Daniela Reed: Complex Emotions in Ink and Spray Paint

By Cassie Rief in Featured Artists > Other Mediums

For the past five years, Bristol-based artist Daniela Reed has been creating mosaics out of stained glass and mirror. Recently, however, she decided to break free from glass in order to experiment with spray paint, acrylic paint, and pen and ink.

“I started using [spray paint] as a background for my mosaics and felt that the different effects and textures which can be produced were something that I wanted to explore further,” she said.

One of Daniela’s goals for her new mixed-media work is to capture the complexities of emotion found in facial expressions, and I believe she does that in this first piece, entitled Rage.

rage

Both the bold black shadows that define the man’s chiseled physique and the blatant energy radiating from bright red hues add a strong visual that complements the title of this painting.

With the added chaos of swirling, dripping specks and droplets of paint, my stomach aches at the thoughts this man must hold captive in his head.

Romance, seen below, brings forth a different set of emotions. Its bright colors speak of the wild, reckless passion of new love, unfolding like brilliant flowers from the earth in springtime.

romance

Such is love—eternally unquenchable, unbounding, and if you hold on tight enough, it will take you for the ride of your life.

In this final piece, titled Deluge, a woman languidly sinks just beneath a watery surface. But even though the water fills her ears and tugs at the corners of her mouth, this woman appears blissfully unaware.

deluge

All of Daniela’s paintings contain a “street art” vibe that makes them feel edgy and in the moment. Take a look at the rest of her work on her website, and don’t miss her mirrored mosaics as well.

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