Art & Life with Daniel Baele

Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel Baele.

Daniel, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
Some of my earliest memories include times spent in my neighbor’s backyard taking art classes, and ever since then my life has revolved around studying and pursuing all different forms of art media. I continued following my passion in various courses through high school, when I moved to Indiana to study 3D animation at Purdue University. During my time in college I was able to meet and collaborate with many other artistic friends, and contributed different talents to a variety of projects that explored creativity. After graduating, I moved to Chicago to work in a marketing consulting firm, which helped me revise even more digital art knowledge. Upon moving back to Phoenix, I took some time to begin a much-needed personal exploration in my art, and started to invest myself in projects that I found personally enjoyable. Since the summer of 2018, I have been lucky enough to spend my professional time working as a Gallery Attendant at the Phoenix Art Museum. My experience there has been extraordinary, and is helping me drive myself further in my career as an artist. In the future, I hope to continue expanding my knowledge across the wide realm of art, and I aim to collaborate with the great wealth of creative passion found both locally and beyond.

Can you give our readers some background on your art?
For a long time, my favorite medium has been inking on paper, while more recently my pursuits include an array of oil paints and digital creations. Though many of my work spans a wide spectrum of emotion and interpretation, all of my art has shared the same basic inspiration – truth. This sentiment has probably been passed countlessly through generations of artists, but that does not degrade its meaning to me. I believe it is important to constantly explore the truth, and often more specifically the truth of the human experience. I have always felt a strong individualism about myself, and my art pursues that uniqueness in ways that are both surreal and familiar. Often times the messages I include in my works are subtle, but the vast collection of my creations is meant to put the burden of perspective on the viewer. I want to make people think outside of their comfort zone, and I feel it is important to involve them personally. I enjoy altering reality through my pieces, and intend to convey deeper messages of the psyche through terrifying and almost familiar creatures, situations, and perspectives in the hopes to highlight shared experiences among everyone.

Artists rarely, if ever pursue art for the money. Nonetheless, we all have bills and responsibilities and many aspiring artists are discouraged from pursuing art due to financial reasons. Any advice or thoughts you’d like to share with prospective artists?
For my entire artistic career, I have struggled with financing my passion while being able to sustain myself. Though the path has been filled with challenges, I’ve fought to pursue what I care about most at any cost. There were plenty of times that I was low on art supplies, or didn’t have enough time, but the biggest fight was keeping my eyes on the goal. No matter what your goal is, just keep taking steps to get there. I found myself often completing tasks to help me get better at something, or switching to a new medium when I was in a creative slump. Being an artist doesn’t mean using the most expensive materials to create a masterpiece every time; and unfortunately, it also doesn’t mean being incredibly successful the first try. But as with any passion, if you truly care about it, you will find the time and resources to dedicate toward it, I would also advise that the journey is long, a lifetime if you keep up with it. Don’t let the road intimidate you, just take manageable steps as you are able to and always follow your drive. And make sure to support and connect with your peers, they will help propel you equally as much as you can propel yourself.

What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
Lately, I have been attempting to involve myself in various communities around Phoenix, and am proud to be in collaboration with Mr. Meerkat’s Market and Bud’s Glass Joint, both shops that can be found in downtown’s Roosevelt Row. During the monthly First Friday art walks, I will be live painting and showcasing my artwork at these shops, and will continue to collaborate with them on future events. For now, I still remain on the hunt for a gallery show, but it’s only a matter of time until I can put something together. Until then, the best places to view my work are my website and my Instagram page, both are updated frequently with my most recent works, as well as house my information for forwarding or contacting.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.danielbaele.com
• Email: daebadesigns@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daeba93/
• Other: http://www.daebadesigns.com

Image Credit:
Travis Harrell, Roger Baele, Medicine Man.

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