Why Am I An Artist.....Here is the Very Short Version.

My name is Daniel Quinonez. I was born in East Los Angeles November 29th 1966 to a single mother. I was raised in Anaheim California. My mother married when I was 7 and I became Daniel Barringer. My life was a challenge for better words. I learned the whole spectrum of emotions in those formative years. I experienced all highs and all lows at a very young age. The experiences molded me into a very creative person for the single purpose to entertain myself to escape the tragedy we call life. Looking back it was a balance for me. I had an equal portion of these emotions I experienced. So in a very ironic twist it was healthy that I had gone through all of the bad and good at the same time. When I was old enough to make a decision to stay in that drama or leave…I left at 17 and joined the Marine Corps. That entity became my mother and father for 5 years. A whole new set of challenges were before me. The main challenge was to figure out how to become a man. That voyage continues to this day. Fatherhood, responsibility, respect, disappointment, regret, love, relationship, persistence, consistency all are but a small example of experiences which have molded me and continue to do so daily. Through all of that my art was there to hold me when I needed. Creating was an outlet for me to see within. I would tap into that here and there and not often enough. Later in life as recent as 2002 I figured out that the gift I had to create pieces of work that can open life for another was special to me. Creating works of art that made people happy is a part of me fulfilled. I needed that. I started to develop a hunger inside of me to create all the time. I started to let go of the restraints I had put on myself to let go of the pain inside through this channel. Creating art was a vehicle to love others and in turn I could heal. Today I create to live. No matter the drama that unfolds in my life daily I have my art to let the pain and discomfort of life and transform those emotions into beauty and love. I have a gift God-given to create pieces of art work that can reveal the love of another. Art reveals love in a person. It can connect with an individual like nothing else. One piece might totally be disgusting to one person and the next person that sees it is filled with random beautiful exciting emotions. When I see that I am excited to create another piece. I have learned when I think I need to throw away a piece…..I hold on to it and later change or add and adjust that piece…reveal it and then someone comes to it and claims it for themselves. It might sit in my house for a couple of years…and then someone finds it and BAM! Just like that it becomes THEIR masterpiece. It is a wonderful feeling, emotion, unexplainable thing I feel. My life has created who I am today. An Artist. Daniel Quinonez. Artist.

Yeah! I really want that Art on my wall!

I had a very wondeful experience this past Sunday. I was a part of an Art walk on 2nd Street in Belmont Shore. Although you would not know there was an Art walk because of the amount of regular foot traffic. Every weekend this street is flooded with people locals and non-locals. It is like Santa Monica Pier. There is so much foot traffic. Everyone is there to either eat lunch or window shop. I new this going into this day. I figured if at the very least I would connect with interested people and give out my business card. I did not expect to sell anything unless I sold it at swap meet prices. Meaning negotiate to just sell it all. I don't think so. I watched the expressions of the people looking at my stuff. I do not work with a traditional medium let alone the way I paint....the colors are very bold and my style is different. I had so many people that were generous with their compliments but kept their wallet in their back pocket. I had one guy walk by with his wife looked me dead in the eyes as he was talking to his wife and said ..."yeah! I really want that Art on my wall" wow. How bold he was. Sarcasm you can cut with a knife. That is what you get in a public forum where it is not a controlled environment. It was not exclusively for Art..It was like I was a street vendor in the middle of Manhattan NY. I got lost in all the hustle and bustle. I had a great positive experience out of the whole day that made it all worth while. Several cars would drive by and they would have their car windows open and would loudly comment....wow! That's cool! Walker by's saying the same thing. If I took anything away from this it was a measuring point of where my work stands in the public eye. The average Joe does not buy Art. I understand it. But The average Joe doesnt care to look at it either...but I had everyone turning their heads. I am pleased.

Blank Art

Is there such thing as blank art? Art without feeling emotion or character. Art hat does not have a purpose or reason? It really upsets me when I talk with an artist and they tell me the reason they painted that 4k painting is because he felt like painting it. No reason. No feeling into it. He just wanted to paint that color and finish something because he needed to produce a piece for a show. He is a very talented artist. Very gifted. Yet when he just decides to just put a blotch on the canvas he sells it for shitloads of money. I guess he has a name that he earned and when you get to that point people just want your name written on the bottom right hand side on top of shit on a canvas. Wow! How comforting for the rest of us.

What Inspires Your Art?

Can an artist paint just to paint and still be painting with passion? The first question is... Does that artist love painting and creating his work passionately? If that is the case then yes. I know quite a few people that are very talented and just paint to paint. When I ask them why they created a certain piece they tell me nothing specifically inspired them to create that piece they were just compelled to paint. Yet when you look at the piece it has so much drama and vibrant colors that tell a story of some emotion let loose. Although the artists might not have painted with a purpose reason or rhyme.. they painted with alot of passion and they surely displayed their love for it. There are artists that have so much anguish and pain from their life experiences that they use their art as a release. They display their pain for the world to understand their triunph and overcoming that pain and challenge. There are others that are genuinely just happy to be alive and feel positive energy and create pieces that reflect what they feel. Creating a piece of art is a very soulful experience almost "sacred" becuase it is very spiritual. I think revealing ones inner passion and soul is very special. It is very thought provoking for the viewer. When I go to galleries or museums and watch the people looking at the art they are very intensely into the piece they are enjoying. They are deeply in thought trying to connect with the artist. Or they are letting the piece connect with them. I truly belive that there is energy left in these paintings from the artist's soul. I have wanted to be a creator of art all my life for the world to enjoy. I have always wanted to be known as an artist. There are circumstances in which a true artist is called to take on this profession or "life" if you will. Some choose to be artists and are very gifted and have a good career at it. But for some reason those artists are very loose about their creative moment. I feel as if they are so lax about their gift. I hope I am wrong. I want every artists to be very passionate or like to think they all paint from their soul. I would love to think that my favorites were just as passionate and respectful of their gift. Their gift touches the masses in a very special way. I want to hope that they will paint with a sense of urgency that their positive input in their art to our world... will make some kind of cosmic or spritual awakening for the good of mankind. We are spiralling towards a dismal future for our children. I see that but I want to not worry so much. I do not want to waste precious moments away from my wonderful family in thought contemplating the worst instead creating pieces of work that they can all enjoy and love like I do. I want to enjoy other artists who create pieces that capture my imagination and thought. I love seeing others passion for what they are creating. I have a point here I just dont remember because I am so involved with my love for the passion of the creative process. That is where the Piece or work becomes a masterpiece.