In January 2022, my wife bought me five oil painting lessons for my thirty-eighth birthday. For three and a half years, I painted nearly every night after a busy day of teaching high school students and helping to raise our son and daughter. In that time, several pieces were accepted into seven Arthouse.NYC juried exhibits at Ideal Glass Studio, and six pieces were selected for the big screen at Big Screen Plaza in New York City. In February of 2024, I accepted an art residency at the YMCA Arts Center in Frederick, Maryland, which lasted until October. In March, I participated in the Superfine Art Fair in San Francisco, California, and was represented by Galleria Azur at the New York Art Expo.

My art evolved into a dualist interpretation of the world around me. I combine realistic and surrealist imagery to stimulate people’s imaginations, challenge the parameters of possibility, and concisely depict robust memories, encouraging viewers to create meaningful experiences. I hope my art activates people’s imaginations so they can discover relationships between abstract and unorthodox elements, apply these relationships to develop original solutions, view the world as a space that needs to be explored instead of one to escape, and peacefully coexist as a diverse community. As someone who has been sober since 2009 and pursued art later in life, I hope to inspire others to explore art as a therapeutic tool and pursue their passions, regardless of age or level of experience. 

Dan Oils