Lisa Danielle, Ranch Romances: Western Love in the 1950's, Acrylic on Board, 20" x 24"

Biography Lisa Danielle

"When you think about our lives, most of the things we experience are in some way tied to the past, and I want my art to make that connection. I guess that is why I love representational art as opposed to abstract. For me, it's rather like comparing non-fiction to fiction writing. There are so many incredible true stories out there that I prefer to paint them rather than create a make-believe world. Once fiction is over, it's gone, but the real stories endure the test of time, and we refer back to them again and again."

Over the years, Lisa Danielle has also built up a diverse collection of historic memorabilia. She tells a story about her great-grandmother, who taught school on the San Carlos Apache reservation in southern Arizona.

Lisa Danielle, Dances with Horses , Acrylic on Panel, 36 " x 24"

"As a token of their affection, the Indians gave her a number of wonderful things, including baskets and pottery. When she died, she left them to my grandmother who just stored them in her attic. One day Grandma saw some of the western paintings I was doing, so she whispered to me that she might have a few things that I would find of interest. When I saw what she had, it took my breath away, for it was almost as if those things had been waiting just for me. That bit of history gives me a special connection to the objects I use in my work."

Recently, Lisa Danielle has begun to combine items from other cultures, including Oriental. "I began to see that life's an even bigger picture than I though," Danielle explains. "No matter what our heritage, the love of beauty is found all over the world." And Lisa Danielle's art does reach across national boundaries through Leanin' Tree Cards, which has published many of her images - she hears from people as far away Japan and Germany.

Lisa Danielle, The Deer Dancer , Acrylic on Panel, 24 " x 30 "

The universality of Lisa Danielle's work can be measured by the appeal of one particular image - a pair of red boots with a yellow star on top sitting in the window of an old stone barn. "It was one of the first images that Leanin' Tree published for me. In addition to being printed on several sizes of cards, it also appeared on tee shirts, refrigerator magnets, and even key chains. At last report, those boots had been reproduced more than a million times. I guess for many people this image was the essence of the west, and everybody who ever wanted to be a cowboy or cowgirl must have imagined themselves standing in those boots." She reflects, "Touching lives is the real legacy I want to leave with my art."

Lisa Danielle, Grand Canyon Memories - Old Trading Days , Acrylic on Board, 36 " x 24"

Studies:

California State College at Long Beach, Art Major

Art Center College of Design, Los Angeles and Pasadena

Long Beach City College, Life Drawing Classes

Collections, Museums, Group Affiliations:

President, 5 yr, Women Artists of the American West

Recent Awards:

First Place and Cash Award, Cowgirl Up! Art from the Other Half of the West, Desert Caballeros Western Museum, Wickenburg, AZ

Permanent Collections:

• Favells' Musuem of Western Art and Artifacts, Klamath Falls OR
• The Leanin' Tree Museum, Boulder CO
• Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, Colorado Springs, CO
• Holter Museum of Art, Helena MT
• Nicolaysen Art Musuem, Casper WY
• San Bernadino County Offices
• Forest Fenn, private collection

Works in Print:

• Phoenix Home and Garden, February 2012, Page 82.
• The Leaning Tree Publishing Co., over 60 images in print
• The 3M Company,
• Guildhall Inc Publishing
• Bruce McGraw Graphics
• Bucilla Needlecraft and Stichery Design Co.
• The Hamilton Collection "Lore of the West" Collector Plate Series
• Great Guns of the Old West
• History of the Osage People, Book Jacket and Frontspiece

Return to Lisa Danielle's Paintings

Lisa Danielle, Kachina's & Corn , Acrylic on Board, 24 " x 12 "