"Despite a Wall"

by Dani Selvaggio

2003

For sale

Although this piece doesn't quite fit in with the rest of my style of work, I do adore it very much so. The colors are particularly important here, especially because the character that emphasizes a masculinity is done in the culturally feminine hue, whereas the character that emphasizes femininity is colored in the masculine. Yet each tone fits.

This was back when I unfortunately titled my paintings on the actual canvas itself. Silly me! Additionally, my painting signature was different as well. Nevertheless, the painting itself is one of my personal favorites. I enjoy limiting my color palette and seeing where that takes me. Sometimes the best way to encourage creativity is to restrict oneself!

Acrylics: THE MURAL PAINTING

"The Mural Painting"
by Dani Selvaggio

2006

Private Collection

This is my first piece when I came back into "doing art." Don't let the cartoonish look of the face fool you - this is actually an homage to a hidden mural in my childhood neighborhood that has since become overgrown with geranium bushes and bougainvillea vines. This canvas captures the last soft smile of the sun before the plants overtake the wall completely.

This piece is a favorite of mine to display and it's certainly made its rounds. Right now it's being loaned to a private collection until the end of this year.

In Progress: PHOTO PROJECT

What follows is a hint at what I'm hoping my photo project will continue to look like. I'm ridiculously happy with how this series is coming out (thanks to my first two models, Devi and Erica). I'm hoping to capture various stages of life that one might not consider stereotypical, but which are things that every human being must go through.

Here is Devi at Leo Carrillo State Park. Hers is actually meant to be the last photo of the series. I picked out a white dress for her, which ended up being a REALLY great contrast to the sand. As for the divided, florally lit pathway we found...that was just luck. The angle is probably my most favorite thing in this photo - it really makes everything just flow perfectly.

And here is Erica. This photo was taken in my hometown, which is the perfect stage for this shot. As gorgeous as she is, and as much as she deserves to be at the forefront, I was glad to have this shot come out with the flowers being what is in focus. I chose a sepia tone for developing the photo, but I also want to post the original colors as well, because the costume I pulled together was so vivid; it really gives a different sense of the scene:

Really, there is a lot more to it, but I don't want to give it all away just yet. My biggest issue right now is whether or not I want this project to focus solely on photography - which was my original plan - or if I want to take the next step forward and turn it into a collage project. I suppose I can make that decision once I get all of my photos together.

All photos for this project were taken with my trusty ol' Canon Rebel film camera. I hate digital cameras so much...I do take digital shots during the shoot as well, but those are mostly establishing shots to show the model as we go. Film...it just comes out so much better.

Line Drawings

These are a series of line drawings (ink only) that I did in 2001. They are part of a larger series that were intended for publication alongside poetry, but I never followed through and it kind of just dissolved.

Collage: LETTER

"Letter"

by Dani Selvaggio
2001

Sold

One of my first collages, I allowed this one to go for very cheap. In retrospect, I would have liked to hold onto it a little longer, but I had an offer on the table. It's always more about getting your name and your art out there than it's about making money off of your work. If I could give away all my art, I would.

Photography: REBIRTH

"Rebirth" by Dani Selvaggio

2008
Private Collection

This image was taken during a visit to a beautiful field of Mayan ruins in Latin America. I hate digital cameras, but I love to travel so I tend to have to reconcile the two...thank goodness I did, because otherwise I never would have gotten this delicate shot!

All of my travel photography is done with digital camera, but I prefer traditional film cameras because you're so much more aware of what you're shooting instead of just snapping a hundred shots at once and seeing what comes out. Truth be told, though, I'm amazed at what digital cameras can do nowadays! ...but when it comes down to it, I'll stick with my rolls of film. I guess I'm just nostalgic that way.

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.