Fireflies II

About Fireflies II

This realistic oil portrait of a young man is by Daniel Hughes.

In a field surrounded by the magical glow of dozens of fireflies, a young man stands alone, looking towards hills in the distance. It is summer. The setting sun has given the pale blue sky a rosy hue that contrasts with the dark shadows of the hills. The imagery is deeply emotional—romantic, underscored by the perceived vulnerability of the young man whose back faces the viewer.
Early in his life, Daniel Hughes was strongly influenced by the work of his artist mother and her friends, many of whom were renowned British artists. He grew up drawing…never in color books but on six-foot lengths of computer paper. Hughes was especially drawn to the figurative paintings of British artists of the 1950s. His aesthetic focuses on a realistic interpretation, composition, light, harmony and emotion. One of a series.

“Learning how to paint the figure is all about problem-solving. How do I make that look real? How do I turn that? How do I make that light look proper? How do I understand anatomy? It’s not something you’re born with at all.” Dan Hughes

Daniel Hughes completed his MFA at the New York Academy of Art in 1995. Hughes studied in Florence, Italy, through the Ontario College of Art. During this period, he moved towards "observational realism." According to critic Donald Kuspit, observational realism depicts the world exactly as it appears to be.
He received the Elizabeth Greenshields Award for Figurative Art in 1991 and 1995. He has had solo shows throughout Canada, England and the US, and was part of a prestigious group show at The National Portrait Gallery in London (2005).