User:Rockrhodes63

David Uhl

The Beginnings

Fine Artist David Uhl was born in Toledo, OH in 1961. One of seven children of Phillip E. and Betty Uhl, David grew up in Luna Pier, MI and is the grandson of Clement Uhl, founder of the Uhl Art Steel company, a furniture design and manufacturing company based in Toledo, OH. During his senior year in high school (even though his school did not offer any art classes), David was awarded the prestigious John Jellico scholarship, awarded to one U.S. high school student each year.

Full-ride scholarship in hand, David headed west to the Colorado Institute of Art in Denver, Colorado where he learned that a traditional education did not suit him. In 1979, he founded an award-winning illustration company, Uhl Studios, which counted among its clients FedX, Coca Cola, IBM, Brookstone, The Wall Street Journal, NewsWeek and several other Fortune 500 companies.

In 1993, Uhl began designing apparel for Harley-Davidson. Many of these apparel designs have become classics and can still be seen at various motorcycle rallies around the world today. In 1998, David picked up a paintbrush and created his first oil painting, titled "Change in the Weather". Upon taking it to Harley-Davidson headquarters in Milwaukee, WI, David was eagerly welcomed as the first licensed Oil Painter for The Motor Company.

Since then, David has created hundreds of masterpieces as an archival artist for Harley-Davidson. Poring over the company's black and white photography, David is able to select the best compositions and bring them to life in oil on canvas. His work has graced numerous magazine covers, including Quick Throttle, The Enthusiast, American Iron, Ironworks HOG Magazine and Thunder Roads Magazine. In 2003, as part of Harley-Davidson's 100th anniversary, David was featured on CBS Sunday Morning, in which he as referred to as "the Norman Rockwell of Harley-Davidson artists". In 2005, David created an original portrait of Willie G. Davidson of Harley-Davidson. This oil painting was donated as a live auction item for Muscular Dystrophy Association's Black 'n Blue Ball in Milwaukee. The painting fetched over $57,000 for the charity, a record amount for a donation to the event.

David's traveling gallery can be seen at a variety of events including the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally (Sturgis, SD), Daytona Bike Week (Daytona, FL), the Barrett-Jackson automobile auction in Scottsdale, AZ and several other events throughout the year.

His Works

Perhaps most well-known for his Women of Harley-Davidson Collection, David's works also include commemorative pieces created each year for the Sturgis (SD) Motorcycle Rally and Bike Week in Daytona, FL, The Graceland Project for Elvis Presley Enterprises, his Pin-Up Series and several historically relevant aviation and automotive pieces.

In 2005, David painted a portrait of Willie G. Davidson of Harley-Davidson. The painting was donated to Muscular Dystrophy Association for their Black 'n Blue Ball and fetched a record $57,500 at auction.

David was selected to provide the Program Cover imagery for the Indianapolis 500 in both 2008 and 2011, 2011 being the 100th anniversary of the race. He was the official 50th Anniversary artist for the Shelby American Museum in 2012 and his works hang not only in the Harley-Davidson Museum but also in galleries and with clients worldwide.

Uhl provided the Grand Prizes, oils on canvas, for the winners of the inaugural coast-to-coast Cannonball Endurance Run in 2010.

His works have been featured on Jay Leno's Garage and he was commissioned by Steven Tyler (Aerosmith) to paint several of the his family members.

In 2013, David was commissioned by The Vatican and Harley-Davidson to create an iconic image to celebrate The Motor Company's 110th Anniversary celebration in Rome, Italy. This image was incorporated into the Vatican Postal Service's commemorative postcard, bearing the stamp of Pope Francis and a special ______. While in Rome, David presented the Vatican and Pope Francis with the artwork during a private meeting.

Notable Works References

External Links