Abigail Daniel

My work is an attempt to channel and express my thoughts. I often get lost in thought, and I try to express this in my work: to get lost in, engage and experience it. Familiar people and environments are often the subject of my work. Simple subjects allow me to fully explore my compulsive and gestural handwriting. I work from life but feel free to interpret the sensations I see and feel and distort and adapt them to the aesthetics of the image. I use cohesive, vivid color combinations to simplify and harmonize any dissonance felt in the marks. The agitation in the marks, the solemn subject, and the heightened color work with and against each other to devise an air of melancholy and mystery.

My primary interest is in designing an image for maximum visual and emotional impact, whether by painting or by printing. Printmaking allows me to make unique marks that are permanent, forcing me to stick with my decisions and react to marks that have been made. I have a lot of ideas and the medium forces me to commit to one thought. Printing lets me work fast and in-states, recording my thoughts through proofing. It allows me to discard the idea of making something that is visually pleasing, but instead visually engaging. Painting requires more time from me. I paint many different versions and layers before reaching any final decisions. It is easy for me to get lost in the fluidity of the paint. I find stability in strong contours and fluid lines. Both mediums let me try different approaches, pose questions, and continue to develop as an artist.