A seamless intermixing of realism and abstraction come together in the artwork of Daniel Driggs. His paintings often feature animals like cranes, hummingbirds, rabbits and squirrels atop splashes of color. “In each painting, I try to combine the interplay of the in-focus area versus the abstract background in the same way that our eyes combine focused vision versus peripheral vision,” says Driggs. “Because the background is incomplete, each viewer is invited to complete the painting in their own way. With the abstract background being the initial part of the painting, no two paintings will ever be alike, even if I use the same subject matter.”
Waiting Heron, acrylic on Yupo paper, 18½ x 14½"
Thanksgiving Dinner, acrylic on Yupo paper, 30¾ x 20¾"
His acrylic Waiting Heron features a crisp, anatomically accurate depiction of a waterbird wading in spontaneous splashes of greens and blues. “I always start a painting by working up an abstract background by throwing paint at the paper, dropping items on the wet paint or through random splashes, until an image triggers my imagination. In this case, the combination of green and blue made me think of the lakes where the herons like to stand,” he says. In Thanksgiving Dinner, the roots of a hardy tree intermingle with elements of abstraction beneath. “The background lent itself perfectly for the groundcover by that tree. The abstract circles formed by the paint became the fallen apples. As I thought of various events that took place around the base of the tree, I included them in this feast enjoyed by the squirrel, butterflies and bees.”
Rabbit with Morning Treat, acrylic on Yupo paper, 15 x 11"Driggs, who has a formal education in art from Hastings College in Nebraska, currently shows his work in four galleries on a year-round basis. He comments, “I’m most energized when I can talk to people who love art.” —
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