Creative Spaces Network
“Art makes me happy. I like to sell my art to get money so I can travel,” said artist Daniel Phillips at the opening of his first solo exhibition on in Wellington until 23 March.
The exhibition, Art Makes Me Happy!, is a retrospective of Daniel’s work over the past 20 years. Colourful works line the walls of the Thistle Hall Gallery. Daniel, 51, sits at an easel near the front of the gallery sketching portraits of guests at the opening.
Among the 212 works are intriguing titles such as “Gaudi Inside Pattern”, “Happy Faces & Travel”, “P & O Cruise with Rainbow”, “Sparkly Smiles” and “Fish Blowing Bubbles”.
Daniel is a prolific independent artist, who has been attending Mix Connecting, Creating Living three days a week in Lower Hutt since 2011.
“Art makes me happy!”
Asked why he loves to make art so much, he says: “Art makes me happy!” MIX art tutor Rachel Silver says his joy is apparent in how confidently he knows his craft, continually producing vibrant, upbeat works day after day.
“Daniel has a particular love of travel and visually records his weekends spent on planes, buses, trains, ferries and cable cars,” Rachel says. “He knows exactly the times and numbers of the modes of transport he uses.
“He loves to save money from the sale of his art to go on big journeys like ship cruises and flights to Europe to travel on every type of transport he can.”
Rachel says Daniel is a committed artist and has an extensive range of works exploring different techniques.
Magical twists and turns in paint and pen
“His strong sense of design takes the viewer on a whimsical ride full of bright colourful swirls, and magical twists and turns in paint and pen,” she says. “Daniel also loves portraits, particularly in pastel, and engaged in some live portrait action at opening night of the exhibition.”
Daniel’s talent has been fostered over the years by attending several creative spaces in the greater Wellington region, including the former Petone Art Space, Vincents Art Workshop and MIX Connecting, Creating.
“Daniel has built quite a following and his colourful, charming artworks are in collections in Aotearoa and abroad,” Rachel says.
Last year, at the MIX Annual Art Exhibition Daniel sold 100% of his art off the walls. He also received highly commended awards in the Muriel Hopper and IHC Art Awards.
MIX and Vincents Art Workshop are members of the Creative Spaces Network, facilitated by Arts Access Aotearoa.
