Dave Santia
Flag Raising at Iwo Jima
Flag Raising at Iwo Jima was created by Dave Santia during a live performance in 2018. Using his world-renowned speed painting skills, Santia painted the piece in around ten minutes.
According to Santia, the Iwo Jima painting is one of the hardest images he recreates using the speed method.
“One of my usual paintings will take 5 to 7 minutes to complete, but this one usually takes over ten minutes,” Santia shared. “Not only is it one of the most iconic images in history, recognized by almost every American, but the level of detail in the image makes it hard to do live using the speed painting method.”
While many artists painting on canvas use oil-based paints, Santia uses regular house latex paint when speed painting because it dries faster. The use of latex paint is how he was able to keep the colors true during the creation of the Flag Raising at Iwo Jima painting that is on display in Baird Center.
“When I started speed painting, there weren’t many people doing it. I had to teach myself everything from scratch, Santia stated. “By the time I did Iwo Jima for Baird Center, I think I had the technique down pretty well. I knew the type of paint, canvas and brushes to use to make the painting. Even though this one was hard to paint, I love it for how iconic the image is and what it represents.”
About Dave Santia
Dave Santia is a premier performance speed painter from the Detroit area. With a combination of rock & roll, and attack of speed and color, he creates his speed paintings right before your very eyes in just a matter of minutes!
Santia began his artistic journey at the young age of 7, filling sketchpad after sketchpad with different drawings; his mom’s one constant shopping list item was a new sketch pad every week. Mostly self-trained, he further continued on through the years learning different techniques from multiple sources.
Also, a lover of music, Santia has been able to blend his two passions through speed painting. One day, while he was sitting at home wondering how he could combine his two loves of art and music, he found himself surfing on YouTube when he came across a video of speed painter Denny Dent. he watched that video, and thought to himself, “I think I can do that.” So, he practiced, and worked at it and soon unveiled his Art and Soul.
Originally planning on using his speed painting ability to get people’s attention and to get them interested in his oil paintings that can take up to 40 hours, Santia soon found himself invited to perform his speed paintings at various charitable fundraisers and occasional corporate events.
Since premiering his speed paintings in 2011, Santia has helped multiple charities raise over $1,100,000. from the auctioning of his artwork as of December 2021. With over 300 speed paintings in his repertoire (and growing), he can easily accommodate any audience. Santia has also had the pleasure of working with several local media and sports figures, and multiple national celebrities.
