Cheryl Daniells
Cheryl Daniells is a visual artist based out of Barrie, Ontario. Her work focuses on themes of cultural identity, social injustice, and human rights. She works mainly with acrylics and mixed media, while creating work in the studio and outdoors. Her work discuses lived experiences and encourages the viewers to connect the work to their own similar experiences, from many different perspectives.
Cheryl began formal training at University of Waterloo, and after graduating with a BA, continued to architecture and engineering and a design career in the construction industry. Re-focusing her career on visual arts in 2017, Cheryl has continued to develop her skills at various courses and workshops throughout North America. She has shown her work in over 40 exhibitions in Ontario and BC, has been commissioned for several public art projects in her region, and is about to embark on her 3rd artist residency.
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
I am inspired by life. I portray figures and landscapes in paintings, drawings, and mixed media pieces. I frequently use bright colours, black and white, or a combination of both to create contrast. I enjoy using negative space as an element to my work to create balance with positive space, and to tell a story with regards to what areas I leave alone. My work frequently has emotional, social, or political references in it.
My current work is exploring expression in portraiture in an abstract way. I work through cultural identity themes and ideas, and constantly explore new techniques and different ways to express my thoughts. As a woman with Austrian/Estonian/Mennonite/Irish heritage, and a second generation Canadian, I try to observe and respond to issues that are meaningful to me. Human rights and social justice issues are always of interest to me.
I have enjoyed getting to work in public art for several community projects and am looking to continue that work, especially in regard to social issues. I am currently painting and drawing on large canvases, and solid surfaces outdoors. I would like the opportunity to increase the scale of my work, be more involved in public and commercial galleries, learn new techniques for outdoor work, and be involved in more community public art projects.
Cheryl Daniells is a visual artist based out of Barrie, Ontario. Her work focuses on themes of cultural identity, social injustice, and human rights. She works mainly with acrylics and mixed media, while creating work in the studio and outdoors. Her work discuses lived experiences and encourages the viewers to connect the work to their own similar experiences, from many different perspectives.
Cheryl began formal training at University of Waterloo, and after graduating with a BA, continued to architecture and engineering and a design career in the construction industry. Re-focusing her career on visual arts in 2017, Cheryl has continued to develop her skills at various courses and workshops throughout North America. She has shown her work in over 40 exhibitions in Ontario and BC, has been commissioned for several public art projects in her region, and is about to embark on her 3rd artist residency.
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
I am inspired by life. I portray figures and landscapes in paintings, drawings, and mixed media pieces. I frequently use bright colours, black and white, or a combination of both to create contrast. I enjoy using negative space as an element to my work to create balance with positive space, and to tell a story with regards to what areas I leave alone. My work frequently has emotional, social, or political references in it.
My current work is exploring expression in portraiture in an abstract way. I work through cultural identity themes and ideas, and constantly explore new techniques and different ways to express my thoughts. As a woman with Austrian/Estonian/Mennonite/Irish heritage, and a second generation Canadian, I try to observe and respond to issues that are meaningful to me. Human rights and social justice issues are always of interest to me.
I have enjoyed getting to work in public art for several community projects and am looking to continue that work, especially in regard to social issues. I am currently painting and drawing on large canvases, and solid surfaces outdoors. I would like the opportunity to increase the scale of my work, be more involved in public and commercial galleries, learn new techniques for outdoor work, and be involved in more community public art projects.
$1,075.00
Acrylic on stretched canvas.
36x48"
The common phrase "You look so much more pretty when you smile" is one often associated with the suppression of women's feelings, thoughts, ideas, and concerns. We are expected to smile and look pretty, rather than voice our concern or irritation at being belittled or insulted. This works flips that condescending and archaic phrase around to encourage women to express their ideas/emotions, rather than to be silenced and dismissed, just to look "pretty".
$800.00
Acrylic, charcoal, coloured pencils, ink on stretched canvas.
24x30"
Stampers is a name I chose to designate people who negatively brand me (and others) with their labels and prejudice without knowing anything about us at all. They are the shadowy, almost ghostly figures near the groups of people in the background. They are undefinable, and are depicted as such. This work discusses my many lived experiences of inaccurate branding and treatment thereafter.