Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area

There is some art that I do for myself and for an audience, just for the sake of doing art.  There is some art I do on spec or for cost.  But sometimes there's art that I do, free of charge, in order to further my experience.

A few years ago, I created a youth booklet for Hawaii State Parks.  It was mostly a coloring book-style activity pamphlet for kids of various ages.  It was an interesting experience because I got to work under a council of elders who oversaw my drafts and made sure that everything I was doing was properly representing the Hawaiian culture and environment.

Recently I was approached by rangers at the Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area, part of the State Parks system in California, to help them update their Junior Ranger program.  Personally, I perceive this as a much easier task already because I'm far more familiar with the ecosystems here than I was with those of Hawaii!  I've since sent them my first set of sketches, some of which you can see above.

It's always an interesting challenge to pick up projects like this here and there.  I think commissions like this really push your abilities...AND force you to work under constraints like time and material availability!  But all in all, it's FUN.

An Old Bedtime Story

Private Product

2012

(in progress)

Concept art for a children's story...I know what you're thinking: what kind of f***ed up children's story is this?  Personally, I have this weird fascination with black widow spiders.  I am simultaneously awed and terrified of them.  Seeing one - for realsies or on the internet - literally gives me the creeps, making my skin crawl.

The children's story represented here, however, is actually kind of adorable.  I'll share more about the plot once the concept art is finished, but it's for a direct-to-video release pitch.  The goal for this piece is to portray a feeling and theme that will encompass and represent the entire production in one shot: gloom, trouble, inspiration, triumph!

We'll see what happens!

Character Concept

"Auroura"
2012

sketchbook

Concept design for a character of a fantasy comic/book series.

Little N's Room

"Little N's Room"

by Dani Selvaggio

2012

(gift)

One of my dear friends is SO PREGNANT right now. Her baby is due soon and she asked me if I would, as my gift to her, do a mural in the nursery. I am so full of love for her baby already that there was no way I was going to say no.

She is filling the room up with a set from the Carter's brand that features a bunch of little woodland creatures, so we agreed that the mural needed to reflect that. I painted a couple of trees, bees, birds, and fuzzy little animals in Little N's new nursery, centering around a little nook where my friend will be putting her rocking chair for snuggly naps and storytime.

The mural took about a week's worth of work (that is, a WEEK, not seven evenings...my friend was extremely patient with me since I only had time to come over in the evenings after me regular job and work for about an hour each night). At any rate, it's done and I can't wait for the little woodland creatures to welcome Little N home!

Cradle of Civilization

"Cradle of Civilization"
by Dani Selvaggio
2008
commission

The photo of this piece did NOT come out well (again with the digital cameras!). In order to get clear shots in my studio, I had to angle the camera against the painting in a really strange way. It resulted in either weirdly distorted photos of the image or blurry shots. *sigh*

"Cradle of Civilization" was my particpation in a 24-hour art project for an organization that was raising money to support developing communities in Kenya. It was a donation that was auctioned off.

Here's a better glimpse at some of the detail. Again, I had to take these photos quickly, but they ended up coming out very...wacky? At any rate, enjoy!

Winter's End in California

"Winter's End in California"
by Dani Selvaggio
2009
commission

This piece was done as a birthday gift for a woman I love who celebrates her birthday in the summertime. However, she always reminds me of spring! For those of you that live in Southern California, you know that our seasons hardly vary...we have windy, fiery, dry, and more dry. But the best time to see California is that liminal season between winter and spring, when everything is at its freshest and the wildflowers are beginning to grow. I tried to evoke something colorful and "new" in this image, but kept it as simplistic as possible at the same time.

Here are some details for the bougainvillea:

Collage: REINCARNATION OF POETRY

"The Reincarnation of Poetry"

by Dani Selvaggio

2007

commission

Here's a collage I did back in 2007 as a commission piece. Mixed media is my favorite type of art, because you're not limited to what you can create but you're still tested by practical limits. It's all about pushing the envelope.

This piece in particular is a collage on canvas (magazine and music sheets), with acrylics and glitter glue. Yes, glitter glue. That's one art supply I don't like using, really, but using it as a very limited resource added the feminine touch that the commissioning patron was asking for while still very much my own style.

It's one of my favorite recent collages.