Where do you reside and work currently? Denver, Colorado
Did you have any training for art or is it inherent? I was introduced to two-dimensional design and art history in high school. But my training in painting artistically is through self-study, practical experimentation, and honing abilities.
Do you remember the first piece of art that you created? An acrylic painting on paper that I completed in kindergarten… it was definitely abstract. Both it and I were a mess by the time the class finished. I still love those primary colors to this day, though.
When did you first start making art and what lead you to start? As a kid, I randomly made art in and out of school (drawings, paintings, crafts, etc.). It wasn’t until 2007 that I focused more on making art. I wanted to learn how to use the photography darkroom at my high school, as manually processing film into prints seemed like magic to me. So, I took a photography class and AP Studio Art 2D, which led me to experiment with new artistic designs and techniques, including abstraction. During that time and thereafter, I doodled with increasing complexity using pen on paper a lot. Then I discovered how painting is such a comprehensively immersive activity for me. So I started painting more often, viewing it as a practical meditation while transforming and incorporating the abstract doodles into intuitive acrylic paintings…
Best advice you ever received in regards to your art? “Just keep doing you. Don’t let things that happen in life get in the way of you painting.”
What influences you as an artist? I’m influenced by my desire to share and appreciate beauty, mystery, creativity, and emotions in ways that may live beyond me.
Do you first draw a mock-up? I usually draw a mock-up design on the canvas before painting it, but not always. That depends on what type of painting I’m doing, what painting styles I plan to incorporate, and with how many layers of paint I’m working.
Your pieces are extremely intricate, and time consuming, what is the longest you have spent on a piece? If I were to say, I’d just be guessing. I usually don’t count too closely the number of hours that I spend on each painting. Once I get in the zone, I don’t worry so much about time, so as long as my other life duties at the time are satisfactorily on-track. What’s more important to me is effectively carrying out the vision that I have for a given painting. That can take many hours or days, as my paintings aren’t complete until I believe so, and applying details is crucial but time-consuming.
Are the colors in your art indicative of your state of mind? Sure, given that my state of mind influences my color choices for a given painting. Oftentimes I choose the colors first and then decide what to paint, adding or modifying colors later in the painting process. I pick colors based on a variety of criteria including, but not limited to: how I think they will appear, relate, and interact with one another (blended vs. unblended, layered vs. single layer, etc.), as well as my overall emotional intention for the painting and resulting (light vs. dark) hue biases.
How would you like to be seen as an artist years from now? Hopefully, people will view me as a loving, passionate, and innovative painter with longevity and consistency in producing original high-quality paintings.
Do you have a place/person/thing that you visit for inspiration? My family and friends inspire me, but continually rather than necessarily per visit. Regarding visits, the headspaces that I visit while meditating inspire me, as do mountains/forests, deserts, and beaches… I love natural beauty.
If you could have dinner with 3 artists living/dead who would be at your table? Alex Grey, Pablo Picasso, and Vincent van Gogh
Name three things you can’t live without in your studio? Water, air, and light.
How would someone find you on social media? Instagram: @danewellsart or www.danewellsart.com .
