Dan Cautrell Studios

About Dan

I was initially attracted to woodcut and linoleum printing because of the bold and striking high contrast imagery associated with the medium. I also appreciated the wide range of applications of the technique for illustration and graphic design. Soon, I learned of the rich religious social political history of it and the “Art For The People” ethos that it represents…I have adopted this history as a driving force behind my own work. My work is my voice and beyond the deep personal satisfaction I receive from art making I believe that once made the work takes on a life of its own and becomes more than I who created it.

Brief Biography

My personal biography will be a brief explanation of how I got into art. First, I will explain that I didn't start doing art until I was 25 years old, generally, after I got married and my mother died and my first child was born. Then I will mention that I learned everything I needed to know about art at Cerritos Community College where I started as a student in painting and drawing and suddenly got introduced to printmaking. This would prove to be the flash point of my career as an artist. I will further explain that I tried etching and screen printing; one was too industrial and the other too hard. I finally settled back on linoleum printing which was actually the first print technique that I ever did. I will then mention my first public art installation in Riverside, California when I was one of several artists who created individual mural panels around a construction site. This was another milestone in my career. Public art, or Art For The People, will be a theme that I would adopt for all my work. I would eventually do seven commissioned and community mural works in Riverside. I will also mention that I did my first community art workshop in Riverside which led to many other artist residences in schools and community centers doing art with kids and under served communities. I also would write my first grant proposal for art funding. It was for a community arts project. I will further recognize Riverside as being very pivotal in my development as an artist. It was the first place where I felt like a legitimate member of a real art community. Then I will proceed to recall my move to Washinton where I was embraced as and artist by the small community of Duvall in the Snoqualmie River Valley east of Seattle. Even though I would have a studio in Seattle for a few years I relocated it back to the Valley with the help of friends who supported my work and offered studio space. I would again find myself becoming a part of another active arts community workshops, pursue and create public art projects, write for grants, and generally define myself as and artist.