David Nordahl

David Nordahl (born 1941) is an American painter, most notable for serving as singer Michael Jackson's personal portraitist from 1988–2005. Nordahl gained initial fame through his scrupulously researched paintings of Apache life.

Biography David Nordahl was born in Albert Lea, Minnesota in 1941. Of his early years, Nordahl stated: "I can't remember not drawing. I had an abusive, alcoholic father, and drawing is something that takes you out of the real world. I was always interested in cowboys and Indians. I sold drawings of the Lone Ranger to my classmates."

He graduated from Albert Lea High School in 1959. Besides painting portraits, Nordahl also created set pieces for theatrical productions for the Albert Lea Civic Theater in the mid-1960s. He moved to Steamboat Springs, Colorado, in 1977. In Colorado, Nordahl solely focused on painting photorealistic portraits of Apache life, which lured collectors due to his painstaking detail and high quality. was arrested in August 2013 in connection with a string of thefts that focused entirely on antique silver pieces.