DANIEL SKOLZ
BOTANICA FABLIOSA
"Though the extent to which art imitates life or vice versa is debated, I can't help but pause when something in the natural world catches my eye. From that perspective, I aim for my work to be an honest expression of what I see, which might include some playfulness in color and/or composition."
Daniel's art is founded in close observation: of elements of the living world, how their forms and functions correlate, and the harmony among them. This quite literally is ecology, describing the interaction of individuals with their environment. But not in terms of hypotheses and statistics, as Daniel was formally trained to assess, but in aspects such as how reflected light can warm or cool a shadow, how edges are lost as objects merge with the space around them, and how moments of saturated color can enrich a natural palette.
In tattoo, Daniel suits the work to the body, the opportunities, and constraints therein, and to the sentiment behind the piece. Respecting the nature of the elements, plants mostly, Daniel uses a painterly approach to achieve a sense of realism while leaving plenty for the eye to engage and fill in.
Daniel specializes in full-color botanical tattoos that depict the natural colors and forms of the plants chosen, including harmonizing sometimes disparate assortments. In paint, Daniel explores the theme of how natural color and form are modified by the environment.
