Really excited to announce I have been awarded ‘Contemporary Natural World Artist of the Year 2021’ in the British Made Awards. Thanks to all my followers for the continued support and for staying with me on my journey.
‘Silver Darlings’ at RHS Rosemoor
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“Kiting Kestrel”
CommentEven though Kestrel numbers have declined in the UK, we are very lucky here in the West Country, as they are a common site windhovering over gorse covered cliff sides and rugged moorland.
Kestrels are the only bird of prey that hover while they hunt and unlike other birds, such as the humming bird, they don’t rapidly beat their wings, they rely on ‘lift’ from wind to hold them in place, hardly flapping a wing at all. They simply open and glide a technique known as kiting.
I’ve used a slightly modified gilding technique to create a two tone gold silhouette of long wild, summer grasses and if you look closely, intricate speckles create an ambience of dancing motes, glimmering in the light.
My piece ‘Kiting Kestrel’ is reverse painted and entirely gilded in 24kt goldleaf. The framed work measures 1350mm x 650mm in a 47mm deep.
For more information on this piece please contact the studio directly.
Kiting Kestrel
Shoal of Blue fin Tuna
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The ‘Shoal of Blue fin Tuna Fish’ is one of my largest private commissions to date. I wanted to share with you some of the process that went into this unique piece. It’s taken 6 months from initial client introduction to final installed artwork. within this time frame, phone calls, meetings, site visits, sketches and pallet colour studies have all happened, the clients choice of subject matter and the space involved meant a large shoal would work perfectly…
Final Tuna sketch
Initial colour study piece
The work is reverse painted in a blended pallet of rich royal blue, cyan, turquoise with hints of purple, then reverse gilded in silver leaf with 24kt goldleaf highlights.
Here’s what the client had to say…
“The unveiling of a commission is always an exciting event for both artist and client: had Danni managed to interpret our random thoughts to create a unique piece of art deserving of the “prime spot” in our new home? “Shoal of Blue fin Tuna” exceeds all our expectations - it is perfect, simply stunning. More than that, the whole experience of working with Danni and Ellie has been very special and we feel privileged to be a small part of their ever-growing success.”
— PRIVATE COLLECTOR. N.DEVON
My latest client testimonial...
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“We had been looking for some art work for a couple of years and just couldn’t find the right piece - we actually had no idea what we really wanted but I was convinced that we would know once we found it! By chance we came across Danni’s work and were really captivated by an abstract, ‘Gilded Skies’, which was perfect except it was too small for the place we wanted to put it. After some deliberation we eventually took the plunge and contacted Danni about commissioning a similar larger piece. Having never gone down this route before we were slightly worried, but Danni was a joy to work with and we were quickly put at ease, in fact we were so confident that we would not be disappointed that we actually ordered two commissions! The finished pieces look stunning and we are absolutely delighted.”
— THE GROGAN’S . WILTSHIRE
Who is Ellie?
MEET THE OTHER HALF OF DANNI BRADFORD STUDIO……
I am often approached by other artists, asking for tips on how to make their hobby into a full-time career. For many of us artists, all we want to do is create art, its our passion and where we focus our time and energy…immersed in the creative process, doing what we love to do! However, when it comes to getting your art out there into the world, being ‘The Artist’ becomes just the tip of the iceberg. One thing many of us don’t realize when we are just starting out in our careers is that Nearly all successful selling artists have a second pair of hands behind them, quite often a partner or spouse or good friend hidden behind the scenes.
For me this is where my wife Ellie comes in! Since I sold my first piece, Ellie has been behind me every step of the way. From everyday tasks like dealing with galleries and enquires, to keeping the studio stocked with materials & packing pieces for delivery, all the way to helping with promoting the artwork and organising events, to helping clients decide on which piece will work best in their space. When she isn’t in ‘the studio’, Ellie is busy being Europe’s only female professional surfboard maker, and a qualified Nutrition and lifestyle coach, as well as passionate cook, guitar player, surfer and hiker. Ellies incredibly diverse skill set and big-picture thinking, born from her ‘Multipotentialite’ nature, have not just helped me turn my passion into a full-time career, but helped us both build a life and business that we love!
To read more about ‘Who We Are’. You can also meet Ellie HERE on Instagram.
