September 2019 Artist of the Month: Mark Daniels
Congratulations to Mark Daniels for being our September 2019 Artist of the Month!
“I was born and raised in rural Elida, Ohio and developed a love of creative drawing and art making at a young age. I loved being outside in the woods or digging in the dirt growing up. I was equally happy inside, busily creating my own fictitious characters, sketching portraits of people, and experimenting with different drawing mediums all through my formative years. It wasn’t until I attended Goshen College as an art major that I receive any sort of formal training.”
“I pursued art-making at home after college, completing commissions, getting gigs as a caricaturist, leading art workshops, and attempting to sell my artwork at small art fairs. I developed my skill as a caricature artist on my own and still craved to paint on canvas. During this time of new growth and exploration, I joined and still participate in a great support group of artists called the Dandelion Seed Company to help me sort through the challenges of developing my trade and living the artist life.
My art career took a back seat for a time as my wife, Krista, and I bought a house and started a family. I got a job teaching art at Bethany Christian Schools, where I learned that I was not cut out for classroom teaching. After 3 years of teaching, I made the decision to become a full-time artist, and that turned a corner in my art career. I completed a series of small, mixed media flower paintings that I really enjoyed and was pleased when this unique way of depicting flowers gained approval from my growing fan base. After the sale of those watercolor paintings, subsequent greeting cards, and running more art workshops, I found myself needing a space to do the messy work of creating. I found a fantastic studio space in The Irwin Art Center in Goshen.”
“I credit Krista as my inspiration to paint what I do. As an Interpretive Naturalist she teaches about the native flora and fauna of the Midwest. It is important to her that people understand and care for the natural world around them. This passion has also influenced me to celebrate the native, important, and beautiful creation around us through my work.
I love creating vibrant paintings using my skill as a caricature artist to distill an identifiable subject into exaggerated angular color shapes and lines, leaving a recognizable but impressionistic depiction of said subject. I am passionate about sharing what I have found out about color theory with others. My paintings always have a sense of rhythm, and fun, disarming compositional elements that make the painting seem to come alive. I love creating special request works of art.”
View more of Mark’s work or contact him at:
Website: markdanielsarts.com
Facebook: @ArtByMarkD
Instagram: @markdanielsarts
Twitter: @markdanielsarts