Something has always intrigued me about the combination of the traditional and the modern, whether I see it in furniture, dinnerware, clothing, or art. It is this unique dichotomy that drew me to the paintings of Daniel Hills.
An artist and designer, Daniel’s art merges traditional acrylic painting techniques with digital photography and graphics.
The result is a mesmerizing blend of crisp digital images and informal brushstrokes. . . this painting of Berlin’s skyline showcases his techniques beautifully.
Daniel has a special ability to capture compelling moods. His use of acrylic paint gives an emotive, “painterly” feel to his backgrounds, while his digitized photography creates strong silhouettes for his foreground subjects.
His imagery is so strong, in fact, that as I view this next painting I can almost feel the chill in the air, hear the birds crowing, and sense the storm about to brew.
Both the background and foreground of this painting are highly active, but notice how Daniel has carefully placed a white spot in the clouds, behind the birds, to give a focal point to the painting.
Even though there’s a lot of visual energy in this piece, that white spot allows your eyes to find a place to rest.
In Barcelona (the image below), Daniel has increased the intensity even more by silhouetting a very unique jumble of rooftops against a brilliant, colorful sky.
Once more, the white parts of the sky offer your eyes a much-needed resting place, while also serving to balance the inky black shapes in the foreground.
If you’d like to see more of Daniel’s uniquely blended paintings, please visit his website at www.DanielHills.co.uk or visit his Etsy store at DanielHills.Etsy.com.