Bio

Danny Drijvers (° 1973) is a Belgium-based graphic artist. He studied the art of drawing and painting at the Gemeentelijke academie voor Beeldende Kunsten, Heusden-Zolder (Belgium) and Meester in de Grafische kunst at Provinciale Hogeschool Hasselt (Belgium).
Passionate about inner experiences, colours and the healing power of beauty, he creates inspirational experiences throughout his works.

Soulwatcher - Danny Drijvers

Artistic philosophy

Art has to be more than what you see, more than a representation. Art should have a soul.

There has to be a meaning behind a work of art. This meaning is formed inside the emotions and feelings of the viewer. These are our connections with our soul. They connect us with our inner knowing and inner voice, how we feel about ourselves, others and life. They drive our relationship with ourselves and others, and thus how we experience life and how we grow.

What we take in forms us.

Art should be giving

Danny considers it a gift to be able to capture an inner experience and transfer this onto canvas. The paintings are also made to be giving, to provide a positive experience. They also keep on giving. Each time you look at them, more details or different views are revealed.

Techniques

He paints using acrylics and water based oils on canvas or paper. Digitally he uses several computer and smartphone programs and a drawing tablet. The digital works often start with an edited collage of photos he takes with a DSLR or smartphone. In 2012 he also started with 3D printing, which he revisited in 2020.

The language of art

The language of art is always influenced by the interests one has. For him these are the many facets of art. Not only the fine arts, but Danny has also been performing in a salsa demo show group, did a degree in circus and theater and followed impro comedy classes. All of these contain a fun factor, which is to be found in his works.

Other influences are: spirituality, dreams, Eastern traditions like yoga, qigong and meditation, psychology, anthropology…

The muse of his work is often one of those little moments of happiness that you can experience sometimes when you take a break from hectic life, connect with yourself and feel what is happening inside.

Danny’s works can be very structured or very chaotic, but there is always a feeling called upon. His aim is to touch and inspire people. The colours in his works are usually bright and saturated, referring to one’s feelings this is in his opinion the only way to experience them: fully. This can happen in an instant or require more time and revisiting. Just as his works can take one moment or several weeks/months to complete, depending on depth and complexity.

Balance

To balance all the creative energy in the right side of the brain with logic, next to being an artist Danny also works in informatics. Hence also the interest in the digital arts.

He is a teacher in further education and in programs for jobseekers in collaboration with the public employment service of Flanders (Belgium). In this function he is one of the designers of the national curriculum for the training modules Webdesigner and Webdeveloper and has been a mentor for these programs.

Being trained in computer programming, small and mid-size enterprises management and teaching, but still wanting to further develop his teaching skills, he graduated as a Master of Science in Technology Enhanced Learning, Innovation and Change from Sheffield Hallam University (UK) at the age of 42.

His practical experience comes from being a freelancer. He has operated in teams developing web applications and video streaming platforms for the medical sector, working internationally for companies like AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Solvay Pharmaceuticals and SSMG.