"I  believe  that  one  of  the  most  important functions of an artist is to share the beauty of the  world  around  him.  If  I  can encourage someone to appreciate the play of light on dry autumn  grasses,  or  the texture of an old log fence  or  lichen  covered  rock,  I  feel I may   have touched their soul."

"A Viewer can't experience the inspirational moment, but can only relate to paintings by filtering them through their own experiences. 
 I try to create a mood by evoking a feeling or memory.  I'm not only interested in how an animal or scene looks, I want to convey how it feels to transcend the surface appearance and go beyond to the essence of the expericnce."

Dan's belief that an artist should remain a student throughout his life has led him on a path of continual growth and experimentation.  Primarily self taught, Dan was selected for the Robert Bateman Master Class of 1991, and has studied at the Beartooth School of Art under renown painter Bob Kuhn.

Dan's interest in art began at an early age. He spent so much time drawing horses, rabbits and  raccoons  that,  in  an  effort  to conserve paper, his parents gave him a chalk board.   Dan's interest  in  Impressionism  began  during  high  school  art classes,  when he felt a particular  affinity  for  the art of  Claude Monet.  He was also attracted to the  art  of Andrew Wyeth, whose style became a major influence on Dan's later work.

In 1991, Dan was elected a member of the Society of Animal Artists. At the opening of the Society's  32nd  Annual  ART  AND  THE  ANIMAL  exhibit at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute  in  Jamestown,  New York,  Dan  was  awarded  the  Award  of  Excellence,  the Society's  Highest  honor.  While  presenting  the  award,  Dr. Douglas Lewis,  curator  of sculpture  and  decorative  arts  at  the  National  Gallery  of  Art  in  Washington,  D. C., complimented  Dan  by  referring to his painting " The Waiting Game" as one of the finest wildlife paintings he'd ever seen.

Dan  lives  with  his  wife  Susan  in  a  high mountain valley just outside Rocky Mountain National Park in north central Colorado. 
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Artist Biography
Portrait of award winning artist Dan DAmico