Latest commission
Commissions are such exciting projects for me! It’s always so interesting to work closely with a client and create a special piece to an interior brief or colour pallet. This recently completed commission involved revisiting an idea from a few years back, but taking a totally new and previously unexplored approach to the framing.
Both myself and the client are delighted with the finished piece! You can read her testimonial below……
“We’d been gifted with a smaller piece of Danni’s work previously and were mesmerised by it’s uniqueness. Looking for a larger piece to complement our new decor, we were inspired by what we saw on Danni’s website. Taking a leap of faith during lockdown , we commissioned ‘Into the Blue’. Danni’s service was impeccable. She kept us updated every step of the way and the end product didn’t disappoint . The piece is everything we imagined and more ...”
Piece in situ
I’m available for consultations regarding commissions, this also includes site visits where applicable.
Feel free to contact myself or Ellie at the studio regarding your project or idea.
‘Spring Swallows’
CommentDuring the spring lockdown I was very lucky to be able to walk my dog in a private Meadow, and in the late spring afternoons we would be witness to the most beautiful show of Swallows feeding on the wing over the wild flowers. They would swoop so close to us then dart away, catching flys with such amazing agility. It was a wonder to watch and listen to their soothing twittering and chatting.
I, like many people, believe that they herald the beginning spring, and I am certainly keen on their return…
EDIT - SOLD
RHS Garden Rosemoor ‘The Arrivals’
After a year of cancelled events and exhibitions due to the Corona Virus, I’m really excited to finally have a piece on display! ‘The Arrivals’ can now be found at the entrance of the Royal Horticultural Society’s, Garden Rosemoor, here in North Devon. The piece is on display as part of the Winter Sculpture Exhibition and will remain on display until my solo show with the RHS later on in the year. (More to follow on this soon)
A triple layered case of Monarch Butterflies. Reverse painted onto glass in rustic autumnal hues and gilded in copper leaf.
*EDIT - THIS PIECE IS SOLD*
The ‘Lapis Moon’
My 'Lapis Moon' has been created using the lapis lazuli pigment, a pigment in the 19th century that was prized so much it was considered to be more precious then gold. The colour that is derived from Lapis lazuli is known as ultramarine and varies in its hue. Within this Moon I’ve created a varied pallet of blues from the original pigment, ranging from deep purples into pale cian.
Blue is the colour of serenity, wellness, tranquil calm and clarity. Throughout time it has been considered a ‘magic colour’ and a defence against evil. In colour therapy its known to boost the immune system, lower blood pressure and overcome depression.
Kandinsky once said “The deeper the Blue becomes the more strongly it calls man to the infinite, awakening in him a desire for the pure, and, finally, for the supernatural.”
My work is inspired by nature and the environment around me which in turn echo the natural rhythms of our universe, and as an abstract I want the audience to find their own emotions when they view the piece and be captured in their own individually way. When I create my moons I hope they Embody an emotive state that I feel at the time of working on them, they are a complex layering of textures, pigments and colours which as I build up, require a very meditative state of mind.”
Please contactThe T5 Gallery, London, Heathrow for more information on this original and unique piece.
A Socially Distant Collaboration
Lockdown has been a time of reflection for all of us. As a creative gently pressing pause on my exhibitions, it has meant being able to focus some time and energy towards working on new concepts and projects. And I’ve had the pleasure to be able, during this very isolated time, to work on a very special, socially distant collaboration.
Myself and Bobby already share a passion for the ocean and a connection to nature through a love of surfing, so it seemed a very natural step to join our practices in a collaborative collection. To work with such a passionate craftsman has been an utter joy. To hear Bobby talk about his processes and the history of his pieces he creates is wonderful. Here are some of Bobbys words about our first piece...
“I acquired some pieces of wood from an oak tree that had been condemned by a house-owner due to the inconvenience of its leaves on the lawn in the autumn and winter months. This sad and ignorant order to fell a tree angered me at a time when we should be exploring every opportunity to co-exist with our natural environment. I created a vessel with the wood and burnt it, intentionally scorching the warm golden tones into deep blacks to reflect my feelings towards the tree's end. I took the wood to the limits of its tolerance, stressed it to the point of cracking and gave Danni a call.” - Bobby Mills.
Kintsugi is the Japanese art of ‘golden joinery’ - taking something broken and fixing it with gold. The fix in turn makes the object more beautiful by honouring its history. Instead of disguising the break or trying to make something perfect again, the art form values the damage, marks and wear of the object.
