Polytechnic in Marlborough, finishing with an Honours Diploma from The Learning Connexion in Wellington.

He actually began painting murals when he was only 19 years old which he continued through his study and a decade of travel.

Mural painting can be quite varied as he will work for festivals, schools, businesses, councils and private individu-als. He is given a brief which he will research thoroughly and he then creates the design himself in consultation with his client, sometimes first painting a smaller scale model of his finished concept.

Dan puts in a lot of ground work with councils making himself known to them and supplying concept plans for murals. It often happens that by the time the slow wheels of these organisations turn, and decisions are made to commis-sion him, he has moved on, so he often revisits areas to do the actual painting.

Recently he painted transformer boxes in Takapuna with, you guessed it, Rangitoto Island and pohutukawa. He also has been back to Wellington painting two murals for the Taita Railway subway. This, he says, will be a real test for the theory that taggers leave murals alone.

He may need an extra coat of anti-graffiti varnish! He also says he may need to burn incense and have a bucket of disinfectant on hand to survive the experience.

Dan has tried his hand at stone and wood sculpture in France but he loves to paint. During an extended visit to Prague discovering his own roots and with his beautiful Czech born partner, he com-pleted 7 canvasses. These featured in a solo exhibition back home in Petone.
He enjoys the freedom of painting with oil on canvas. He can try different tech-niques. He can blend and scoop and scrape. He describes his canvasses as ab-stract surrealism

Dan has been very busy and there is also a lot in store in the near future. He has just sold a painting at the NZ Art Show in Wellington. He is exhibiting at the Open Air Festival in Katikati where he is one of only 8 mural artists to be selected; the theme for this is the “Land of Plenty” being in the Bay of Plenty. He has also been requested to paint a big mural and have a solo exhibition at the Otago Arts Festival next October. Not forgetting the Man-gawhai Art Trail this Labour Weekend at Venue 2. For more information on Dan, check out his website at www.danmillspaintings.com

We loved meeting Dan. He is an open, friendly, young man; very motivated and with so much talent! He is a mural painter by trade and in his down time...he paints!!

He is very aware of his sur-roundings making a conscious decision to settle in Man-gawhai for its beach, small community and South Pacific feel. We are so lucky that he chose Mangawhai as he is very well travelled, and has painted murals in Melbourne, Paris, St Ives, Ireland, Holland and Prague as well as New Zea-land. His first Mangawhai mural can be seen on the out-side wall of the butchers in the village.

Dan was born in Devon, England and moved to NZ at high school age. He attended school in Lower Hutt and began his tertiary education in art at the Nelson  

October 17th - November 17th

Artists in the Kaipara District have been invited to enter the KDC Art Awards. The theme for this competition/exhibition is “Kaipara: from the Pacific to the Tasman”. Public can view these works at no cost at the Matakohe Museum from October 17th to November 17th. There is a “People’s Choice” Award for the artists so come and vote for your favourite.
 

Labour Weekend Art Trail

The Mangawhai Artists Association Annual Labour Weekend Art Trail is looking exciting: 50 artists will be displaying and selling their work in 16 fabulous venues. Make sure you get a map from the Smashed Pipi Gallery, the Mangawhai Info Centre, download it from our website or simply go looking for the fluoro flags. Everyone is welcome to join in this free event. Some new venues this time are Unit 13 at the Hub, Milestone Cottages and 14 Marram Place. Also 6 new artists are exhibiting for the first time in Mangawhai.