June 2010 "Fan Favourites" (Acrylic on Canvas - 36" x 48") Recently, I had read this book about the... well, 'new' world which existed in large American cities from 1890 or so, through mass-immigration, until WWII and the beginning of what we know now as binary (or trinary) sexuality. See George Chauncey - Gay New York. In it, he documents how - with the modern urban world creating more specialized career possibilities - middle class men were losing their physical edge to the manual labourers of the working class. (By the way, they also tended to have some degree of sexual interest tied up in these buff working men - go figure, right?) Thus, the industry of bodybuilding and its appreciation was born - a way that people who were unable to openly admire men (due to their status) could still applaud (and, with much work, even achieve) the physical potential of their own male bodies. Today, there are many ways to enjoy this; I should know - I bartend in a male strip joint. While not everyone loves a hyper-muscular man, in one way or another... people will always crave their meat. Not necessarily is this due to a sexual fetish or taste, but because these men remind us of the formidible physical beings that we, all of us, hold the ability to become. Originally exhibtioned as part of the Artwherk! Collective's 2010 'Permanence' Collection at the AGO, June 29th to July 4th. back to main

March 18th 2010 Danny & the Holy Mountain. LIVE! @ the Bean (388 College St.) Signe Miranda is a local singer and songwriter of incredible talent. So when she told me she was looking someone to join her and the Amazing Gordo (local magician) in tearing up the stage, it was no brainer. The crowds may have been small in this local coffee shop but the volume was not. Danny & the Holy Mountain rocked out a few of his favourite re-worked tunes - Buddy Holly's "Rave On" and "Father Knows Best" by the Radiants. And, of course, not far behind were the popular original hits of Danny & the Holy Mountain himself. A good down-home time was had by all and the music bellowed far out into the streets. Signe Miranda hosts regular Thursday Jam-sessions at the Bean, followed (typically) by a three artist full-set showcase. Danny & the Holy Mountain may not always be present, but good times are often found. This show also marked the first appearance of two rockin' new Danny originals: "O'Me, O'My" and "Lord, We Need a Common Ground." Keep watching for that mountain! back to main

June 2009 "For Sale" (Acrylic on Canvas - 60" x 48") For the past five years, the ARTWHERK! Collective (founded by Christopher Hayden, Chris Jai Centeno, and Ryan G. Hinds) has provided a positive exhibition space during Pride for young members of the LGBTQ community in Toronto. From it's humble beginnings above This Ain't the Rosedale Library on Church Street to the offices of XTRA Magazine and beyond, it has always proved to be an exceptional showcase of talent in our community - and one I've always been proud to be a part of. Unfortunately, due to time contraints during the summer of 2008 (when the exhibition was held at the HotShot Gallery in Kensington Market), I was unable to partake. But when the boys told me that 2009's exhibition would be held at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), I knew it was time to create a new piece that really updated my style and technique and took my visual work to a whole new level. The piece entitled "For Sale" was a study of visual aesthetic in the art market as it applies to both itself and to that of popular gay culture. Often there is hidden meaning in art - secrets encoded by the artist. However, sometimes a pretty picture is just that. And sometimes that's all it has to be. back to main

Summer 2008 After a long sleepy hiatus, Danny & the Holy Mountain again returned to the stage. The most prominent of summer appearances was, of course, the full-set shows that occurred at the Free Times Cafe on College and at the Rearview Mirror (previously known as the Bread & Circus on Baldwin) during one of Kensington Market's Pedestrian Sundays. But, of course, these were just a select few of the performances that would take place throughout the summer. Temporarily without home, sleeping at work and stranded in the streets of Kensington Market, various locations - the stoop across the way, birthday celebrations, the local rooftop party, the park down the street - all were victims of the melodies and music of this merry, mountainy minstrel. While not a lot of active songwriting came out of this period, it truly was a time to be alive. It was a time of great growth, inner achievement and redirecting of my life. In my experience, that always makes for good music. And remember, it was this time which helped set the stage for even more amazing music, right from the heart of the Mountain itself. back to main

