Today we’d like to introduce you to Danielle Faulk.
Hi Danielle, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Born and raised in Lake Charles, LA, I’ve always had a passion for creating. As a young girl, my birthday and Christmas wishlists revolved primarily around one theme… “art stuff.” Barbies and dolls were never really a thing for me… but anything that I could make with my own two hands, I wanted! Paint sets, crayons, clay, beads. Basically, any and everything that I could cut, glue, and paint to create something new would keep me occupied for hours on end.
The only formal art class I’ve ever taken was in high school, one semester as an elective. Everything that I’ve learned over the years has been a combination of trial, error, and exploration! I guess you can say I “got my start” painting wall murals in my hometown my senior year, then experimented with all sorts of surfaces before really falling in love with the canvas a few years later. I painted throughout grad school (Master of Occupational Therapy), then officially started my business in 2017, DNF Original Art, LLC.
I’ve taught myself everything I know of art and the business along the way! I’ve built my own website, handle marketing, packaging and shipping… even taxes…it’s all me! I guess you could say I’m self-made, and I’m proud of it. I currently work part-time as an OT and fill in the rest of my hours in my studio, that is, when I’m not being wife and mommy to my two children, Georgia Day (4) and Gray Henry (2). I look forward to moving into our new home soon, where I’ll have a brand new in-home studio that I can create in at any time of the day!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I think starting any business from the ground up, especially a creative one where you’re putting your heart and soul out into the open has its ups and downs. Building my brand while juggling work and raising a family has required a lot of patience and an even greater amount of grit and drive. It’s always nerve-racking releasing a new collection because you never know how it will be received by the public. But I’ve learned to create for myself first, what my spirit leads me to, and then someone, somewhere along the way will love it as much as I do!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a self-taught artist specializing in painting with mixed mediums. Most of my pieces feature bright, bold colors and a lot of texture. I tend to draw inspiration from my Southern Louisiana roots, often painting marsh scapes, magnolias, egrets, oak trees, etc.
One series that I’ve been really proud of is “The Last Supper.” I had prints made of the first one I ever painted, and it went viral I guess you could say. I lost count on how many prints sold last year, but I ended up shipping out to 20 different states across the country! It was a huge success. I’ve since retired that particular print but plan to paint a “2.0” version here soon that I will likely make prints of again because it’s been in such high demand! When I paint an original, I use a lot of gold leaf and texture, it’s a multi-step process that is very time-consuming. For this reason, I’ve started limiting the number of commissions I take of “The Last Supper.”
Here lately, I’ve absolutely fallen in love with abstracts! It’s such a freeing and exploratory process painting this type of piece. I think I most enjoy layering on the different mediums and playing with various forms, lines, and brush strokes to create a cohesive image. I get to be wild and loose and really follow my intuition without getting caught up in too many details.
I’m always excited to see what I come up with next, you’ll have to stay tuned!
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
As far as networking goes, my biggest source has been social media. Although they have their downfalls, Instagram and Facebook are both easy platforms to use to reach a large audience, and I like having free range over creating my brand. I’ve enjoyed growing my following over the years and have really met some great people through social media. It’s great when new collectors message me from another state saying, “I stumbled across your page and saw this piece that I absolutely had to have!” It’s also been neat being able to connect with other artists at the click of a button.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.daniellenesterfaulk.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/daniellenesterfaulk
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/DanielleFaulkArt
