How and where did your art practice begin?
Growing up on a farm in south eastern Wisconsin, I learned early to appreciate the beauty of the world around me. From an early age, I always loved to draw and create. I remember sitting around with friends and each of us drawing with pencils and paper; we mainly drew Suped up Vans and race cars or Super heroes! Later, In a fantastic curriculum at my high school, I took as many art classes as I could, concentrating on drawing and commercial art. I attended UW-Milwaukee where I continued my art studies while pursuing an art major and minor in criminal justice.
Life gets in the way of our best plans, and my career path took a different route where I worked many years in retail management. After my wife and I had our son, she encouraged me to rekindle my creativity and to learn to paint. I’ve been painting ever since, essentially the last 20 years, and I am self taught.
Where do you draw inspiration for your work?
I’m inspired visually from every day life to capture the beauty of what I witness. My landscapes are often based upon images I capture with my iPhone on walks. Other creative works are born from media sources that inspire me. There is a wealth of reference material at our fingertips in the digital age.
How do you plan your pieces? How do you decide when they’re finished?
I often visualize and play with the image in my head mentally long before I start the physical process of creating it. Most painters will freely admit that the final product is an evolution of the initial brush marks and will often change quite a bit during the process. It’s always hard to know when to stop. When I’m near the end of a work, I’ll let it alone for a few days, and revisit it with fresh eyes to see if I’m still happy with it.
What draws you to your preferred media?
I love painting in acrylic, watercolor, gouache, and often combine them in one piece. I love the different aspects that each medium brings to the process.
What resources did you use to learn your medium?
I’m largely self taught. I love learning from other artists by viewing there work. There is an incredible wealth of materials out there for anyone that wishes to learn different art medium, from books to classes to social media. Much of what you can learn as an artist is through sheer practice and perseverance.
Where else can people find you and your work?
My works are on display locally in town at The Cambridge Market and at The Art Hub. I take part in the community event/fundraiser for the Friends of the Library, and the Gala held at the Winery to benefit our art community. I do commissioned work, and can be reached easily through my Facebook page: Art by Dan Wagner. In addition, I sell prints and other products featuring my work through RedBubble and Fine Art America.
How do community art spaces like Art Hub enhance your ability to make, distribute, and celebrate art?
Art galleries, and businesses that display local artists have an immeasurable impact on the quality of everyone’s lives in the community. By giving artists the needed exposure, holding classes to educate, sharing the beauty of the world through different mediums and artists perspectives, and enriching everyone’s lives through art!
I firmly believe that Art is for everyone, and the Art Hub helps promote that in our community.
Comments