About
Daniel "Dano" Carver
As an artist, I believe that creativity starts with exploration. Ideas are born from a deliberate learning process. My process always begins with identifying a subject that allows me an opportunity to explore saturated, vibrant colors and rich, unique textures. I am inspired by the beauty that can be found in the degradation of man-made materials, such as paint pealing from a wall or the oxidation of metal in an old truck. I am equally inspired by the textures and colors of aquamarine environments, whether it’s found in the coarseness of volcanic rock or the reflection of light of through a translucent jelly fish. My medium of choice is acrylic paint. I often incorporate collage when a specific painting requires a quality that a brush stroke cannot emulate. Regardless of medium or subject matter, my goal is to never stop learning and always keep exploring.
I started seriously pursuing art in 1999. I began with oil pastels. I valued these messy crayons of soft pigment for their bright colors. While at first I felt restricted by the limited number of available colors, I soon discovered that inspiration is birthed from my limitations. Utilizing a pointillism technique similar to work of post-impressionist artist Georges Seurat, I created pieces that let the viewers blend colors with their eye.
My love for oil pastels changed dramatically in 2005. After taking nearly three months of tedious work to complete my most notable pointillism piece, a 36″h x 40″w image of koi fish swimming in a pond, I vowed to never do pointillism with oil pastels ever again.
Instead I took up painting with acrylics. I discovered that acrylics are incredibly versatile. The color is brilliant and long-lasting. It acts like glue, allowing me to layer paper or collage. I can build it up and then distress with some abrasive instruments to achieve something really interesting and unique. The opportunities for experimentation are endless.
To receive news about my upcoming exhibitions please sign up for my e-mail list. I will never email you more than once a month (probably less), and you can opt out at any time. If you would like to purchase one of my paintings please contact me.
