Known for vibrant colors, energetic movement, and dream-like settings, the works of Daniel Curran can easily transfix and transport you to a far away place. Curran is currently preparing for his first solo show of 2024, “European Impressions,” which will open at Empire Arts Gallery in Kirkwood on Saturday, Feb. 3.
I recently had the chance to sit down with Curran in his home studio and got to hear a bit more about his artistic journey and this latest body of work. His heavily textured, colorful, and layered approach to painting draws inspiration from both impressionism and pointillism.
“The way I layer paint and layer color; each layer is its own color across the canvas,” Curran explained. “I use a vibrant color palette because I just like the energy it gives off, and people really love the color. I like that I get a shared enjoyment of the art.”
Curran grew up just outside of Boston, MA and always dreamed of going to art school one day. When he was 17, he left the Northeast and moved in with his mother in Kauai, Hawaii.
“The intention was to visit my mom there for a couple of weeks but I just never left,” said Curran. “That’s where I started painting, and that’s why you see a lot of tropical scenes in my art.” Until that point he had focused on illustration and had not considered other art forms.
“I was really into these symmetrical, intricate, trippy drawings.”
Curran was working at a hand-painted ceramic pottery studio and the people he worked with encouraged him to try painting his illustrations to add color. He also met an artist who had a gallery in Lihue Harbor and was offered an apprenticeship during which he learned how to build canvases and the basics of oil painting.
These days he exclusively works in acrylic paint, which he prefers due to the shorter drying time which allows him to work in layers, but those early experiences really sparked a love for painting in Curran.
Having never given up his dream of attending art school, he realized that his options were limited in Hawaii and so he made the choice to head back to the mainland.
His sisters were living in Atlanta at the time, so he enrolled at Atlanta College of Art (ACA) where he studied painting and sculpture. “They were very impressed with my portfolio because I had all these paintings and drawings so they gave me a portfolio scholarship.”
Prior to attending ACA, his paintings had all been flat, as is typical. But when he started taking sculpture, ceramics, and bronze-casting classes he was intrigued by the process.
“We were making molds and forming our original ideas in clay. I had never done anything like that on that level, so I was like woah that’s cool, I’m making art but it’s 3-dimensional. It was so different from my paintings– my paintings had always been representational, and here I was making these abstract forms,” said Curran.
In contrast to the tight, controlled, and representational work he had been doing, the process of working in 3D was refreshing and new. “I got really into it, and then started taking half of my class load as sculpture classes.”
One of his professors suggested that Curran find a way to integrate the two art forms, such as making a sculpture and then painting it. But that didn’t appeal to Curran.
“I wondered why not try to sculpt onto the canvas,” recalled Curran. “I bought so much paint and I was putting gobs of paint onto the canvas because I didn’t know how to get that textured effect. I realized I was wasting so much paint,” he said with a laugh.
On a friend’s recommendation, he tried using modeling texture paste, but instead of mixing it in with the paint he used the paste to sculpt a base layer on the canvas. He developed a process of sculpting, followed by painting.
“I was new to it and it took me years to learn how to control it to get the results I wanted,” said Curran. “At first it was more loose and messy, and I kind of made it look more like brush strokes, but as I got used to working with it I started to form faces. I was painting interior spaces, too, like rooms and windows and such.”
In the years since, Curran has continued developing his art form and has compiled a truly staggering quantity of works. Following graduation from ACA, he landed a job working at the R. Thomas restaurant in Buckhead where he held various roles for nearly 20 years. The owner of the restaurant at the time was incredibly supportive of Curran’s artwork, and he was able to work there part-time while still pursuing his art on the side.
Eventually, Curran discovered DooGallery, and the founder Douglas “Doog” Becker. He started making works for every show that they held there, and soon he was making valuable connections with other artists in the scene. “It is such a supportive community,” said Curran.
“I felt more inspired and I felt like my work was worth something because I was getting positive feedback and help finding other gigs.”
Curran’s next big break was when a friend of his who worked for ALT 105.7 – at the time an alternative rock radio station – told him that he’d be emceeing at Park Tavern’s Sunset Sessions on Sunday nights.
Previously, there had been an artist painting live during the live musical performances, but that artist had moved away from Atlanta which left an opening. Curran began painting there every Sunday, and though he was nervous to make art in front of people, he found it invigorating and kept it up for six years. When he started setting up a table next to him with his art pieces he saw that people responded to it and he sold many pieces during the events.
From there, he felt encouraged to start selling his art at markets around the city, and he quickly found success in that setting. “I especially love when people see my art in person, because the paintings are so tactile and that doesn’t really come across in photos.” He has also been in a number of group exhibitions and his upcoming show at Empire Arts Gallery is his sixth solo show.
Over the course of the last decade, the subjects of his paintings have evolved and changed. When he began making paintings seriously back in Hawaii most of the pieces depicted tropical landscapes, as that was what inspired him. He told me that the paintings also act as a sort of recorded memory for Curran.
“Although each painting is planned out with a representational scene or image, once I begin the painting process I solely rely on my intuition with colors and what layer comes next,” he explained. “Most of my paintings have more than 40 separate layers of color, none of which are predetermined.”
Eventually he began using those same techniques and aesthetics to render compelling portraits of celebrities, and he has recently branched out into some urban landscapes as well. Some popular local businesses featured in his paintings include the Fox Theatre and a Waffle House, both completed using his signature texture and vibrant color palette.
“When I was younger I tried to follow rules with art but later on I realized it doesn’t really have rules,” he told me. “You can come to a point where your art can be whatever you want it to be. It can be anything because there are no rules.”
In his upcoming exhibition, “European Impressions,” he is branching out into something altogether new. The show will feature about 20 works that depict European architecture. He was inspired to create the new body of work when his wife Brittany’s job afforded them a trip across Europe. While abroad, he was moved by the sights he encountered.
“I always wanted to go to Paris for all the art and architecture,” explained Curran. “I didn’t go there with the intention to make art but I knew I wanted to do some drawing when I was there… I did work on some drawings and took a thousand photos, and I had this epiphany that I could do a whole show based on that,” he said.
After returning to Atlanta he was talking with the folks at Empire Arts Gallery about doing a show there, and the “European Impressions” exhibit concept began to come together.
“I am collecting my memories, but also feel like I am creating a shared experience that helps people to connect to the paintings,” Curran continued. “It may be a familiarity that’s emotional or maybe they’ve actually been there.”
As he enters into 2024, Curran is focusing on his goals and asking the universe to bring his dreams to life. Whether that means more local gallery representation, more solo art shows, or even opening his own gallery, he is hopeful that he will find ongoing support and success in the art world here. While in Europe, he felt that he received a message to paint this particular body of work, and he listened.
Want to see Daniel Curran’s works for yourself? “European Impressions,” featuring works inspired by his travels in Paris, Munich, and Graz, will open at Empire Arts Gallery on Saturday, Feb. 3 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. The show will remain on display through Feb. 24.