In the beginning,
His dad is a car fanatic and so was his father, so naturally it runs in his blood!
He remembers the day his dad brought home a brand new 1964 Ford Galaxy 500. It was 2:30 in the afternoon. Right away little Danny jumps behind the
steering wheel to mimic driving down a freeway. Upon moving from the front seat to the rear he studied every inch of the interior. The bright red interior and
gleaming chrome switches, plus that new car smell was so beautiful. As it was time for his Dad to go to work, he tried in vain to get little Danny out of that car.
Believe it or not it took 20 minutes to pry the screaming and kicking future artist out of that new Ford. You could hear his ear piercing screams for blocks.
Needless to say this was the makings of a true Automotive Artist.
So when was his first dollar made? That's a very interesting story! Danny was in the 10th grade drawing instead of studying. One of his classmates happen to
stare over his shoulder as he was drawing a 1968 Mustang Just like the one his brother owned. He takes out a photo from his lunch box and asked “if you
draw my brother's car just like this photo, I'll pay you Seven dollars. He then takes the drawing to the shop class and ask the teacher if he would frame it. In
high school, he remembers his teacher telling him, “Knowledge and wisdom comes with a price! To obtain Knowledge and wisdom one must set specific goals and
stay on the straight and narrow. Lest one is tempted to stop and pick poison flowers along the way”. To Danny he had one thing in mind, stay on the straight and
narrow and draw cars for Gm and Ford.
To make a long story short, Danny has been drawing and painting automobiles every since!
As he got older, most of his drawings were done in the basement of his parent’s home. Any car was his favorite. He had no brand loyalty. It didn't matter if it
was Ford, Chevy, Dodge, Ferrari, Porsche, whatever! He loved them all. He created tons of cars while his mom played her hi-fi stereo, as it was referred to
back then. Jazz and melodic music was a huge pioneering force in his creative state of mind!
Danny continues to use jazz, melodic, fusion and world music to set the mood when he paints his masterpieces.
A musician himself: (drums- percussion- etc"), music plays a huge part in his life as an artist.
Fast forward to 1977!
Danny, now in his late teens is encourage to check out College of Creative Studies. The school for "Gifted Creators" in Detroit Michigan. It wouldn't be easy
getting accepted, the first thing he remembers is portfolio scrutiny. I walked in the office and saw the clerk. I was clueless what to ask her about going to this
college. A fellow student told me if you want to be a professional artist for the auto companies you have to take a 4 year course in Industrial Design.
Dumbfounded I asked her“ Where can I sign up for Industrial Design? With a surprised look on her face she told me I first had to show my portfolio to the
"Dean of the Design Department". In my head I’m thinking: "What the heck is a portfolio"? Too embarrassed to ask her that same question I said "OK". So she
gave me an appointment to drop off the portfolio in 2 weeks.
Was I ever stunned!
2 weeks and I didn't even know what a portfolio was! Thank God I talked to an old girlfriend at the time who told me a portfolio was a body of your work and a
biography of yourself. In layman's terms that means 10 to 15 drawings, paintings, and sketches neatly packaged in a black binder and a resume of your art
history. Man was I relieved! All along I thought this was a medical record my doctor had to give me. So I drop off the portfolio and as you would expect, I'm
sitting on pins and needles impatiently waiting for an answer! Finally I got the phone call of every artist worst nightmare.“I'm sorry but your portfolio was not
accepted”. Naturally I was crushed beyond repair. Once an artist hears this, there's a temptation to give up and never draw again. However she was really
nice and suggested a college that would help me in perfecting my skills. She gave me a pamphlet on Macomb County Community College that specializes in
technical drawing.
So off I go!
The skills I learned at Macomb was a send God-send! The one class I thought most highly of was 3d perspective and
3d drafting. This is a skill every artist should know. It perfected my skill to a degree that all my drawings and paintings made since. After spending 2 years at
Macomb College I was finally accepted at the Center of Creative Studies! Nothing but joy filled my heart, yet it was still no trip to Hawaii. Here's where I’m really
put to the test. You see in the art business it's very cut throat, with lots of envy and jealousy. I'm now competing with students from all over the world.
In my 2nd year it was time for our class finals. Our work was displayed in the showroom and judged by designers already working in business. In this particular
class, our task was to designs hair appliances.Now keep in mind if you make one mistake or miss something on a design, none of your fellow students is going
to tell you about it, especially when it's time for you to explain it in front of the instructor. Surely they couldn't miss out on the fun of watching you squirm and
shake in embarrassment when you find out a drawing is seriously flawed. The handle on one of my hair dryer designs was smudged beyond repair. It was
obviously still wet with marker ink when I rush to packed it in its 20 X 30 inch case. What a shame. I didn't notice it until after it was hung and couldn't take it
down because of the requirement of 9 designs. Man! The term crawling under a rock couldn't have been more apt! Once I discovered this blunder the only thing
I could do was make up a quick story, “I made the handle that way to give the impression of it fading into oblivion". Right away, as if someone turned on a
laugh track the whole class erupted in laughter. What a Life!
Now it was time to go to work.
With all this wealth of knowledge, I got my very first artist job in Dearborn Michigan. Working for the company Pioneer Engineering, I was one third of the Ford
illustration group. I couldn't sleep a wink! It was way to exciting. Starting time was 7: 45 am yet I was up at 5: 30 as happy as I could be. I couldn't get my
shoes on quick enough!
Needless to say the rest is history.
Having worked at General Motors, Ford Motor Company, the Chrysler Corporation, and countless engineering companies, Danny’s love for the automobile is the
highest among the most hard core car buffs. He pours himself into his paintings out of an overwhelming appreciation for vehicle design and his desire to
capture an image in its most genuine form. His artistic ability is now well recognized having completed pieces for the likes of such famous personalities as
comedian Bill Cosby and talk show host Jay Leno. Industry leaders including former Ford Motor Co. Chairman, Alex Trotman and General Motors Robert A. Lutz
have also commissioned his services.
Having showcased his works throughout the area for many years, Whitfield's art has been widely featured at professional events including the Detroit North
American Auto Show, the Detroit Autorama, the Woodward Dream Cruise and numerous car shows. If you get a chance to tour the National Corvette Museum
in Bowling Green Kentucky, check out the 6ft x 8ft Wall Mural of the 1965 All American Corvette. Danny was commission to create this masterpiece for the
museum’inaugural opening. As he is very fond of car shows, he enjoys the opportunity to speak personally with those who share such an appreciation for the
pure aesthetic of the automobile
A true believer in Christ, Danny quotes a scripture he carries deep in his heart as an artist... He have filled him with the Spirit of God, with Skill, Ability and
Knowledge in all kinds of Crafts to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver, and bronze, to cut and set stones to work in wood and to engage in all kinds
of craftsmanship.
Exodus; 31
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