Painter and visual artist, Ingrid Daniell is inspired by the landscapes that shape her life experience; in particular luturwita /Tasmania and Wadadwurrung Country / Surf Coast, Victoria; where she divides her time living. Spending time immersed in these places allows her to pay close attention to their unique nature and to observe and connect with the natural rhythms and energies of the environment; translating these experiences from memory into her paintings.
Daniell’s art practice is an exploration of the concepts of time, deep time, awe and its power to create thin places, and the human and instinctive need to connect to natural environments. The landscape is her constant muse and a metaphor for Daniell to speak to the devastation of climate change in Anthropocene, the fragility of earth and our human need to belong and seek awe.
Daniell’s work is composed of atmospheric layers, abstract forms and stylised details, her work depict’s a folk art inspired; idyllic view of her lived experiences; redolent of a time and place when humankind had little impact. Through her use of colour, Daniell draws attention to the core focus of her work highlighting the depth and form of the landscape; the light and the shadows; with colour she is able to create a sense of awe and mystery found when immersed in nature. Daniell uses a mix of mediums and textures with her paint applications to create depth, dimension, drama and a tactile emotional landscape that invites the viewer to lean in.
Throughout her work there is a bold use of colour and broad brush work; an expressive response to the organic forms that make up the landscape. In contrast Daniell uses a loose wash and softer palette applied in sheer layers creating depth and movement, suggestive of the fleeting and vulnerable atmosphere of our earth; the vaporous skies and watery oceans are symbolic of the veil between worlds. Stylized symbolic gestures often emerge in her paintings, with intricate mark making of lush, suggestive brush stokes; enabling Daniell to create a textured representation of the finer details depicted in her work, such as shells, stars, moths, and native bees. Daniell writes in prose to title her paintings; derived from the intention of her practice which is inherently interwoven into the symbolism of her paintings, adding a deeper meaning to the visual interest. While deeply personal and representative of Daniell’s lived experience, her landscapes are ambiguous in nature allow room for the viewers own interpretation and experience.
In 1993 Ingrid Daniell completed a Bachelor of Art in Textiles and Fashion, majoring in Costume Design at RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia. Daniell extended her art practice to painting in 2014 expressing her love of colour, texture and drama onto the canvas and has since been exhibiting regularly in group and solo exhibitions. Daniell’s work is widely collected through out Australia both private and public and internationally; including private collectors in New York, Los Angeles, and London.