The last decade: work, life, hairstyles and tattoos.

It’s hard to believe an entire decade is coming to an end; time really escapes me sometimes. I decided it would be fun to take a look back at the last ten years, as a way to remind myself of the things I’ve accomplished and the many things I have to look forward to that are yet to come. It’s interesting to see how my personal and professional life has changed, how my art has evolved, and of course.. how many times my hair color has changed. Let’s get into this visual journal of life beyond just the art room.

2010

My studio at NYU, the final year of my MA in Studio Art program

This was a sort of pivotal work for me; it was my leftovers from silk screening and just a general dumping ground for other media I was using. I left these on my studio floor and walked on them. They were meant to capture my process without me having to think intentionally about them. Drawing without drawing.

My aunt, sister and mom with me at my senior thesis show

This year this charcoal drawing from 2009 was exhibited at Photo Photo gallery in huntington

The teacher sample that started it all... the charcoal portrait drawing unit that I do with my drawing and painting classes.

2011

Besties with bangs: me and fellow art teacher, my bestie, Devin

Another pivotal work for me; large scale drawing done from starting and stopping YouTube videos of girl fights... one of my last drawing projects.

First time dressing up for the school halloween party, a little pop art influence

First time doing my cupcake underpainting project with studio art

Another teacher sample that took forever but sparked the “pinned” assignment. Will need to go back to this project; I’ve put it on the back burner for a few years.

2012

Skrillex hair and Lily Rose as a puppy in the summer time

Big day! Officially received my professional teaching license after getting my masters. This year I’m in my 12th year of teaching.. 2020 will be lucky #13!

No words.. these bangs were very short.. also read hair.. and also big on my kid robot collecting days

April 2012 I brought this little lady home! She’s turning 8 this January!

Proof I had long(ish) hair at least once since I’m 5

In 2012 I purchased my own condo, which was very exciting and also terrifying.

2013

2013 was the year I got this Rose Hardy tattoo, she will forever be one of my favs

And apparently I thought it would be a good idea to match my hair color to my dog... one and only time I went coppery red

Stood in Jackson Pollack’s studio in 2013

2014

My college art Ed ladies and I at Devin’s wedding in 2014

Started incorporating the trapped in technology project with my AP Drawing class; this is a student work.

Started taking commissions for digital dog portraits; these were always fun to do!

Halloween as Andy Warhol

From ending my masters program and being overwhelmed as a new teacher, I rarely had the occasion to work on any personal artwork. Everything I was doing was supporting my professional life as a new teacher- lesson and unit planning took forever, observations stressed me out, making samples for projects took over my nights and weekends.. but it didn’t bother me so much that I couldn’t find time to do my own work because I was always invested in getting this whole teaching thing just right. 2014 came with its ups and downs for sure, but I learned a lot.

2015

Hard work paid off and in Sept 2015 I was awarded Teacher of the Year out of all of the amazing educators I work with at my school. It was surreal being honored at our district opening day. When I first started I would see the TOY ceremony and want to be up there.

First tattoo on my arm by Becca Gene Bacon, I drove through a pretty bad blizzard alone to get to her brooklyn shop at the time.

2015 was the year I finally got to do a Europe trip, and Cinque Terre blew me away.

I was able to get a half sleeve started by Claudia DeSabe in the summer of 2015 before school started. This was a dream tattoo, especially since Claudia is based in London.

I started finding ways to make my own work again, starting with just charcoal portraits that I wanted to make for my grandma who was struggling with dementia. I wanted to draw people from her past that she would remember.

I finally had my art teacher moment and saw the Mona Lisa!

I created my most fav art teacher Halloween costume in 2015... and got re-tweeted by the MoMA!

Incredibly lucky that I was able to see my childhood best friend, Paloma, get married in northern France that summer.

2016

Added to my leg with another tattoo by Becca, this time an anchor

Worked on this Frank Sinatra drawing for my grandma, which went up in her room at the assisted living. When she passed away this summer, my uncle kept the drawing and it’s nice to know it will always have a sentimental value. Also, this drawing opened me up to more commissioned charcoal work which I was really grateful for.

Claudia came back to the states, this time to Invisible tattoo in NYC. She filled in more of my arm for about 5 hours.

I finally achieved blonde... a hair color I’ve wanted for a long time!

I also started to do more digital drawings, like this one for stranger things. I had several prints done of this and it’s cool to see them on a few walls of people I know.

