Danielle O’Connor Akiyama
Danielle O’Connor Akiyama is a Toronto-based Canadian
artist who has been painting for twenty-five years. Dannielle
has worked with emotionally disturbed adolescents and oncology
patients for many years. Since leaving her work as a therapist,
Danielle has dedicated herself to the life of painting.
Danielles style is loose and impressionistic. Firmly rooted
in the tradition of watercolour, her painting has evolved into
a spirit of exploration. Her personal vocabulary which includes
acrylics and oils as well, all evoke a sense of excitement of
the journey. In order to understand the strength and simplicity
of a single brushstroke, Danielle studied sumi-e, Japanese brush
painting. Upon receiving her master’s seal, the head sensei
named her "Chi-Sho", which means a source of joy,
and embodies both the artistic process and the observer’s
viewpoint. Each work bears her chop as well as her signature
Danielle.
This mastery of blending east/west artistry is evident, and
has led to her works being highly prized by many Asian collectors.
Strength of skill and brush technique, (fude no chikara), blend
with knowledge of colour and shadow, giving rise to beauties
voice. Impressions and feelings are absorbed in mediation, synthesized,
and brought into being by the mighty stroke of a charged brush.
Full of free spirited joy; driven by courage and intention,
guided by natures beauty, each stroke is a step on a journey;
each painting a cycle in the evolution of style, leading to
the frontier of possibility.
Whether it is a riotous party of flowers, a single magnificent
blossom, or a tranquil terrain of a place remembered, there
is always a hidden mystery in the under painting. This aspect
of Danielles work is what lies at the heart of her creations.
Her use of layering evokes a cadence, which echoes back to the
moment of original inspiration. The spirit of the subject (kokoromochi)
is preserved.
Artist Statement:
"...images burn continually and beg to tell their tale.
Buds of new-life form themselves representing hope of the next.
Bamboo thrusts emerge, lost and found, throughout the blossom;
grounding it, strengthening it, lending yang to yin. Centres
of blooms careen madly, raging red against diaphanous, translucent
colour, whilst screaming to explore further still. Pure, undiluted
brushstroke juxtaposes luminous washes of pigment. Startling
shots of colour, three black shocks, and scattered splashes
fragment the eye and make the whole image vibrate".
i follow the path of heart,
in the darkness, my interior world consumes... and the reverie
begins..
it is in this dreamworld i travel within, to uncover inner landscapes...
internal rhythms,
- to create kin with the magic of brush, paint and canvas...
this exploration is tireless, and knows no boundaries.
in the sweet silence of dreaming, truth is revealed...
this effortless meandering is the germination of a completed
canvas.
When at the beginning of this dreamstate... i know not the outcome...
this is part of the journey...
... the galvanizing process... the unveiling... raw segments
of unborn thought.
These are the rare visions, the harbingers of beauty...
the bones of my work - to create, from pure imagination
and the endless travelling.
my mission is to manifest beauty, truth and joy
... come join my journey.
- danielle o'connor akiyama
