Danielle B Latta (Running Duck Studio)
Danielle B Latta has been a creative since birth and an artist since her first portrait sale 1987. Being mostly a self tort artist, her life experiences have influenced her artistic evolution.
“Spending my young years in a small outback town, my mum became the wildlife carer (when there was no such thing) for the area. She was the drop-off point for any orphaned wildlife from roadside kills, and she raised them as best she could. Hence I was raised with many joeys, possums, baby emus and even a baby fox. That’s beside the hobby farm friends of cows chooks, ducks, goats, horses and sheep.
So at an early age, I learned not only of compassion and a love for animals but also the connection between the animals we surround ourselves with. Many of the wild animals we raised and released, returned to the back fence to say hi. I remember a phone call to my dad in the late afternoon, from the local police; “Reg, I think you need to come into town” So we loaded into the car and headed out. There in the middle of the town roundabout stood a fully grown Emu, quite casually eating the grass. Yep, that’s Eeny, said dad, reversing up to the roundabout. Dad proceeded to pick the emu up (like it was the natural thing to do) and place him in the back of the Landcruiser. Not a trailer, the back of the car, with us kids eyeballing Eeny quietly sitting in the back all the way home.”
Having lived in the outback, the coast and the inner city has enabled a sensitivity to subjects, bringing them to life in her artwork in sometimes the most simplest of strokes.
Working as portraitist while acquiring her Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design, and work at Walt Disney Animation Australian has shaped her skills and style. Danielle’s portrait work gave her an eye for fine detail, while the Disney work strengthened her drawing stroke.
Drawing subject matter from her surroundings, Danielle’s whimsical ink works capture the special moments from everyday life. For example, a little boy on a swing stealing his first kiss, the connections between animals and humans, and her love of wildlife
Not only does Danielle have regular exhibition sales around Brisbane but she has been shortlisted in 4 Moreton Bay Art Awards, won several drawing awards in various competitions and has artwork on an Ep cover and Wine labels.
As the artist and founder of Running Duck Studio; a mobile art gallery set up in a repurposed classic caravan, Danielle travels around to small festivals and markets sharing her love of art. However, her work can also be found in galleries and shops around Dayboro, Samford and Redcliffe, Ocean View, boutique luxury accommodation as well as online at www.rds.ink |
