Art Practice and Processes 

Danielle Chappell explores interdisciplinary combinations of techniques, using stitch as a mark making process incorporating recycled-media, in site specific textile installations with lighting and photography. She relishes in the physical process of changing the state of the material.

"The autoethnography approach I navigate, takes inspiration from personal barriers, challenges and experiences, I have navigated through recovery of wellness via art, nature, placemaking and connecting with others, juggling through a neurodivergent perspective.

Overcoming postnatal depression from isolation in new motherhood territory and living away from family, I experimented ways to wellness exploring the benefits that art, people and nature has on mental health, through experiential lived experience, I advocate as a LENS NW champion, to help engage access to arts for health and wellbeing, to make a difference, lift spirits, improve welcome and inclusion into the community of the mental health setting formally and informally as well as to remove barriers to include neurodivergent voices inside and outside the disabled community networks.

#ArtIsEssential Art has purpose to change lives, help improve wellbeing and health benefits, give unity and voice, to make a positive impact on everyday lives within the wider community to include all."

Below in visual slideshow , it features new 2019 reconnections to people, music culture, place, nature and art with the DeerShed Festival eco portable conversational sculpture, navigating varied context and art applications through sustainable appliances, opening dialogue to strangers, overcoming and confronting social anxiety and  widening conversations to climate change, inspiring reduction of consumerism, increasing recycling and sustainable ways to reduce consumption in public spaces by chanced dialogue. This methodology was to confront my fear in a public realm after motherhood isolation and in doing so, liberated my soul, reconnected an old flame of confidence and an eternally grateful love to my two friends Kirsty Hymers and Sarah Roberts who pulled me out of the darkness of clouds with the Deershed Tickets as a treat! The love and value of reconnection to my inspiring strong female mother role models I was blessed with! 

New paintings began as I reconnected with my new Cumbrian surroundings;- refer to 'Roa Island Rusty Boat Study' below in the slideshow). 

Links of progressions of my practice after a 9 year gap of exhibitions, you can see connections of the previous work I explored through atmospheric sensations within the club culture, leading to explore kinetic lighting, linking my sand-grown heritage of Blackpool Illuminations inspiration with my 'Donkey Fest' and 'Seaside Exposure' for the Festival of Lights, Blackpool council commissions, making the work relevant to personal experiences, love of life, I anticipate to develop further on the MA Fine Art Projects For Places programme at UCLAN, with the In Certain Places influence and in house mentors.