David Turnbaugh

David T. Turnbaugh is well-known for his paintings depicting waterfowl, boats of the Chesapeake (especially skipjacks), and Mid-Atlantic landscapes. He is a native of Maryland and lives in Towson with his true love, Maureen. In 1959, Dave earned his BFA from the Maryland Institute of Fine Arts, where he studied under the late Jacques Maroger. He still uses the “Maroger-medium” in his oil paintings to achieve exceptional clarity and enduring, old-world quality.After graduating college, Dave taught art for twelve years in Baltimore County Schools. But his real passion is the art and he has now been a full-time artists for thirty-plus years. He is an artist member of the Grand Central Art Galleries of New York City and a member of the American Society of Marine Artists. His paintings have been included in exhibits across the United States.

Some of Dave’s accomplishments include: The Silver Medal Award, Maryland Institute of Fine Arts; numerous awards received from exhibits and from juried museum shows; a 1977 cover of “Prevention Magazine,” and a number of magazine and newspaper articles. He is a five-time winner of Maryland’s prestigious Duck Stamp Competition, having won in 1985, 1991, 1996, 2000, and again in 2004. In response, Governor Robert Ehrlich, Lt. Governor Michael Steele, and Secretary of State Karl Aumann, presented Dave with a Governor’s Citation “in admiration and great respect for your positive contribution to Maryland.”

David is in the process of painting a portrait of each of the remaining skipjacks and publishing a limited edition print of each. This would have been an impossible feat ninety years ago as there were 1000 skipjacks working the Bay. Today it is a manageable project since there are only twenty-some skipjacks left. In the early 80’s Turnbaugh recognized the fact that these boats were in trouble. Most were more than seventy years old, and in addition to this, the oysters were in decline due to the over-harvesting and disease. The artist believes his project will bring attention to the plight of the skipjack.