2015 and 2016 had me finding my flow. Teacher stuff was getting a little more easy to handle; still doing a ton of stuff for work but also I started treating myself to things I had wanted for a long time. I started to figure out ways that I could bring myself some creative freedom given the confines of making personal work at home. Lack of space meant working digitally or working small enough to not create a huge mess. I was just happy to be doing something creative and for myself finally.

2017

This style was something that just emerged for me this year. I started working on more processed based pieces that I could add to over time. I’d hang my work up on my kitchen walls and just add a little something each day. Starting to work small, and abstractly was an adjustment but I fell in love with it. This process also reminded me of what I was doing 7 years prior in my last year of NYU.

Short, dark hair phase was back.. along with shaving my head a bit again. Ah, when personal life gets tricky my hair takes the brunt of it...

2015-2017 was like my physically fit hey-day. I was crossfitting 5x a week and powerlifting. This was from my first competition for deadlifting. It was pretty exciting to do, and I’m glad I got to experience it. I miss it a lot.

2017 was the year we lost my grandpa, Dominick Livoti. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor and within months he had passed away. It came out of nowhere and was devastating.

Pink hair phase was a phase that 1998 me would have been jealous of. I always wanted Gwen Stefani pink hair circa Return of Saturn.

I got this done by GREZ at Kings Ave as a tribute to my pop pop and grandma. On my grandpas urn he had an eagle for his service in the navy and the pin up in the eagles wings is based on a photo of my grandma.

This year my student Jason Yin won the congressional art competition and had this piece on display in DC for a year

This was really different for me; started adding ships to some work in response to reading work by Neil Degrasse Tyson

2018

In 2018 I said goodbye to the first condo I ever owned, because I bought a new one. I found a great spot that had more space and had to take advantage of it. These last two years I’ve been a landlord, renting out my old condo. It’s been stressful at times but I’m lucky to have my dad helping me navigate this whole homeowner thing.

33rd birthday selfie. Back to blonde.

Started branching out to work on new surfaces like this wood panel and started loving it! Spent a lot of time during the 2018 summer making work and it felt great to be doing it.

Summer of 2018 I was able to add to my leg with this snake by Brian Thurow from Denver.

I also started this blog during the summer of 2018 initially as a way for me to combat summer depression and anxiety.

2019

Summer work in 2019 also came with getting these pieces in two art shows! An alumni show at LIU Post and a show at Cinema Arts Center in Huntington.

This summer my grandma Barbara passed away, and it was really difficult to say goodbye. I’m grateful for the time spent with her in hospice. It was a difficult holiday season this year not having her or my grandpa to call anymore. I owe so much of my love for art and astrology to her.

In April 2019 I was able to chaperone the school trip to Italy and woah what an amazing experience it was!!

Recently in October of 2019 I was able to get this dragon and peony done on my leg by Matt Adamson.

I started 2019 with blonde hair and made it until about august before I changed it...

... so I had purple hair for the beginning of the school year. Once again, personal life stress manifesting itself as crazy hair color.

But by the end of October I decided to go back to brunette and also hosted my first ever workshop at the Balanced Minds conference. I actually really love public speaking and teaching other art educators about my practices. This is something I want to do more of in 2020!

I’ve been trying to make mini series of works that are a big larger.. this is from “Winter Solstice” and it’s 24x24 inches. I used to work very large when I was in college and haven’t had space.. still sort of don’t but I’m trying to make it work.

An end of 2019 thanksgiving selfie. Feeling the most like myself that I’ve felt in a decade probably.

Had to include my Bob Ross day attire. Here’s to more reasons to dress up and be silly in 2020.

Work and life bestie, fellow art teacher, Jess and I at my cinema arts center art show

Commissioned to make this very special drawing for the family of Joe Wilkinson; this was something I poured my heart into for them. So sorry to have lost him this year.

Love this chick; Devin and I at our alumni art show at LIU Post.

I’m extremely grateful for all the experiences I’ve had in my profession; being an educator has taken me places and allowed me to meet people I never thought I would. I’m excited to keep sharing what I do, hopefully inspire other art educators and my students to share their work too. It’s taken a decade but I finally feel like I’m at a place where I feel like myself, my personal work feels like it matches my identify and is showing my voice, and my students work is also advancing. Things that happened outside of work have also shaped me, made me stronger and made me realize it’s ok to focus on bettering myself and finding myself again. Thanks to everyone and everything that has helped me get to where I am today. I’m thinking 2020 is going to be an amazing year.


XO,
Danielle