David and Peggy Rogers chose Morro Bay to open his thriving art gallery in 2018.

Nationally recognized artist brings watercolor education and retreats home to the Central Coast

The rugged cliffs, soft morning fog, and tranquil tide pools of California’s Central Coast have long inspired artists, and watercolorist David J. Rogers is one of its most passionate ambassadors. In 2018, David and his wife and business partner, Peggy, opened the David J. Rogers Fine Art Gallery in downtown Morro Bay. Since then, the gallery has evolved into not only a destination for art, but a hub for learning, community, and creative discovery.

From self-taught beginnings to inspiring thousands

A self-taught artist, David has been drawing and painting since childhood. With more than 25 years of professional experience and a lifetime of studying light, shadow, and atmosphere, he has developed a teaching style that is now followed by students around the world. His step-by-step “learn by doing” approach allows beginners to create surprisingly advanced paintings – even on their very first try – while still challenging and inspiring seasoned artists.

“Watercolor is a natural transition from drawing,” David explains. “You’re not just adding pigment – you’re preserving the light. In watercolor, the paper itself is part of the painting, and that’s what makes the medium both beautiful and challenging.”

Art for everyone—workshops, courses and online learning

David’s workshops and online courses make watercolor accessible to students across the globe. Through live online watercolor mastery workshops held twice each month, artists paint alongside David in real time, learning composition, color harmony, and brush control. His website also offers beginner-friendly online courses and digital resources, including several recorded workshops.

For those seeking a deeper journey, David offers year-long watercolor programs designed to cultivate artistic identity, mastery of design principles, and personal style.

Central Coast retreats and worldwide inspiration

In addition to online instruction, David and Peggy now host intimate in-person watercolor retreats along the Central Coast each year. These retreats welcome artists to paint among Morro Bay’s coastal dunes, fishing boats, eucalyptus groves, and oak-studded hillsides, immersed in the beauty that inspires so much of David’s work.

This past year, they also led a group of students on an unforgettable painting trip through Italy, capturing the golden rooftops of Tuscany, the stone villages of Umbria, and quiet moments of light and shadow in centuries-old streets. The experience sparked a wave of fresh inspiration, influencing many of David’s newest works now hanging in the gallery.

Visitors to the gallery today will find walls filled with new watercolor paintings – vibrant seascapes, soft coastal fog, vineyards from Tuscany, and peaceful scenes from Italian hill towns – each piece carries the story of place, light, and memory.

Commissioned artwork

Collectors are invited to commission custom paintings – whether a favorite vacation scene, beloved home, or meaningful memory. Working from photos or on-site sketches, David creates original watercolor pieces tailored to the client’s vision.

A place of community, creativity, and coastal beauty

Whether you stop in to browse the artwork, join a workshop, or pick up a paintbrush for the first time, David and Peggy warmly welcome you.

“Morro Bay has embraced us since the day we opened,” David says. “This community, the ocean, the light – it’s an endless source of inspiration. And to be able to share that through teaching and art, it’s a gift.”

Their love for the town is seen not just in their paintings, but also in the large mural they donated to the City of Morro Bay, celebrating the annual Kite Festival – a colorful landmark now proudly displayed on the side of their gallery.

The David J Rogers Fine Art Gallery is located at 407 Morro Bay Boulevard, Morro Bay. For more information about the art, workshops, instructions, commissions, and gallery events, visit davidjrogersart.com, call (805) 225-5077, or follow on Facebook.