ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

Danney is one of those renaissance spirits, which brings quite a list of pursuits. She has done everything from pumping gas with a smile, to running a Scanning Electron Microscope in the San Juan Islands. Not only is she an artist, but also a marine zoologist, art instructor, Master Gardener, educator and writer. One day she might be found drawing tree frogs, and the next she could be collaging with beeswax.

The often watery themes of Danney’s work show through in a playful sense, bringing about the unity of nature, imagination, and mysterious beings. Being a scientist and teacher, she is inspired by natural history illustrations that combine investigation with a sense of wonder about the world. She uses creativity and experimentation to work within a wide variety of mediums, for example; mixed media, collage, photography, digital alteration, textiles, encaustic, art journaling, and even pressed seaweed. Her normal palate is upbeat, also sometimes natural and gritty, and her work gives a lively denotation of texture.

Involved in lots of different projects, Danney is pleased to be a Resident Artist at Gallery One, and also an instructor for the Community School of the Arts at the gallery. Collaborations have granted her a unity with others that there is really no other substitution for. She works with a group of women artists and their latest project the “Periodic Table of Badass Women” won an award for the first showing. It is a 12 x 5 foot, textile based arrangement of multimedia, mini art quilts that showcases art, science, culture and diversity. Working with others, sharing ideas, figuring out problems, creating something that represents all involved, is so absolutely empowering, she finds it is definitely the crescendo to a creative life.

As an author, Danney is ecstatic to be working on a children’s book that features a young, ethnically diverse, female character that investigates animals and empowers them with magic, helping the animals solve environmental and conservation problems. The first book centers on seahorses and manta rays; fishing practices, ocean garbage, and sanctuaries.  

Basically put, Danney likes to make stuff, and she makes it all happen in Ellensburg Washington, while still finding time for adventures with her family, her amazingly supportive husband, uber-talented teenaged daughter, and a couple of real cute puppies.