2006 - 2008 During the fall of 2006, my love of furniture and design came together. An associate of mine had approached me about starting our own furniture business and thus, Wood Studios was born. A lot of design work was done for the business over the next year, occupying most of my efforts. Together, we worked on several projects for both commercial and personal clients - everything from 12' column and wall build-ins to bar refinishing and seating to dressers to beds and freestanding wardrobes. The two of us also collaborated on our own line of customizable cabinets, benches, tables and shelving to be unveiled the following year. Starting a new business is never easy, though - and in the early months of 2008, my associate opted to leave the project entirely; Wood Studios was quietly dissolved. While designing and building furniture is still an enjoyable pursuit, primarily these skills are focused solely on personal projects. back to main

Fall 2007 "Small Man, Big Mouth" (Acrylic on Canvas - 60" x 48") Originally one of the largest pieces from the "Kids in Triumph" exhibition, this piece was inspired by the high-paced fury of early Eighties hardcore punk. Or, to be more precise, the fallout that occurs when the record ends and the stereo finally shuts off. While I had recently decided my days of exhibiting work from this show were over, I received a request for submissions to the LGBT Youth Line Art Auction and I was happy that my old work would be going to a new home. The art auction was a fantastic display of art from members of our diverse community, I met many wonderful people and many proceeds were raised for an incredible non-profit organization. In other words, it was a huge success - thanks to wonderful people of Toronto. back to main

June 2007 "Frederich" (Acrylic on Canvas - 60" x 48") Out with the old and in with the new? Unfortunately, it's not always that simple. This was actually a re-showing of an old painting of mine from way back in 2002. One of the problems with creating large-scale works of art? You have to put it somewhere when it's not on the walls of a gallery. As an artist, you always hope it makes its way onto a customer's walls. And though I had sold many of the pieces from that big art show way back when, seven of the largest ones still remained - chained up above the bed in my (at that time) bachelor apartment. During the ARTWHERK! Collective's third annual Pride exhibition for young members of Toronto's LGBTQ community, held in the offices of XTRA magazine, I decided to give "Frederich" one last showing. It's always been one of my favorites, one of my earliest works, yes; but in my mind, one of the most enduring in quality. Start simple. Work from there. And just pray you have enough storage space to keep it all in. Months later, having been stored in a dry and industrial loft space, all remaining works from the "Kids in Triumph" show were either damaged or destroyed. This was one of the three that survived. back to main

2007 "Good Things Come in Small..." Danny & the Holy Mountain Recorded by one Matthew Finateri, this small EP epitomized the down-home flavour of the early Mountain and two-stepped Danny into his first recording stint in almost three years. The four tracks consist primarily of Danny's vocal and guitar work, along with a little surprise bongo bit on track two by the producer himself. Being released on mini-CDs in hand-stitched covers, the album only received a limited run. But when people can't reach the Mountain, just means you have to bring the Mountain to them. For free full download, simply click on the tracks listed below and help spread the gospel of Danny & the Holy Mountain. Stranger in a Strange Land / With Love, For You, to Mexico / Without You / Leaving the Lord back to main

2005 - 2007 The Compilation Years For quite a long stretch, I went through periods where I really didn't know what I had to say, personally. During those times I often turned to my love of music for inspiration... fruitless. Understand that the music I was writing at the time was quite distant from what I was listening to. But feeling the need to design and create at least something (as artists sometimes do), I turned my ears towards creating compilations and playlists used to entertain crowds in small venues or bars. Topics were more or less random between projects - the evolution of hard stadium rock, songs strictly about working and work ethic, a study of sixties Frat culture, finding personal histories in impersonal places, a fictitious romp through the American Southwest on the lamb, the effect of the free love world on the youth of the subseqeuent decade. I wouldn't say that designing and producing these highly low-exposure playlists was 'me following my dream'. But nonetheless, it was a very productive activity. Not only did it expose me to many styles of music I'd never heard before, but it also forced me to learn the can and can-nots of design, production, thread, flow, and (of course) public threshold. back to main