This in turn can be seen as a metaphor for our own lives. The cracks and breakages in our lives are simply events in our stories, by which we can learn, and they are the lessons that make us stronger over time.
So much in the world right now seems broken, but its time to reflect on those fragmented parts and heal ourselves and our surroundings. So many individual lessons have been learnt during this time, and we can make our connection with the environment and nature stronger by healing those breakages, and making our weaknesses our strongest and most precious elements.
I’m very excited to be able to share the journey of this vessel, which seems to have a life of its own, it has been touched and shaped in many ways, to become the piece it is today.
24kt Goldleaf Gilded Vessel
'Silver Darlings' at Heathrow Airport
My piece “Silver Darlings” is now available through the T5 Gallery
Heathrow Airport, London.
A Hexaptych of glass layers contained within a contemporary double sided, see-through case, create this captivating and engaging new piece “Silver Darlings”, inspired by the migratory Atlantic sardine runs.
Crimson Chrysanthemum
‘Crimson Chrysanthemum’
Sometimes everything in your studio just has to wait, and what you really need, is a burst of colour to blow away the January blues.
So I’m bursting into this January with my first in a series of close up ‘Blooms’.
This chrysanthemum measures 850mm and is a rich deep crimson, gilded in copper leaf. It’s petal tips and bloom centre are gilded in 24kt gold leaf.
A flower strongly associated with happiness, honesty and friendship, did you know the chinese name for chrysanthemums means ‘the essence of the sun’.
But please feel free to contact me if you are interested in further details and images.
*EDIT - SOLD*
Copper Monarchs
Copper Monarchs (No Frame)
When I was little girl, one of the biggest influences in my life was my big sister.
When we were growing up I shared a bedroom with my sister and she used to spend hours looking through books, especially books on butterflies. I used to watch her draw them, and would listen in awe as she told me everything about their delicate life cycles. She had real ones in entomology cases on her wall, and would show me butterfly chrysalises on the bottoms of the window ledges. She would tell me their wonderful names…peacocks, red admirals, cabbage whites, painted ladies… She really was quite obsessed.
These last few weeks I’ve been reminiscing about these childhood obsessions while drawing and painting kaleidoscopes of butterflies myself, only, on the reverse on glass.
As my process means working in reverse, the composition of each butterfly was worked out in advance, so that the small white highlight dots were painted first, then the individual lines of each butterfly were inked before applying the reds and gilding in copper leaf.
‘Copper Monarchs’ is my most recently completed piece, and is now listed in my SHOP
Commissioning an artist - overcoming the fear factor.
Placing a commission with an artist can be a really daunting prospect - after all you are agreeing to purchase something you haven't even seen, so much so, that many clients shy away from the process. But if you have specific requirements for a piece and find an artist who's work that you would really love to have in your home , then commissioning a piece specifically for your space can be a very rewarding and worthwhile experience. A good artist who is used to producing commissions will take the 'fear factor' out of the process for you, by making sure they know exactly what you are expecting before work on the piece even commences, and setting a specific timeframe for completion. Many of my own commisions are placed for occasions like anniversaries and birthdays, so ensuring the client receives their piece on time is of paramount importance. An artist should never be asked to rush, after all the best things come to those who wait! However all artists will have a good idea of how long a piece will take to produce and should be able to set an approximate date for collection or delivery before work begins. Good communication is key to a successful commission process, and basics like size, price, materials and framing should all be agreed before any money exchanges hands. Most artists will take a deposit of 40-50% upon placing of the order, with the rest due upon exchange of the finished piece.
For a proffesional artist Producing something that the client will love will always be top of the list, and and they will always ensure you walk away happy and 100% delighted with your piece. If you have particular concerns about placing an order for commission , its always worth while contacting the artist, who should be able to put your mind at rest, and alleviate any concerns you have.
Ive just said goodbye to my last commissioned piece of of 2019. This Abstract piece
Titled 'Red Copper' measures 1200mm x 600mm, and is the second piece that i have produced for these particular clients.
If you think a commissioned piece could be for you, and you'd like to know more about my commision process, please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have or view my Portfolio for ideas.
