Today, I want to share the wonderful work of artist and friend, Dan Colonna. I met Dan several years ago online via social media and zoom hangouts with other artist friends that have continued for years since. He’s always had interesting stories to tell about some of his traveling experiences, his love for classical painting and dark art, and designing for the theme park industry in his earlier years. He has always humbly shared his observations and understanding of art and life, and shown a true enjoyment for connecting with others about these subjects.

He’s had wonderfully eclectic bits of information that he’d share with the group during our chats about what he’s discovered through piecing together his inspiration and studies of painters such as Bosch, Caravaggio, Bouguereau, Dali and others. The realist style that he developed over his time of developing as a painter came to influence his focus on dark figurative subjects and later what he’d call his bio-scapes.

Since I’ve known him, he has also always been open to talking about how he felt his subjectmatter had shifted after he was diagnosed with glioblastoma in 2013. Sometimes, he has even said that he felt that he no longer was able to draw or paint form or paint realistically, and I’d always suggest that I felt that his work was evolving into a different kind of form-driven realism. That perhaps the outer shell of the figure was not the focus anymore, but the realism had shifted into an unknown sort of realm. That he was giving form to what lived in his mind and his emotions – what I tend to refer to as mindscapes or the innerverse – or perhaps these were the inner workings of the figure on a biological level.

The fact that we see these as unknown in terms of subjectmatter doesn’t take away from but adds to the way we experience the imagery, and I believe it draws us towards and deeper into them. It gives us a desire to want to dive into that unknown and to wander through the wonderfully developed forms and dark mysterious quality of the imagery he creates.

Dan’s diagnosis of glioblastoma gave him a new set of challenges. This is known to be the most aggressive form of brain cancer. At that time, in 2013, doctors told him he had 8 to 14 months to live and to hope for the best but prepare for the worst. Rather than giving in to that prognosis, he worked harder than ever. Here’s what his bio says about his experience:

“The road has been rough, and it continues to change as new physical challenges arise, but I refuse to let it stop me.” Dan says, “I preferred working, representationally. Now my neurological limitations make it harder for me to do so. Over the past several years I have come to understand that life sometimes chooses a different trail to cross. The necessity of being able to adapt is an important lesson that this situation has taught me.” After struggling to create work in the style he had always been passionate about, he realized that it was time to release and let the uncontrolled feelings and images of his subconscious guide his work. Dan started with a series of surreal “bio-scape” graphite drawings which enabled him to represent his new emotional and physical landscape. Dan adds, “My challenges are constantly evolving, which means my techniques will have to as well. I am prepared for this to be an ever-changing situation, and I look forward to where the next evolution takes me. No matter what, I know I’m not alone. The support and love of my family and friends will continue to guide me beyond my limitations. Plus, being able to lose myself in the artistic landscape is its own therapy. Creation is a great healer!”

I couldn’t agree more that creation is a great healer, and that the support and love of our family and friends plays such a huge role in our growth and perseverance. I’m grateful to know Dan and to call him a friend. I feel I’ve learned a great deal from our connection – about him as well as myself, and I truly believe that the connection will continue to inspire me throughout my life, as I create art and live life as a whole. I think those who’ve known him would probably say the same. He’s an amazing balance of kindness, gentle spirit, tenacity, and humble grit. He is the epitome of grace and it’s a true gift to know him.

If you’d like to take a moment to get to know him a little better too, I think you’d find this video below to be pretty wonderful:

And this interview with Chet Zar on the Dark Art Society podcast:

 click here for the Dan Colonna interview on Dark Art Society