2004 - 2007 My Days as an In-House Designer For over three years, I worked as the manager of Black Market Vintage Clothing in Toronto. In addition to managing, I was also employed as one of the in-house designers, focusing most of my efforts on advertising and branding the business. During that time, I also designed countless t-shirts, buttons, stickers - you name it. Even now, it's hard to believe how many years were sucked up by it. But when I walk through the streets of Toronto, I can still see enough of my work from those days, on enough people, to remind me of what a serious learning experience it was that those years had to offer. The designs to your left are just a sparse handful of the work I did for them. That's enough, though. While I still utilize those skills on a daily basis - and enjoy designing - I'm thankful my days of working specifically for Black Market are far behind me. back to main

June 2006 "Untitled" (Acrylic on Canvas - 36" x 48") This was an act of pure infatuation. A lot of my work might seem like that... but this is the only one that truly is. And how. When ARTWHERK! Collective came to me about their second annual Pride exhibition above This Ain't the Rosedale Library on Church Street, I immediately knew what it was I wanted to paint: a rendition of a picture I had captured on a recent vacation - which had been lost in the great computer crash of '06. The only fragment of it was a crumpled up black and white printout. Now, at the time it seemed like a very important moment for me, one I wanted to preserve, y'know... forever. And I say if you're going to go through the work of preserving something like this, you may as well show it. Shortly after, the infatuation stopped entirely. More proof that the creation of art is a wholly therapeutic experience. back to main

2005 - 2006 "Kids in Triumph" Revisited (For more detailed information on adjacent works, see 2002 - 2003) After a few years of living in Toronto, I was lucky enough to attain gallery space on the walls of Insomnia, local bar & restaurant in my neighbourhood at the time (the Annex). Unfortunately, I didn't have the space at home to create new works. (I was still storing a lot of these pieces from back home.) But I viewed it as a good opportunity to reshow my "Kids in Triumph" exhibition to a new audience in Toronto. I have to say... sales and interest in the work were much higher than they were in Northwestern Ontario. So much so that, less than a year later, they asked me if I would like to return to the space with the show a second time - which I did. Both showings were very successful events and as my first full exhibitions in Toronto, I was pleased to make so many friends among this new audience and enjoyed the opportunity immensely. back to main

January 2006 Danny & the Holy Mountain is Born. Around this time, through the sights and sounds of the American Mid-West in the first half of the 20th Century, I experienced my first taste of a simplified life. After two years struggling to form a band here in Toronto, I realized I already had everything I needed: my two hands, a guitar over my shoulder and, of course, the Mountain to guide me. I began devoting much of my time to building a new catalogue of original songs that, to the delight of new listeners, I performed at various open-stages, pubs, parties and bars throughout the years to come. back to main

Fall 2005 "Paths" (Varied Sets of Three Photoprints - Either 5" x 7" or 8" x 10") I walk alot. And through it I have discovered a plethora of paths and shortcuts throughout the city of Toronto. Whenever I ran into them, I would be reminded of this one path back in my hometown, down past the courthouse, cutting across the hillside. Etched in the grass was that familiar trodden-down creek of dirt that you find all over place. It appeared as such a matter of probability - the likelihood that not one or two, but hundreds, maybe even thousands of feet had chosen to travel in the same direction. They built a road, not of stone and slab, but of like-minded practicality. And to me, that's precisely what a path is. I started noticing the date-stamps on the pavement and industrial hardware throughout the city. Some had been there for almost a hundred years, untouched. Others had been replaced by newer and newer slabs, worn out by the movements of people throughout the decades - people like you or I - mapping out the various paths of people through the years and casting shadows on all but the road most often traveled. The collection of some fifty-odd photos was never fully exhibited, but framed prints are available in customizable sets of three to those interested and intrigued. back to main

