Today we’d like to introduce you to Danika Ostrowski.
Danika, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
My interests and passions haven’t changed much since I was a child. I was born and raised in Houston by two creative parents. I think growing up in a household surrounded by a lot of creativity certainly affected my own artistic and creative abilities. I was always interested in the arts: music, theater, visual arts. I loved being outdoors and my favorite vacations were always to the National Parks in the West. I think watching my parents run a business also instilled a fearlessness in me when it came to my own entrepreneurial endeavors.
I studied visual art throughout my upbringing and eventually graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in Visualization where I had the unique opportunity to study subjects under an umbrella of creative fields, including painting.
After I graduated, I moved to Austin and rented my first studio space. I was still trying to find my voice as an artist. I decided to take a trip out west to Big Bend National Park. I’ve always felt a sacred connection to the land in West Texas and often travel there to ground myself and seek inspiration. I came back to my studio, thinking I’d just play around with some landscape paintings as a personal project. And then I just never stopped. Something clicked. My love for nature and public lands could be so perfectly married with my passion for painting. I keep traveling to new places and painting them. I want to share the beauty of these places with people in a way a photograph cannot: the impression, emotion, and somewhat spiritual elements of seeing these incredible places nature has created.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
My landscape paintings explore the beauty of scarce and deserted environments. I examine and abstract the lively color and forms found in these unexpected places. Exploring the terrain of the American Southwest, I have grown fascinated with the landscapes of these mostly untouched, desert environments. I am particularly enchanted by the vivid colors in the desert. The subject matter of my work varies from plant life, to geological forms, to panoramic views.
One of the most common questions I get is “do you paint on-location or in your studio?” The answer is “I do both.” I work en plain air (outdoors), but I also travel with the intention of photographing the landscape for reference material. Much of my work is very large-scale and a lot my inspiration comes from my memory in addition to photographs.
There’s an element of preservation and conservation to my work. I love connecting with people who share my love for public lands and can relate to the imagery in my paintings. One of my favorite parts of being a landscape artist is when someone sees a painting and can pull up a photo on their phone, showing me, they have stood in the exact same spot as where I painted the image from. My hope is that my paintings will inspire others to take interest in public lands and develop their own relationship with these special places. There is a long history of artists using their work to promote and protect the National Parks and other public lands. I am fortunate to be even a tiny part of this ongoing relationship.
Artists rarely, if ever pursue art for the money. Nonetheless, we all have bills and responsibilities and many aspiring artists are discouraged from pursuing art due to financial reasons. Any advice or thoughts you’d like to share with prospective artists?
Wow, this is a tough question because I think so many artists struggle with this (including myself), and everyone has a different solution that works for them. Most artists have to support themselves financially with other job(s) at various points in their career, but can be so challenging to work full time and then come home and try to crank up your creative juices. I’ve found that scheduling time to be in my studio in advance and holding myself accountable to those plans has helped me push through that barrier. If your goal is to be creating full time, I think you just have to eventually take that giant leap of faith and commit fully to your art. And it’s a huge commitment – it takes self-discipline and you’ll probably have to make sacrifices to get to that point.
I’d also encourage artists to build a community of creatives. I’m a painter, but I’ve found a creative community full of interior designers, illustrators, sculptors, etc. in addition to other painters. Being around a group of diverse disciplines will open you up to more opportunities and ideas.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
I show my work at various exhibitions and festivals. The best way to see my work in person, is to visit my website, danikaostrowski.com and check my “show dates” page, or shoot me a message through my website. I also work on commission, often for clients who request that I paint an image from a place that is particularly special to them.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.danikaostrowski.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/danika_ostrowski_art
- Facebook: facebook.com/danikaostrowskiart
Image Credit:
Danika Ostrowski
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
