Visionary Art
David "Owl" Chen is an Oregon-based interdisciplinary visual artist creating paintings, installations, and immersive experiences centered on reflection, connection, and transformation.
Through original artwork, community collaborations, and experiential events, his work invites audiences to slow down, explore new perspectives, and engage more deeply with themselves, one another, and the world around them. Each painting unfolds through a process of deep listening to allow imagery, color, and form to emerge as a life of its own, exploring the intersection of visionary symbolism and intuitive expression.
"This is more than simply painting pretty images. It is an alchemical and living journey that mirrors my own growth and exploration through life."
Commissions
You + me + a blank canvas + the flow of life = MAGIC
Built to last as a legacy piece, this is an opportunity to create a one-of-a-kind painting that captures your story, your energy, and what matters most to you. Each painting emerges through the same intuitive approach as all original works, with the added benefit of YOUR insights and vision.
What You’ll Receive
-
A fully original, custom painting created in alignment with your vision
-
Collaborative concept development with sketches and refinement
-
Clear communication and progress updates throughout the process
-
Intentional check-ins early on to ensure we’re moving in the right direction
-
A finished piece ready to live in your space for years to come
The Process
1. Free Consultation
We’ll connect to explore the vision, size, and direction. No pressure, just clarity.
2. Concept Development ($200 deposit)
You’ll receive 3 to 5 initial sketches. From there, we'll refine into 1 to 2 clearer and larger sketches with more detail and color.
3. Green Light (50% project investment)
Once you feel confident in the direction, I'll begin the main painting. You’ll receive progress updates along the way, with opportunities for light directional feedback, especially in the early stages to ensure alignment.
4. Completion
Estimated timeframe will be discussed after the consultation. Small paintings may only take 1 week to complete while masterpiece projects may take up to 6 months. Final balance due prior to delivery.
The Investment
Most commissions fall within the following ranges:
-
Small works: starting around $500
-
Mid-size originals: $1,500 to $5,000
-
Large-scale or signature “Masterpiece” works: $8,000 to $12,000+
Pricing is based on size, detail, and scope, clearly outlined after the consultation.
Client Reflection
"I’ve never considered myself a painter, but I’ve always wanted to express the depth of my own spirit. Working with Owl was such a joy! My home is now blessed with the most epic piece that looks and feels like my own co-creation!"
-J.C.
Availability
I take on a maximum of 4 commission projects per year to ensure each piece receives full attention, care, and creative energy.
Begin the Process
If this resonates, reach out to schedule a free consultation. We’ll explore the vision together and see if it feels like the right fit. If it does, we get to move forward with clarity and intention. If not, you’ll still walk away with a stronger sense of what you’re looking for.
Fine Art Originals
& Prints
Add some depth and atmosphere to your home or workspace with an Owl Nest original or print.
In addition to stunning originals (often featuring multi-layered mixed media elements) you’ll also find quality prints with the highest resolution available in the industry.
Rabbit Hole
2026. 36x48 inches, acrylic on canvas with 13 porcupine quills and 1 googly eye
Grief lives on the same coin as joy. The cycle and all of duality as we know it IS the eternal Rabbit Hole.
I invite you to pause for a moment to reflect on the reality of Samsāra, the 10,000 iterations of yin and yang, our ridiculous societal expectations, and everything in
between. As in the painting, with the help of wise sages we can sometimes break free from the Matrix… only to be redirected toward a new state of being.
I believe the greatest salve for grief is to take a very large step back from the context of our own lives. This unending mystery, this Rabbit Hole, is all we have.
This piece was commissioned in conjunction with a special art exhibit as part of "Immersive Events” surrounding the award-winning play: Rabbit Hole.
Sovereign Love
2025. 24x40 inches, acrylic on canvas with ash, tears, snake skin and owl feathers.
This painting has evolved over decades… its earliest layers weren't mine at all. It began as a wedding gift for a dear friend, painted by her sister (you can still spot pieces of the original, with the tan branches at the upper left and the small star along the left edge). The first version was of two figures forming the trunk of a tree, their arms/branches reaching upward, symbolizing divine union and two souls merged as one. I hold deep reverence for that beautiful foundation.
Years later, after my friend's marriage had ended, she entrusted the painting to me. The symbolism met me exactly where I was. Gradually over two years, I ushered its evolution as I explored what it meant to cultivate both love and sovereignty. I poured into it my intentions, grief & “heartbreak," tears, nostalgia, and authenticity. Layer by layer, as the painting transformed, so did I.
To me, this painting is a prayer. It reminds me that beneath every story and expectation of love, we remain sovereign souls, each walking our own path of growth. Perhaps the deepest lesson is that I believe two people can stand firmly in their own truth while still sharing and expanding the light of life together.
Blessings to you. Keep your heart open, no matter what. May every crack in your heart become an opening for even greater love to pour through.
Ecstatic Elements
2024. 44x44 inches, acrylic on wood with snake skin, deer fur, porcupine quills, garnets, and ash.
Ecstatic Elements was born from a year and a half of profound inner exploration.
When I first began the painting, I remember nearly closing my eyes and allowing my body to move intuitively across the canvas. The process felt less like creating and more like uncovering. A circle emerged, then four distinct quadrants, and eventually I realized they reflected the Wheel of Life and the subtle elements woven throughout all of existence: Fire, Earth, Air, and Water, held together by the unifying presence of Ether. Each element is unique, yet inseparable from the whole.
This painting became a personal anchor during a season of constant external change. I worked on it in five different homes as I searched for stability and my place in the world. My roots have always extended into something greater than myself and into the living web of nature.
Ecstatic Elements made its public debut during my DJ set of the same name in April 2024. The music and the painting were never separate expressions. Together, they tell the story of an ongoing journey of movement, transformation, and remembering the profound interconnectedness of life.
Poetic Presence
2025. 14x14 inches, acrylic on canvas
Poetic Presence was an inspirational theme for a year. I took an intention-setting workshop in January 2025 with the visionary artist, Ishka Lha. This included reflections and sketching a mandala to represent all areas of The Wellness Wheel: Occupational, Social, Intellectual, Physical, Spiritual, Environmental, Financial, and Emotional.
The exercise was designed to be sketched on a piece of paper with the names of each category, plus affirmations and specific intentions written out for each. Instead, I painted the mandala so I could visually represent the essence of the prayers and intentions. This was a powerful and useful tool that served through a transformative year. In December 2025, I burned the painting with gratitude.
No prints for sale.
Workshops
More to come very soon.