June 2005 "Kiss" (Acrylic on Canvas - (3x) 36" x 36") This was the first ever ARTWHERK! Collective Pride Exhibition for young members of Toronto's LGBTQ Community. I didn't really know what to expect. These three paintings were all from the "Kids in Triumph" collection; they'd been receiving a lot of notice in a local Toronto storefront. Again, having little space to create a new work, I went with the obvious choice: the man on man mouth mambo. Between the storefront and the exhibitions, the paintings sold quite quickly. Hilariously enough, the red one was purchased by a gay-identifying man, the yellow by a young woman, and the blue was purchased by a dude who thought it would help him get double-laid. back to main

2004 "Home" (Acrylic on Canvas - 24" x 24") This was a year of a lot of work at rather menial jobs, taking up a lot of the free time I had previously dedicated to art. It wasn't that I missed back home per se, or even that I disliked Toronto. In fact, despite how busy I was, I had never been happier then I was then; it's nice to keep busy. But there are those times with oneself that we sometimes miss. After all, home isn't just where you hang your hat or store your records; it's where you keep yourself. And those moments helped remind me that even though there is a big ole' world out there, it is no replacement for the one that lives and breathes within you. For it's there you find your strength with which to venture out. This work was painted for a friend. back to main

2002 - 2003 "Kids in Triumph" (24 pieces - Acrylic on Canvas) The largest of any of my exhibitions, "Kids in Triumph" was two solid years of amazing work and advancement for myself as an artist. The exhibit was comprised of twenty-four works, each utilizing a new technique on my road to discovering myself as an artist. While many of the pieces don't hold the same grace with me as they once did, several have stood up to the test of time in my books. The experience of creating this show was an incredible way to graduate from my teens and enter the adult world. The show received praise from several of the local papers and also members of the Definitely Superior Artist-Run Gallery + Centre where it was held. Opening night attracted maybe only 150 or so people, but in Thunder Bay, that is no small feat. If they had been more interested in buying, I might have even stayed on in Thunder Bay for a few more years. But then, that was also the push I needed to reach the next great stage of my life, here in Toronto. Most of the works have long since been sold or otherwise left my possession, but I like to keep a record of what I've done and where I've been, so I can better set my eyes on the future. There was a lot of meaning for me in the works listed below, but to encapsulate the show in its entirety, the show was also accompanied by one of my first pieces of serious writing. It's very over-dramatic, but I think it will give you a solid sense of what it was all about for me back then and how these thoughts would effect my eventual direction in art. The original show was also presented with small walkmans of the music from my years growing up. While the walkmans are no longer with us, the soundtrack has been transcribed below, along with the rest of the program. Preface We are the misfits, the losers. The youth of yesterday, today and tomorrow. We are the forgotten children. Long have we been silent to the ears of the world. Our words dismissed for what they are. The words of the kids. In a world built so heavily on what has been done before, we shall always fall beneath the towering memories of words long since spoken. Yet, that doesn’t mean what we have to say is any less important. It simply means we stand small against a wall of exalted thoughts. We fear facing the power of the ancient princes of philosophy, and neglect to see the infinite lattice on which we already stand. We feel a need to recede from the world. We draw closer and closer within our shell. The light begins to fade. Darkness enshrouds our lives. We murmur amongst ourselves, whispering our secrets to one another as we grasp blindly in the night at what’s ahead of us. We only want what everybody else wants. A place where there is love. A place to call home. A place to feel