Dan May

Dan totally content painting and creating little masterpieces from such a young age! He was about 2 years old in this sweet little photo!

Check out Dan's work here

1. A brief story about you

I am a painter living in Chicago, IL with my lovely wife Kendal. My earliest childhood memories involve my laying on the floor in our living room drawing cartoons. I made sure that I would become an artist by filtering out the naysayers and always following my heart. Though this path is never the easiest, it is certainly rewarding. I cannot imagine doing anything else with my life, and it brings me great joy to share my visual story with others.

2. Your first/earliest visual memory?

I can remember my grandfather (who was an electrician) bringing over a cool whip container that was full of colorful 'wire nuts' (little things that join a series of wires together). I would spend hours on end organizing them by color, texture, and creating patterns with them. I always said that it was my first artistic experience. My parents loved it... who needs expensive toys when you have wire nuts to play with?

3. What or who inspired you as a kid?

My dreams and the world around me have provided an endless amount of inspiration. As a kid, I was always into drawing and painting; it was second nature to me. I began drawing at only a few years of age. I loved Dr. Seuss, comic books, Saturday morning cartoons, monsters, and anyone who was artistic.

4. An early poignant art making moment/experience?

I can remember getting together with my cousin to draw out frame-by-frame an entire video game. We drew all of the characters, boss enemies, and levels in storyboard format. When we were finished, we headed to the library and took out a book on drafting business letters. From there (on a typewriter) we typed up a letter and sent out a proposal to every video game company we could think of, along with a preview of our game. We told the executives that we would listen to all offers and take the best one... we are still waiting to hear back.

5. How would you describe your style and approach to your work?

My style is mysterious, surreal, soft, and flowing. I put great emphasis on detail, some might say to an obsessive degree! Though my paintings are dreamlike and rooted in the surreal, they blend a sense of realism that makes them feel attainable in our current world. I think they not only focus on my own personal growth and evolution, but on the grand evolutionary changes that occur around us all.