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| Lowell Daniels. “Shaky Hands.” 2018. Acrylic, Mixed Media on Canvas, 24"x36". $850. |
Roxanne Phillips: Describe your artistic process/technique.
Lowell Daniels: After creating the idea for a piece but before writing it down to create a blueprint, I will often hold potential materials for the piece and physically “dance” with them. This concept was introduced to me early in my art career as a method of synchronizing with your objects, but more so with your greater concept. When an object feels like it doesn’t belong in that piece, it’s likely not needed. This drafting process is a quick way to cull the clutter of what a piece can be, I feel that I am more clearly able to make a blueprint for the final design.
Lowell Daniels: After creating the idea for a piece but before writing it down to create a blueprint, I will often hold potential materials for the piece and physically “dance” with them. This concept was introduced to me early in my art career as a method of synchronizing with your objects, but more so with your greater concept. When an object feels like it doesn’t belong in that piece, it’s likely not needed. This drafting process is a quick way to cull the clutter of what a piece can be, I feel that I am more clearly able to make a blueprint for the final design.
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| St. Louis artist Lowell Daniels. |
RP: What is the best thing about St. Louis for your art practice?
LD: People are what make St. Louis the great city that it is. We are an international city that has a culture of maintaining what feels to be about four degrees of separation. As an artist that draws on the common traits from diverse backgrounds, it's been beneficial to have easy social access to make connections, collaborate, or trade processes/techniques.
LD: People are what make St. Louis the great city that it is. We are an international city that has a culture of maintaining what feels to be about four degrees of separation. As an artist that draws on the common traits from diverse backgrounds, it's been beneficial to have easy social access to make connections, collaborate, or trade processes/techniques.
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| Lowell Daniels. “It's A Partnership.” 2019. Acrylic, Mixed Media on Panel Wood, 36"x48”. $1,500. |
RP: When did you begin to know what your art is about?
LD: It was difficult to grasp what my art was actually about. I didn’t know what I wanted to talk about, and my grasp on the kind of imagery I’d want to use was infirm. It wasn’t until I paid attention to the conflict in greater social conversations that I found what I found a muse. Our positions on race, politics, social order, etc. enable us boundaries so as to not recognize our neighbor’s suffering. The withdrawal of empathy due to our arbitrary prejudices is curious, and any of my recent paintings speak directly to that failure to connect with your fellow man.
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| Lowell Daniels. “Passing Time.” 2019. Acrylic on Canvas, 24”x36”. $550. |
RP: What is your most important artist tool? Is there something you can’t live without in your studio?
LD: To risk sounding cheesy, my most important tool is my imagination. We are born without the knowledge of what is impossible, and imagination taps in to our original ability to explore what can be. It’s a creative power that I use to conceptualize the abstract, visualize spaces or define goals when making work. In terms of physical tools, I don’t think there is any one thing that is most important to me. I need a way to make a mark, erase or work with my hands, and my poor, well worn sketchbooks reflect that. I feel that as long as the materials call to me, I will make a way to work with them.
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| St. Louis artist Lowell Daniels. |
RP: What are you currently working on?
LD: I will soon start posting about a project that has been long overdue. WIP title “Window of Opportunity,” it’s a visual representation of lost hopes and desires of gaining noticeable capital in a person’s lifetime. These windows contain a remnant of something our society sees as a magic check that fixes all of our problems. It’s a reminder that the window of opportunity may create more problems than answers.
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| St. Louis artist Lowell Daniels. |
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A contemporary artist based in St. Louis, Lowell Daniels uses portraiture and sculpture to explore emotions, passions and personal boundaries. His art draws on personal experiences to instill joy, fear and unease in the viewer.
Learn more about Lowell Daniels: http://pronounced-lole.com/ and https://www.instagram.com/pronounced_lole/ and https://www.facebook.com/pronouncedlole/
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Roxanne Phillips is an artist and art educator based in St. Louis since 2001. She earned a MFA in Printmaking & Drawing from Washington University in St. Louis and BFA in Painting & Drawing from University of North Texas. Roxanne is an adjunct art instructor at Washington University in St. Louis and has worked with Art Saint Louis since 2017 as Administrative Assistant and Installer. From 2018-2020 she was Master Printer for Pele Prints. Her works have been featured in numerous exhibitions throughout the St. Louis region including at Art Saint Louis, Crossroads Art Studio & Gallery, and St. Louis Artists’ Guild. Her work is currently available at Union Studio in St. Louis. She has served as exhibit Juror for several regional exhibits & art fairs. Roxanne is past Board member of St. Louis Women’s Caucus for Art.
Learn more about Lowell Daniels: http://pronounced-lole.com/ and https://www.instagram.com/pronounced_lole/ and https://www.facebook.com/pronouncedlole/
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Roxanne Phillips is an artist and art educator based in St. Louis since 2001. She earned a MFA in Printmaking & Drawing from Washington University in St. Louis and BFA in Painting & Drawing from University of North Texas. Roxanne is an adjunct art instructor at Washington University in St. Louis and has worked with Art Saint Louis since 2017 as Administrative Assistant and Installer. From 2018-2020 she was Master Printer for Pele Prints. Her works have been featured in numerous exhibitions throughout the St. Louis region including at Art Saint Louis, Crossroads Art Studio & Gallery, and St. Louis Artists’ Guild. Her work is currently available at Union Studio in St. Louis. She has served as exhibit Juror for several regional exhibits & art fairs. Roxanne is past Board member of St. Louis Women’s Caucus for Art.
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