free. Yet, in our small circles, we become stationary. We roam not. Love is the dream, and life, the illusionary waiting room. As we live [wait], we construct and see the same memories in our minds time and again - distractions, obstacles - as we rush for the finish, which is never there. One by one, we are allowing our lives to be bricked up and condemned as we try to rearrange the tired old line that exists. There is a hope that there is a place for our dream, for us, somewhere within life’s hidden structure. Trying to breathe underwater, we are suffocating. We open up our mouths to scream and no one hears a sound. The forgotten grow into oblivion. It doesn’t have to end like this. If every time we felt that pain, we would turn and face the strain head on, we would realize that the spotlights pick the kids in triumph. It picks those who live the blackest years of their lives with a blinding luminance that can cut through the darkest night - the light that can cut through that dark dream that gathers around us, enshrouding us with feelings of failure and sadness, and show us the truth. Life’s not an illusion, and love is not a dream. It’s just over there, beyond the horizon. It’s what you have been living all along. All those other lights, those memories, are not obstacles, but rather they are weight. A weight that unchecked, becomes heavier and heavier, pulling you into the abyss. Yet, with every passing moment, you are given the chance to turn it all around. The power to change the world lies within you, within your light. The stronger it shines, the lighter the world becomes. You can carry it with you. The road may be long, but your brethren be not a burden. Memories, soft as the air itself, are weight that will not encumber you. They are home. And you can carry it with you. But you cannot save it. You can’t save the world. All you can do is save yourself. If everyone did that, we’d all be a lot better off. That which is forgotten, simply lacks the will to remain. If you make your light the brightest of all, so will you remain as well. The spotlights pick the kids in triumph. We are a powerful breed. Damn the ancient princes of philosophy and the exalted towers of their so-called truths. If you listen closely, you will hear the murmurs and whisperings of the true kings. They are the youth of yesterday, today and tomorrow. They are the misfits, the losers. The kids. This one is for the kids. May you never grow into oblivion. May your light never be extinguished. -Daniel Ross Botterill 2003 Program Prologue 1. Frederich - 60” x 48” - 2002 Act I - Aggravation 2. Arpeggiator - 48” x 48” - 2003 3. Frustration - 42” x 36” - 2002 4. Behind These Scars - 48” x 36” - 2003 5. Revelations on Skin - 60” x 45” - 2003 6. Small Man, Big Mouth - 60” x 48” - 2003 7. The Conversationalist - 48” x 60” - 2003 8. This Could Be Anywhere - 72” x 36” - 2003 9. This Could Be Everywhere - 72” x 36” - 2003 Act II - Relaxation 10. The Last Sunday - 48” x 60” - 2003 11. Will - 36” x 36” - 2003 12. Blue - 48” x 36” - 2003 13. Living Under Glass - 36” x 84” - 2003 14. The Velvet Rope - 36” x 48” - 2003 Interlude 15. The Infection -48” x 30” - 2002 Act III - Revelation 16. Make it Better - 42” x 60” - 2003 17. The Kiss (a) - 36” x 36” - 2003 18. The Kiss (b) - 36” x 36” - 2003 19. The Kiss (c) - 36” x 36” - 2003 Intermission 20. Sleep 449 - 48” x 60” - 2003 Finale 21. In Flight - 48” x 36” - 2003 22. The Blackest Years - 72” x 48” - 2003 23. Golden Slumbers - 42” x 60” - 2003 24. Self - 36” x 48” - 2002 Soundtrack 1. Here Come the Warm Jets - Brian Eno 2. Everybody’s Happy Nowadays - the Buzzcocks 3. Arpeggiator - Fugazi 4. Hybrid Moments - Misfits 5. Small Man, Big Mouth - Minor Threat 6. This Could be Anywhere - Dead Kennedys 7. Sunday - Sonic Youth 8. Heart of Glass - Blondie      Blue - Elastica 9. Thru the Eyes of Ruby - Smashing Pumpkins 10. Lifestyle of Rebellion - Against All Authority 11. Hey Jude - the Beatles 12. Changes - David Bowie 13. Sleep - Godspeedyoublackemperor! 14. Kiss Me Deadly - Generation X 15. The Blackest Years - the Distillers 16. Golden Slumbers        Carry That Weight - the Beatles 17. He Ain’t Heavy - the Hollies Thanks - Also a special thanks to David for fully supporting the dream of a 19-year-old boy. back to main