‘Red Copper’
VIP Sofitel Hotel Event, Heathrow Airport, London
Danni and 24kt goldleaf Bengal Tiger
I’m really excited to share these images of the recent VIP Event that I took part in at the Sofitel Hotel, Terminal 5, Heathrow Airport. It was a fantasitic evening hosted by the hotel, where several pieces of my work are displayed as part of the award winning T5 Gallery’s continual cultural exhibition programme.
It was a wonderful and invaluable experience to meet and chat with so many people about my work and the process’ involved in creating my pieces, and a fabulous opportunity to relax for a night, soak up the atmosphere and enjoy some really terrific french food!
'Silver Darlings'
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‘Silver Darlings
Whilst sharing these images I am slowly breathing a sigh of relief. I’ve spent many sleepless nights thinking over the complexities of this new piece of work. It all started with a blossoming idea earlier this year… what if I could layer the glass? What if I could compose a multi-dimensional piece? What if one of my shoals could become a sphere?! Over the following six months that it took to get the piece to its final form, my wife became very fed up of listening to me ramble on about structural components, fixings and compositions.
The image I had in my mind of a weightless floating shoal, full of clarity and fluid energy really started to take shape as all of the elements of this big puzzle-like piece, came together. Not only is everything worked in reverse, the whole piece was put together upside down, so that there are no visible fixings in the case. The look of the finished piece was not fully revealed to me until the very last nail biting moment!
I love the formation and movement that is expressed through the fish and the weightlessness that comes across in the spherical composition. Though the process has taken a long time, mainly due to finding new solutions to new problems, using some sophisticated and innovative techniques, I’m really pleased with the final piece. Finally I can get a good night’s sleep….
What do you think?
Red listed - Vérre-églomisé, an endangered craft
As a Gilder and Vérre-églomisé glass artist I join a rather small but mighty list of creatives that are classified by the Herritage Crafts Association as endangered.
“A heritage craft is defined as ‘a practice which employs manual dexterity and skill and an understanding of traditional materials, design and techniques, and which has been practised for two or more successive generations”
My own practice takes Vérre-églomisé in its traditional form and adds in a few contemporary twists, so a new art form is born from an endangered craft.
Reverse painting and gilding glass. Vérre-églomisé
The reverse painting and gilding of glass otherwise known as ‘Vérre-églomisé’ was at the forefront of design and craft in the 19th century when it was a thriving industry across Britain, primarily used in sign writing but also as a form of decoration, and can be found as ornate borders on original 19th century antique mirrors. However with progress came extreme changes to the industry, in which only a few champions now remain.
Through contemporising the technique and creating my own style, I’ve been able to work within my fine art and interiors backgroud to create some truly unique pieces using these heritage skills.
I feel truly honoured to be one of the few individuals carrying on this craft and its traditional techniques within my own processes as an artist. My work focus on my love of wildlife and nature as a subject matter, particularly on endangered species and by the geology and surroundings here in my beautiful home of North Devon, England.
You can follow my work by subscribing to my mailing list —>
Film
I’m really excited to share the new film with you all here on the website.
Created by Jess Pearson ‘Shimnix films’ with music by David Smale and Lara Conley.
It was an absolute joy to work with Jess on this short film of my work and become North Devon Maker no.6
I’ve joined a wonderful list of North Devon makers including Louise at Golden Bear Belts, Ellie at Miller Surfboards, Merlyn at her print studio, Clive at Clovelly Pottery and the Bee’s of Honey Quince farm.
I’m looking forward to working more with Jess in the future.
'Sardines'
As an Artist one of the most exciting aspects of my creative process is working and developing unique pieces for galleries and clients. My latest piece is an evolution of one of my favourite and most popular subject matters ‘Sardines’. This new piece is my first boxed work, and is an expanding multiplication of fish with three of my gilded shoals increasing in size within this bespoke box frame. They are mounted 50mm appart creating an exciting three dimensional element that plays with composition and light.
This first boxed work has been developed for the T5 Gallery in Terminal 5, Heathrow Airport, London where it will be displayed off the wall on a self standing plinth.
I’m really very excited to share these first studio images with my followers.
*EDIT - SOLD*
TITLE: "Sardines"
SIZE: 938 x 538 x 180 mm
WEIGHT: 25kg
MATERIALS: 4 mm toughened glass panels x 3, polychromes, inks, paint, Silver leaf , presented in a bespoke white waxed wooden case.