Twilight #1

About Twilight #1

This realistic oil painting is a portrait of a young Kenyan girl by Daniel Hughes.

Internationally recognized as a fine artist, Daniel Hughes has painted a haunting image with this new portrait. In all of his figurative work, Hughes attempts to capture a moment in time. His attention to fine detail—the contours of the young girl’s face, her soulful eyes are accentuated by a rich, dark palette and a masterful use of light. Caught at “twilight, where the fading light bathes them in a dreamy, almost ethereal glow. Hopefully, the interplay of cool shadow and warmth light (silhouette) creates a sense of serenity.”

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 1950’s. His aesthetic focuses on a realistic interpretation, composition, light, harmony and emotion. One of two.

“I spent my childhood in Kenya, and these images are a response to my memories of Kenyan light and people. They are a compilation of different images, but not of specific girls.” Daniel Hughes

DanIel Hughes completed his MFA at 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).