You can find more out about artist Dan Simoneau @ dsimoneau.com
1asked by william secombe
Who are you most inspired by?
I know it sounds corny, but I am inspired by everything around me. My subject matter is light and the play of light on objects. As a result, anything lit by any kind of light can inspire me.
2
What do you want to most convey in your work?
I want to convey the sculptural quality of objects as revealed by the highlights and shadows created by light falling on them. By depicting this quality, I hope the viewer sees a nuance that they may not have noticed previously when looking at a similar object because people move so fast today that they don’t stop and take time to appreciate the immense beauty in the world.
3
When did you first realize you are an artist?
I have been creating art since I was able to hold a writing implement in my hand. I have been painting and creating art as well as exhibiting, selling and competing since middle school.
4
Why do you choose the subject matter you work with?
I choose subject matter based on it’s ability to effectively portray the light. Recently, I have chosen the human figure as the ground for showing the effect of light on the object. The human figure is very complex with its skeletal structure, musculature, and body mass differences. All of these combined create a very challenging ground for painting.
5
Where do you go when your well of inspiration is running low?
Being around other artists or viewing artwork created by others always inspires me. Also, if I lose inspiration, I look for a new model. Typically, the model’s personality as well as the interaction between me and the model generates new feelings that need to be captured.
6asked by michael anthony lynch
What is your greatest artistic weakness?
I wish I were capable of painting more abstractly, capturing emotions through color and form. I have always been a realistic painter.
7
How would your life change if you were no longer allowed to create art?
I honestly don’t know how I would survive without the ability to create art in some form. I do more art than just painting and creativity is integral to my day-to-day life.
8asked by dayvin hallman
What situations in life have left their deepest impressions on you?
My move to the Midwest in 1991 was extremely impulsive yet the best thing I have ever done in my life. My approach to life and my work evolved and reached a totally new level of maturity.
9asked by kathy berg
What/who gave you the extra push to “go public” with your work?
In grade school, one of my drawings was chosen for a city-wide art exhibition. This started my interest in art as art. When I was in middle school, I was taking art classes from a local instructor. She mentioned a local art group called the Androscoggin Vallery Art Association and brought me to a meeting. I joined (I was the youngest member ever) and started my career exhibiting my work.
10asked by alex sheehan
Do you make a choice and then justify it? Or do you visualize something and then create it?
I would say I make a choice and then justify it. I have always been very methodical, even technical, in my approach to art.
11
What ways do you find your life influences your work?
I would say that my love of math and my current career in computer programming both cause me to take a very technical approach to my work. I would say most people would not describe my approach, should they do the same, as creative yet I see much creativity in technically complex objects, both manmade and natural.
12asked by david geisler
How do you know when you are finished with a work?
Are we ever truly done with a work and feel there is nothing else we could do to improve the piece? I stop when I feel the artwork looks complete and conveys the image I intended.
13
What new artists or works excite you?
For local artists, I admire Rebecca Venn’s work. Her work captures emotion through the human figure and her marks are beautiful. Another artist that inspires me is Gerard Huber. His technical mastery of figurative work in acrylic is amazing and something I aspire to!
14asked by 716
Who do you think you are?
I’m just a person who loves to create images using paint. I make work that challenges me to learn something new in each piece and, if others appreciate and enjoy the work, that’s even better.
15
If you could ask another artist anything, what would it be?
I would ask these same questions as they seem to get to the heart of who the artist is and what he or she is all about.
