Island Voice August 2006

Capturing the Fleeting Beauty in Our Area

By Cindy Burkett

It starts with a feeling and emotion about a place. The way the light dances on the water or the shadows play on a subject. It’s all about honoring the beauty of nature, especially the local area where he was born and raised. That’s the way Daniel Ambrose feels about his painting.

His work is sensitive and rich in subtle colors. There’s a feeling of serenity in his work and a gentleness that shows how he feels about the land and wildlife.  His work is realistic, but not done in a traditional style. He paints more for the mood than the subject.

For many years, he tried different painting mediums, but couldn’t seem to achieve the subtle effects he wanted. His search led him to a book written in the 1920s by a Yale professor about egg tempera paints. This historic medium, used and perfected by the old masters centuries ago, combines dry powdered pigments from the earth with the rich consistency of egg yolks to create luminous hues of color. The process for mixing these paints requires precise  measuring and specially prepared surfaces. Being a craftsman in his earlier years, Ambrose took it as a challenge to learn how to do this properly. After extensive research, he was able to find the pigments he needed. “This was before the Internet and Google, so it took time to even find the manufacturers of the pigments,” Daniel said.

His search and experimentation with this medium was worth it. The richness of these natural colors allowed him to capture the beautiful warm light inherent in his subjects in the same way Rembrandt used light to show the intricacies of the human form. Daniel hopes his paintings will stand the test of time, just like the old masters who painted with egg tempera.

Ambrose has won the acclaim of judges and  collectors as well as many awards of merit and distinction for his work in this medium. One of the few artists invited to join the prestigious Florida Artists Group, his museum quality works of art have been sought after and collected by corporate clients and private collectors in the U.S. and Canada.

He is active in the community as a trustee of the Museum of Arts and Sciences and is a director of the Volusia County Cultural Alliance. He also holds classes at his studio for adults and children. He said, “There were very few places where children could learn about art when I was growing up here. I hope my classes will help children express their creativity and improve their self-esteem. That’s just one way I try to give back to the community.”

A lover of nature and the fleeting beauty of Florida, Daniel hopes his works will be a legacy of landscape and wildlife images that may only endure in his paintings.