David Avery, born on February 4, 1952, has been creating finely detailed black and white etchings in San Francisco for twenty years. Originally trained as a classical musician, he discovered etching almost by accident in a class at the local community college. After learning the basic techniques, he intently pursued his own course of discovery, being essentially self-taught. Over the years, he has developed an exceptional technique and has created a remarkable body of finely wrought miniature etchings and drypoints. Even though “black and white doesn’t sell,” he has eschewed the use of color, finding the subtleties and tonalities of black and white most capable of creating the psychological mood that allows his work to be effective.

Avery has exhibited throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as nationwide. His works are included in the Fogg Museum of Fine Arts, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts; the Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts, San Francisco, California; Stanford University Library, Special Collections, Stanford, California; Turner Print Museum, California State University, Chico, California; the Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington, D.C.; St. Mary’s College, Moraga, California; New York Public Library, New York; and the San Francisco Public Library, Book Arts and Special Collections Center.