2002(?) "Decline: Live at the Apollo" Not much survived of the Thunder Bay punk band Decline besides its members and memories. This is one of the few gems that did. I don't even remember where it came from; I think one day Jesse just handed it to me and I was so shocked that there was some record of our best years I didn't even think to ask. While not all the recordings are top notch, there are a few good tracks for anyone who might want to take a trip down memory lane or see where it was that I came from musically. I wrote several songs for Decline and sang lead vocals while behind the drum kit. It was wild. I've come a long way since Decline, but it was a time and spirit that is still with me. So let's get ready to rumble! For free full download, simply click on the tracks highlighted below. Intro / Five Years / Progress / 50 Stars to Unity / Long Live the Irresponsible / Lunar Paradise / Gender Wars / Mickey Mouse is Dead / Intermission / You Can't Hurry Love - (All songs written by Dan Botterill except Tracks 1 & 9, Jesse Gratz and Track 10, Holland-Dozier-Holland) back to main

2001 Selections from Year One (Counter-clockwise from lower Left) "Tear" (Acrylic on Canvas 48" x 18"), "Moments Remain" (Ink on Newsprint 24" x 18") "Castizo" (Acrylic on Canvas 48" x 24") and "Cy Goshgarian" (Ink on Bristol 18" x 24") I had never painted before. Most of my life had been spent in music and the appeal of literature had yet to strike me. As a child, I had done a little drawing here and there - the hopes of one day becoming a illustrator of comic books. These efforts where quickly deterred, however, by the simple matter of time; I simply couldn't produce fast enough for that industry. But in painting, I found new zip and zeal for creating visual works of art by making large scale pieces, manipulating colour, line and balance and skating just outside the realm of story-based graphic illustration. It had to be a one-hit. And it had to be a solid one. During the first year, that did not always happen. Through 2001 and the first few months of 2002, I created fifteen miscellaneous works, experimenting with various materials and styles in an attempt to find my own. Of those fifteen, four are still something I would consider a rather solid hit on my mark. The most important of these (for me) was "Tear", pictured on the lower left and "Cy Goshgarian", pictured just above it. "Tear" was my second painting. (The first was quite terrible.) Inspired by Japanese illustration, "Tear" was my first attempt to intensify the potency of subject matter by simplifying it - using contour and line - and pitting it against the super real (in this case, the teardrop itself). In my case, this turned out to be just the opposite of what I was looking for. "Cy Goshgarian" was the big turn; for the first time it flipped the focus to the figure itself. This was when I realized how important people were to me, the subtle authenticity of their physical form and expression. In the coming years, I would learn that no matter how abstract the world inside and out can become, our bodies are the last true anchor to the reality of the human world we live in. back to main

2000 "Decline ...downsizing..." I wrote several songs for Decline during its seven-year span, while singing lead vocals and playing drums. It was my first serious music project and a lot of developement happened throughout the years. This recording was our first, an eight-song mini-album released on cassette in 2000, three years after our initial formation. While I definitely more-enjoyed where the band ended up musically, there is something to be said for those first few steps. Overflowing with angst and anti-establishment wreckage, "...downsizing..." is a definitive look into the early face of Decline - a terrific band of which very little record remains. And remember... we were only sixteen. For free full download, simply click on the tracks highlighted below. Democracy My Ass (w/Intro) / Stepping Back / Nobody / Freedom in a Cage / Suicidism / Roid Rage / Crosshairs on the Pope / Anti-war (Lead vocal and writing credits are as follows: Will Rutledge - Tracks 1,4,6,8, Jesse Gratz - Track 2 and Dan Botterill Tracks 3,5,7 and Intro) back to main