Dave West was born in the small fishing village of Penclawdd in South Wales, He spent much of his childhood in Swansea City moving to Ireland in 1995 and has lived and worked as a full time artist in North County Dublin for the past 17 years.

He travels extensively around Ireland producing much of his work ‘en plein air’ (painting from life outdoors) spending much time on the Southern and Western seaboard exploring and painting the coastline all the way from Wexford to Donegal. Many of his larger studio works are based on smaller ‘plein air’ studies and he feels that this challenging method with its direct connection to the landscape enables him to capture a much deeper and richer experience than working from photographic sources.

Dave has had 17 solo exhibitions to date and is a regular exhibitor in Ireland with the Royal Hibernian Academy, Royal Ulster Academy, the Dublin Painting and Sketching Club and the Irish Pastel Society. His work is in numerous corporate, private and state collections including Fingal and Wexford County Councils, the Office of Public Works, BP, Texaco, Bank of Ireland and the Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland.

Dave maintains a strong artistic connection with the UK and is a regular exhibitor at the majority of its most prestigious shows including the Royal West of England Academy, Royal Cambrian Academy in Wales, Royal Institute of Oil Painters, Royal Society of British Artists and the New English Art Club. In 2017 he won the first prize Gold Mayoral Award at the International plein air festival ‘Art in the Open’ and in 2013 won the Schminke award at the London Pastel Society Annual Exhibition.