his artwork. Each tattoo is unique to all others that he has done.

     His painting, 'You Will Die', a human skull is in the foreground of an orange-red circle resembling the sun. There is a heavy use of contour lines, and a variety of gray and tan tones of color to create depth and detail to the skull. The lines form sharp crystal-like shapes and edges that are forming on the surface and inside the skull cavity. Mushrooms are growing from the orifices and cracks in the skull. Although the title of this piece seems to sound ominous, the content in the painting is brighter. The human skull is an aspect of death but the mushrooms growing from it signify birth. The circle behind the skull displays the fact that life and death is a cycle of nature. One organism dies, but another is born and grows.

     Many of his tattoos and illustrations have a heavy influence of North Western native american animal totem designs while still maintaining his own distinctive style. It comes to no true surprise that Hale's art incorporates their designs, native american spiritual beliefs and myths are deeply tied into connecting and respecting 'mother earth' and all the beings that manifest from her.