Lilly’s big art debut

A canvas to most people is just a sheet of fabric, but a canvas to Danielle Lilly is a world of opportunities.  

Lilly has been creating masterpieces since middle school. Her passion for art didn’t begin as that, but as a passion for being a perfectionist.

“I’ve always had a passion for being a perfectionist, so I was always really engaged in art classes in elementary school, but I didn’t really like starting to draw until middle school,” Lilly said.

Throughout her years of middle school and high school, she has taken every opportunity she could by taking all of the art classes that have been offered. These classes include AP 3-D and 2-D Art as well as Fine Arts Connection, some of which are taught by Mrs. Lebo. It was artwork from these classes that earned her “Best of Show” in the Tri Kappa Art Show last year.

It was in Fine Arts Connection that Lilly made her biggest piece of art yet, a large self-portrait filled with colors that took her over 18 hours to complete. Though those colors aren’t conventional when it comes to a self-portrait, Lilly believes that color should be expressed in art.

“There is beauty in almost everything. If you have the chance to make something pretty, you might as well make it,” Lilly said.

After high school, however, Lilly plans to leave the physical art community to create musical art by becoming a music educator.

In the meantime, Lilly plans to focus more on smaller pieces of art because they take less time to make. She also aims to make additional pieces in charcoal because she doesn’t have to focus on the different colors. 

Lilly’s advice to new artists is to make sure they’re looking at their whole surroundings in different ways and never lose sight of the fact that art is just different shapes. 

She can be found on her art Instagram account @dan_you_say_art, and she does take art commissions.