Meet Dan Knepper | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dan Knepper and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dan, what is the most important factor behind your success?
To have art sell, it has to be in front of the right audience… the person who will make a connection with the painting and want to look at it again and again. Word of mouth plays a big role in this and I’m grateful to those who share my work on Facebook or instagram, or maybe even more importantly, share it with a friend who might be interested. I’ve also been very lucky to be in all the art magazines, and so my story and my work has gone right into the hands of people specifically picking up a magazine to look at art. Now my work is in the big auctions and prestigious shows where collectors attend to buy art.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
In some ways I’ve been very lucky. I got into a good gallery fairly quickly and that lead to others and soon I was coast to coast. I won or placed in some major national and international competitions. I got magazine coverage. I got collected by some big names and that opened more doors. I’m in major art auctions and prestigious shows where collectors come with the intent of buying paintings. But financially, it’s been a long haul, and I’m finally at the point of success. Prices for my paintings continue to rise. Luck might have played a part in surviving. I got work in the form of commissions just when I needed it most.

Going to the Rockies helped clarify my path. I realized I wanted to share the awe I feel for the last wild places and the wildlife that inhabits them. The little boy in me still enjoys painting western/cowboy life as well. I want to create paintings that transport the viewer to that specific place in that moment in time, and I hope they want to return to the painting again and again.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
In warm weather we’d jetski on Indian Lake. I like to take people to Carillon Park in Dayton. It’s a historical park with a replica of the Wright Bros cycle shop, the Wright Flyer lll, old streetcars, etc. The Dayton Art Institute has a nice collection. My son and I live in an 1800’s Victorian with a big dining room, and he’s an excellent cook, so people often come to eat, visit and view the paintings.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Artist friend Steven Walker has been a mentor and my paintings certainly improved with his help and critiques. There probably aren’t enough words to describe how my son, Jordan has helped me with my art career.

Website: www.DanKnepperArt.com

Instagram: @DanKnepperArt

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-knepper-3721a8132/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanKnepperArt

Other: https://www.pinterest.com/danknepper/

Image Credits
me