daniel padilla.

Oak Cliff's Bishop Arts District is becoming my favorite area to explore. There are fun restaurants (have you tried Tillman's yet?) and endless collections of art in almost any door you walk in. There is one art gallery in particular located at the corner of Davis and Tyler Street that I find special.

Originally from Houston, Daniel Padilla wanted to find a more art-embracing city to embrace his work. After a year long search through New York, Atlanta, and Chicago, he found the Bishop Arts District of Dallas.

His gallery is filled with colorful canvases and wooden planks. His work is inspired by his love for music and adventures that screamed to be turned into art. Daniel was inspired to create a work called "Underwater Paradise" (pictured below) after seeing an unusually colored t-shirt. Daniel decided to apply the same colors to the wood--evoking an experience of scuba diving--the sand and water created spirals of color evident in the glossed wood.

Daniel said that he loves the spontaneity of his wood works. When he splatters a combination of water-based acrylics, oil paints, and thinners unto the wood pieces, Daniel sees unusual shapes taking form. The paint almost tells its own story.

In another wooden art piece, Daniel described the profile of a knight and another of an Indian princess that had been created unintentionally by the art process. I pointed out to him that I saw a young tiger face emerging out of the turquoise paint (you will have to go to the gallery to find your own hidden images).

The gallery also contains art that requires less imagination to develop the forms--full body portraits and amazing close-ups of faces. These large canvases are very detailed and completely different from the abstract work of the wood forms. There are abstract paintings that are very geometric and bold. The colors pop off the work and light up the gallery.

The large canvas portraits take a month or longer to complete while the mixed media on wood pieces are quick and spontaneous. Daniel likes to alternate his styles so that he has artistic freedom and flexibility.

DALLASight Down Low: Daniel Padilla found the perfect gallery to show his work...but the gallery also serves as his personal studio! You may catch Daniel working on his art behind the gallery. He is always around, so you will definitely get to meet him and ask more about his work and inspiration.

Fortunately, Daniel has support from his entire artistic family. You can find his sister's pottery, brother's paintings and jewelry, and his mother's paintings in his studio. The different styles fill the gallery but compliment each other well.

Go to Daniel's website to look at more of his art: http://www.danielpadilla.com/, but you really should go to the gallery to see the details of the work and meet the artist himself!