We were lucky to catch up with Robert Daniels recently and have shared our conversation below.

Robert, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

Taking a Risk- In 2006, I decided to retire as a teacher in New York City. I had moved to Florida in 2000 and the wear and tear of travelling back and forth was taking a toll on my mental health. I received a letter from my principal that my retirement papers had been denied but upon arriving back in New York, the job had been given to another teacher. This situation left me without any dependable income. I was asked, ” What are you going to do now ” ? I retorted, ” God Provides “…I took $ 600 and started Nappy Head Art. I first painted tee shirts and sold them at street fairs and different outdoor street venues. As I accumulated some liquid assets, I reinvested into my business. I begin to buy canvases, paint, brushes, silkscreens, and all the things needed to make art. I travelled to California to meet people in the art world in 2000. I have visited Chicago and was fortunate enough to have met Dr. Margaret T G Burroughs while walking through an area on the Southside of Chicago. I stopped her to ask about the only building standing on the street. She explained the history ( the building was the original headquarters of the National Conference of Artists ). She walked me up the street and showed me the new building that the NCA had relocated to as their new home. This is only a part of the story but to become your dream, you must take risks and sometimes the trail can be quite stormy but have faith in your abilities and be courageous in your journey. As a former athlete, I understand now how important it is to manifest the same disciplinary principles into your daily living. It helps you to balance yourself when the going gets tough. Believing that you can win on any level is the key to taking a risk.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

I have been making art for over 65 years. It started in the first grade drawing and coloring on the brown paper sacks/bags from the grocery store. I had great teachers who encouraged me on all educational levels ( K-12 ). My junior high school teacher, Mr. Wells introduced me to all types of wet and dry mediums. He gave his students the opportunity to find out if art would be their calling in life. In high school, I started a commercial arts program but found it to be too restricting. I switched to fine art and the freedom of choice to create in my own way quickly helped me understand how to use the elements of art in such a way, I began to find my own style and won the Westchester County Arts Competition as a high school senior. I was also a Scholastic Sports High School All-American in track & field this same year. The discipline of having a daily routine became my work ethic.

I graduated from Herbert H. Lehman College with a B.A. in Studio Arts. This means that I had to touch all the genres of art. ceramic, drawing, painting and printmaking. I excelled in Printmaking and had the honor to show my work in India in 1994. After my undergraduate studies, I did start a masters program but did not complete it because of personal conflicts. It was around this time that I started working on the high school educational level.

Working with young adults was rewarding. They wanted to emulate me. I started a community outreach program working with at-risk students. The spark to draw and paint returned. I taught during the day and coached at night. I begin to understand entrepreneurs better. This thought began to transform my goals. I wanted my own business. I wanted to control my life.

Nappy Head Art grew out of this concept. It started with $600 and a dream. I wanted to know if I could compete in the business world given the opportunity. It is said, you make your own opportunities. The GREAT book says, ” Do all you can do, and HE will do the rest “. My brand began to grow. from selling tee shirts and prints of drawings to owning a computer, adding graphic software, learning how to operate programs, buying an industrial printer, setting up multiple screens for printing and attracting clients for business. All the while, I was learning to paint.

Painting, for me, was another form of storytelling. People love stories they can identify with personally. The stories of my travels, the stories of my kinfolk and stories that relate to social injustice and history are prevalent themes. People also like the colors I use and the delivery of the message. it was said that I had many styles but in reality, I have many different emotions. My mood dictates the way I paint. I have been called, ” The Black Picasso, A Visual Scientist, Moses with a Paint Brush” but I prefer to be called, “The Nappy One” .

My work is mostly mixed medium but the canvases I use set my work off from other artists. I love to recycle, so, you will find my art on plastic, stone, cloth, wood, paper or metal. I don’t care about surfaces, I care about the message. The freedom to explore without boundaries, rules or restrictions excites me and fuels my desires.

My work is authentic hand drawn or painted from themes of family, history or social encounterings. I am not sure of what sets my art apart from others but I do know I work with great passion. My art relates to the Black Experience. I relate to our stories knowing there are other people who have similar stories. I relate to the pains of life as well as the joys. I relate to the transformations of life as a person and as a spirit. From my Native-American mother, to my African-Jamaican father, the messages are saturated in color, linear structure and freedom. The work is not compromised, yet wholesome enough for youngsters to see and understand.

As the world changes, art seems to have taken a backseat in education. The ARTS as a whole have seemingly been relegated to the trash can. Bravo to those educators standing up and understanding the critical thinking skills that art brings to the table. The problem-solving methodology when art is integrated with core curriculum subjects is needed to give our child the opportunity to express their thoughts freely based on good scientific proven information.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

My father was a Southern Black man. He had a college degree but could not get a job in his desired field. When I was a child, I remembered my father taking any job available to make ends meet. I remember him being moody and resentful of the educational process. He continually told me that I would never make it as an artist. Even after winning several local and county-wide art contests, his mood didn’t change. My defiance was the driving inspiration towards achieving my goal. This was the late 60’s and times were changing. One night, my mother called me on the telephone. It was a coach from a small school in Texas that offered me a full scholarship to run track. This opportunity gave me the chance to expand academically and athletically. It also gave me the chance to add to my story. I transferred to another college a year later and became a National Champion. It reinforced the thought that all things are possible if you work hard enough.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Social media is a powerful platform for artists. I learned how to navigate this path through trial and error. It is about putting in the work to build your audience. I started with art sites that seemed to have like minded people. I was curious to know ” how ” they created certain works. It is always about the process of ” making art “. We would chat and exchange information. I then started traveling with a portfolio of art. My intentions were to make sales. Social media gave me access to new friends and markets. I found some social media platforms to be good for exchanging information and other social media venues to be good for selling your product. Please, read the rules and communicate with others to find out if a particular site is good for your brand. Look for sites that give you a good return (some sites only give 10-20 % on sales ). Limit the amount of sites you participate in because you want to have manageability of what you are doing.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sites.google.com/view/nappyheadartgallery/home
• Instagram: weusiartistcollectivegallery
• Facebook: Robert “bob” Daniels
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/RPVuO2CyGMo
• Other: google search Nappy Head Art, bob daniels

Image Credits
All images copyright properties of Robert Daniels, Nappy Head Art. I have submitted 8 images.