Danny Heller is a Californian native artist, inspired by older things like homes, publics buildings, furnitures or cars that tend to have a story. « I specifically focus on the period of 1950s and 1960s American because it’s what I’m familiar with. I grew up in the suburbs of Los Angeles where there was a big development boom after World War II. This led to a lot of midcentury relics throughout where I lived, even though I didn’t actually grew up in the 50s and 60s. These places and thing are so dynamic ! The cars with bold colors and space-age styling, the houses with dramatic angles and large expanses of windows and the furniture with graceful curves. These things all had an impact on me and in my work », he says.

« I always have a camera with me so I can photograph a house, a cool car or anything that strikes me when I’m out and about. Then I choose the best pictures and alter them in Photoshop. After arriving on a strong composition, I’ll project it on canvas and then draw it out. After some adjustments, I’ll proceed to paint it, typically adding up to three layers to get a lot of depth and a smooth finish », adds the artist.

« All of my drawings and paintings are real places. I prefer to actually visit the homes, the buildings, the neighborhoods go get a feel for the space. There are so many factors that you can’t quite capture in a photo : proportion, scale and even certain lighting. Plus, I love to feel something when I visit these places. Maybe it’s a feeling of excitement, maybe it’s a feeling of intimidation. I sort of try to infuse that feeling into the final painting ».