DANIELLE BOINAY DOWN LINNEA DRIVE

Portland native, LA based artist.

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Love her.

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Gosh, this did NOT turn out like I had planned. I mean I like it, but the image in my head was so different. When this happens I usually am over the idea once the first version comes out, so I don't know if I'll ever take a stab at it again. Maybe.

However, I do like this for reasons different than the original idea. I like that the blue hues reflect her anguish. I also like that when I moved my hand while painting, it accidentally created smeared lipstick. I love that she is screaming, but then again she could just be mid sneeze. ;) 

It was roughly based off of the 'Madness' music video by Muse. Gosh, that song is incredible. It just perfectly depicts how love can be a mad, messy thing that builds and builds. Eventually you just have to scream it out or you'll explode. Its such a helplessness that gets you to that point after fighting it for so long. Like its completely out of your control.

Watercolor and Copic pen.

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"Space Lola" & "Space Pheobe"

Space + cats. How could you go wrong?? 

These two pieces were both gifts; one to a dear friend, which she loved so much that she comissioned me to do the second one for her sister. I started out with a photo of each of their cats and built it using various space textures and images in photoshop. I bet I could start a legit business doing this! Space pets. Etsy, here I come. ;)

Photoshop.

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Oh Khaleesi. How I love you and your dragons. You are the reason I started watching GOT in the first place. Your scenes are always the best. You are so bad ass, I can't even handle it.

I plan on doing a more up close piece of Daenerys soon, so I don't want to say too much here. But I will say its awesome to have a strong female character like hers in the show.

Watercolor and Copic pen.

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Who are you? Who who? Owls are the best. They'll always be in style. This one was quick, but I've had a few people say they want a print of it for a kid's bedroom, so I posted it. 

Pencil sketch w/ watercolor fill.

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This was a birthday present for my bff. Got the idea from TeamArt on Etsy. While I love their little coloring books, they are single themed and I wanted to create one for my friend that had a lot of her favorite things. It turned out great! She's been texting me photos of the drawings after she's colored them in. This is a perfect gift idea if you know someone artistic, and if not you might be able to find something fun on TeamArt!

Done in Photoshop.

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"Juniper"

My favorite piece of art I've ever done. I was reading Percy Jackson at the time I painted it. She has a sweetness to her face that makes me want to stare at her forever. It wasn't how I imagined her to look at first, but during the process of painting, somewhere along the way you have to let go and allow the painting tell you how its going to look. I'd like to do more pieces like this in the future.

Watercolor.

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"At The Edge"

Painted this while listening to 'Overture' by Muse. Such a haunting song. It places me at the edge of the world, which in my mind is infinite and endless. Messing around w/ watercolor stars (or snow).

Watercolor and Copic pens.

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"Silencio"

Again, landscapes are not one of my strong points, but I'm happy with the way this turned out. A friend of a friend owns a private island off the coast of Honduras, so a group of us went down to stay there for a week. This quiet little spot was on the north end of the island. Pictures are great, but there's something to be said about capturing a moment with some paints and a brush. Hats off to those of you who can actually do proper landscapes. :)

Watercolor and Copic pens.

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"Grace is Simple"

Watercolor.

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"Collide"

I just love star fields and space textures. Listened to 'Neutron Star Collision' by Muse while painting this. Can you tell that I love Muse? On the original I painted the outline of a face that sat in the middle of the bulk of her hair, meaning it to be a reflection of someone that was on her mind. However, I didn't like it in the long run so I edited it out before making the digital copy. I don't really change a lot of my paintings once their done, but it bothered me so much that I made an exception. 

Watercolor and acrylic.

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"Love Dies"

"I've seen love die way too many times when it deserves to be alive." I hear ya, Hayley Williams. You can certainly die and still be alive. I've definitely felt that way before. 

I did this forever ago when I was just out of college. I was on a swirl kick and loved using them as a texture. At first I had her holding an actual real heart, but it looked gross so I swapped it out for a symbolically shaped heart. It makes it a little more whimsical and a little less macabre.

Watercolor and Copic pens.

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"In My Bones"

I was listening to Tiesto/Tegan & Sara's 'I Feel You In My Bones' and this is what came of it. Being intimately connected with another person allows you to be transparent. No secrets.

This one remains eternally in the rough stages. As I was doing it I stopped to take a look and decided not to finish it. Sometimes an unfinished piece is meant to stay that way. Also, this was when I was much younger and too lazy to research what the human skeleton looks like, so pardon the errors!

Watercolor and pencil sketch.

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"Frienemies"

Is it bad that I've done this little piece and STILL have not seen the musical?? I mean, epic fail on my part for missing the wonderful Idina Menzel in one of her finest moments. In my defense this was a gift for my best friend who loves the musical. I wanted to create something light hearted and whimsical so this is what the end result was. I hope to see it someday!!

Side note: If you haven't seen the Wicked playbill by now, or forgot what it looks like, do yourself a favor and Google it. Its incredible. By far my most favorite piece of design work. The use of simple color blocking, the whispered secrets being told, the sheer attitude in her smurk...I could go on forever!

Watercolor and Copic pens.

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"Unbind"

I'm still smitten by the 'Mr Brightside' music video by the Killers. It runs heavy with Moulin Rouge influence and is filled with jewel tones, sparkly textures and extravagant costumes. I just had to create some art based off of it. Funny though - the end result was clean and simplistic, the total opposite! This just captures a split second moment between the two of them. I realized that when you strip away the glitz and glam, along with the drama that comes with it, all that remains are two people who love each other. Love can be as beautiful and as simple as that.

Besides, I wish I had her wild, white hair and shimmery skin. Their romance has such a helplessness to it, too - I adore that. This is another one of my favorite pieces I've done.

Watercolor and pencil sketch.

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"Gandria"

I did this painting a while ago for my dad as a gift. It's of his favorite spot on earth, Gandria, Switzerland. It's a magical lakeside town stacked against the hills of southern Switzerland bordering Italy. He used to vacation there with his family as a young boy, and he took my sisters and I to the same hotel they would stay in. On my first visit there he pointed out across the lake to a small rounded doorway carved into the hillside of a rocky cliff. You had to squint to see it. 

"As a kid I always dreamt of crossing this lake to get to that doorway, "he told us. "I believed if I went inside, it would take me to a different world." The doorway still holds that magic. 

I put this up on my blog because its a style I normally don't use but had fun trying out. Its definitely my typical choice of colors, though. My mind constantly lives in a world of swirling blues. Landscapes and realistic styles aren't at all a strength, but I'll do them from time to time if I'm feeling it, or for a friend. Acrylic on pre-stretched canvas.

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"Haters Gonna Hate"

So for those of you who don't know, I'm a professional t-shirt designer. Which means I work for Junk Food Clothing to create art that gets screen printed onto tees and sold in various clothing stores. Sometimes we are lucky enough to see a celebrity wearing our tees. It just so happens that Taylor Swift wore this one I designed for her performance for the 2013 Billboard Awards! I was stoked. Haters can go ahead and hate all they want, she rocked it!