There’s something deeply admirable about artists who aren’t on social media. In an age where it seems you have to post, tag, and hashtag your way into existence, those who quietly create—unbothered by algorithms or likes—feel almost mythic. We love them for it. We even praise them for their independence, their purity of focus. And yet… we can’t quite bring ourselves to join them.
For many of us, the idea of leaving social media feels like disappearing. It’s where collectors find new work, where galleries promote shows, where artists share process shots and studio glimpses that build connection and audience. It’s hard to imagine a career without it. And yet, every so often, someone reminds us that it is possible to exist outside the feed—and to thrive doing so.
Enter Dakota Pitts.
Born in 1989, Dakota is an oil painter working in the long, noble tradition of the 19th-century realists. His story begins with a childhood love of drawing, but it wasn’t until his mid-20s that he discovered painting. Rather than rushing into style or self-promotion, he started where all the greats start: with fundamentals. He spent years focused on drawing—really seeing, really studying—before allowing himself to move into paint.
Influenced by artists like Edgar Payne and Robert Henri, Dakota became fascinated by strong design and composition. He even built his first pochade box (a box for carrying art supplies) out of vintage cigar cases and began painting landscapes and portraits from life. His practice grew not from trends but from patience, curiosity, and observation.
Dakota’s paintings combine the expressive qualities of the human figure with the emotional truth of the landscape. There’s an honesty in them that can only come from direct experience—brush to surface, eye to subject, soul to world. He’s young, incredibly talented, and refreshingly unreachable. No feed, no stories, no posts. And yet, everything he sends us sells. Every piece.
Maybe that’s part of the magic. Without a constant online presence, his paintings become the only way to know him. His work speaks entirely for itself, and collectors can feel that authenticity.
In a world where most of us are tethered to screens, Dakota is out there living differently. He travels constantly, painting from life, finding meaning in the spaces between mountains, faces, and sky. His art tells the story of a life well lived—of someone deeply connected to both nature and craft. He’s proof that sometimes the best way to connect is to unplug. And maybe that’s why we love him so much. Because while the rest of us are scrolling, he’s out there living his best life—and painting it beautifully.
