DAN MENTA

View My Fine Art In Pencil & Paint

As a professional artist, Dan Menta has dedicated years to his art and is constantly seeking new and innovative ways to develop new skills. Explore this digital portfolio and find out what Dan's Drawings and Paintings were inspired by, and learn more about their medium.

Home: Welcome

ARTIST BIO

A Visual Journey

Since arriving on the Art scene in 2006, Dan Menta has worked to capture and intrigue the art community with his beautiful work. He started painting color portraits in 1998 and continued on to Koi fish and pets and finally finding a passion and developing his Technique for painting with one color Black, adding a splash of color for visual pop in his work. He gathers much of his inspiration from personal tales and many photographic references of his subjects. This allows him to create an absolute connection to his subjects which embody their true personality, allowing the viewer to know the subject more intimately.

Local New York award winning artist Dan Menta, featuring art with an intention to heal has on display and created many pieces to do just that. Knowing that the interpretation of art is in the eye of the beholder, Dan creates black and white life like images of legends, family or pets both living and past on, that connect us with loved one's from our present or past. This is where his true passion exists. Dan specializes in photo realism creating works of art with Pencil or Paint that could be found on paper, canvas, clay board, aluminum, wall and vehicle murals. In addition his collections of colorful Koi fish are sure to transform everyday into a peaceful-escape.

“I can’t think of any other special place to put my artwork than into the hands of a son who lost his dad without ever hearing his approval or on the walls of a children’s hospital evoking inspiration and healing for the children their families and the staff”- Dan Menta

Home: Bio

ARTIST STATEMENT & AWARDS

My Journey

I was born and raised in Bronx New York and have been drawing from the age of 5 with pencil and
crayons, slowly graduating from one medium to another until finding a love for mixing acrylic paint
with airbrush and traditional brush on assorted surfaces. When selecting the next black and white
photo realistic painting to hit my canvas I choose images of familiarity using multiple photographic
reference’s to recreate there true life essence and emotion with identifiable characteristics which I
then transfer to a clay board or aluminum panel. To create my paintings I use a process of application
and removal of acrylic paint with an Airbrush and traditional brush, balancing layers of black while
removing paint with an eraser, razor and other abrasive materials to highlight and texturize my
subject with the white of the surface I’m painting on. I do this continuously until all tonal values are
balanced to my liking. My images are painted using only the color black with a splash of color for visual pop, no
white paint is used it’s the absence of color that provides the white. I call my technique, “The Art of Removal”.

Mission Statement: To create global works of art with the intention to inspire heal and evoke peace.

AWARDS
2009 Biennial of Contemporary Art Diploma of Excellence Honorable award
2010 International Juried Fine Art Painting Competition Second Place-Judges Award and best of Category
For my Canvas Painting Coming Up Short
2012 International Juried Fine Art Painting Competition First Place Award & Best of Category For my painting
'Chairman of the Board' Sinatra
Photography Copyright www.georgekalinsky.com
2012 Artist Wanted Editorial Committee Choses one of my paintings ‘Chairman of the Board’ Sinatra
to be featured in their upcoming publication Art Takes Times Square A special coffee table book
Photography Copyright www.georgekalinsky.com
Dan’s art can be found on His web sites www.danmenta.com www.danmentafineart.com

To reach Dan for Commissioned work or questions about his work call 917-681-5267