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I work almost exclusively with dry pastel. It was my first medium as a young artist and one that I’m always drawn back to after exploring other materials. Unlike other media, to me, pastels feel like they are extensions of my fingers.

My approach with pastels is more akin to painting than drawing where I start by blocking in shapes working from dark to light and refine the piece as I try to resolve it allowing the pastel to speak for itself. I try not to blend it too much because the spontaneity and freshness are lost when a piece is over blended. My palette is bold and consists of pastels by several makers including but not limited to Unison, Terry Ludwig, Great American, Rembrandt and Schmincke.


Painting is my passion and my calling. I enjoy seeing the beauty in the world around us. In my painting, I try to take that beauty beyond what we see. People talk about "seeing the big picture" or "paying attention to the details.” While the artist can focus on either of these in their work, I believe true art takes us beyond both, to see the true beauty in the world. In other words, works of art are both a reflection of and, in a sense, a distortion of, reality, because it is that which we see and more. If my artwork does anything, I hope it takes the person who views it further than the two dimensions within the frame, to their own experience and expression of beauty in the world. Art is collaboration between the artist and those who experience the art. Enjoy!



Bio Bio

Daniel Wise is a fine artist living in the Washington DC metro area who works primarily in soft (dry) pastel. He is a Signature Member of the Pastel Society of America (PSA) and Full Member of the Maryland Pastel Society.

Daniel captures the essence of his surroundings with bold strokes and pleasant color harmonies. His landscapes are created on location—in the plein air tradition—and in the studio from his field studies and photos.

Pastels are often thought of as a drawing medium; however, Daniel’s use of shape, value, color and confidant stokes help defy this misconception. His paintings are just that, paintings. At first look, many people mistake them to be oil paintings.

Daniel grew up in Colorado where his love of the landscape developed at an early age. As early as he can remember, he spent many weekends and summers in the wilderness with his family often camping in remote areas where—at the time—few people cared to venture. Other than an occasional building or fence, Daniel’s focus is on the landscape. When asked why he doesn’t put people in his paintings he says, “many of my paintings are about the landscape and when a landscape includes figures, the figures become the subject and the landscape becomes the backdrop.”

Photo credit: Penny Stewart

Education

Daniel considers himself to be a perpetual student of art claiming that he has only “begun to learn” how to paint. After studying at Pratt Institute, Daniel earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in painting and drawing from the University of Denver and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Cardinal Stritch University. Additional studies include: Denver Art Students’ League, The Art League in Alexandria, Virginia, and workshops with Kim Lordier and Albert Handell.

 


© 2000-2008 Daniel R. Wise

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