Daniel Grissom’s art captures the mundane and the extraordinary through vibrant colors and vivid imagery.
Chattanooga Cartoonist Daniel Grissom, Chattanooga, TN, Art, Cartoon art, drawing.
Everyone has passions. Some develop those passions in adulthood, while others hold onto childhood sentiments. Daniel Grissom expressed his enthusiasm for the visual arts as a young child, beginning his artistic career by tracing comic books and the Looney Toons. However, like many passions, Daniel’s drawing ceased as he grew into adulthood. Athletics, work, and academics occupied Daniel’s life until a few years ago.
Daniel shared that while he was living in New York he found his day-to-day work schedule to be challenging and longed for an outlet. Despite having not drawn anything for years, Daniel called upon his love for the visual arts and began taking classes.
“I had a blast. It was the first time that I had been a part of an artistic community as an adult,” Daniel said. “I learned so many skills and gained a lot of confidence to pursue my art more seriously,”
Since moving to Chattanooga, Daniel has made his art a priority alongside his work. He is inspired by both his New York instructor and new artists he discovers online. When one style becomes too comfortable, he eagerly searches for something new.
“However, one constant has always been stylized drawings in pencil, ink, and marker,” Daniel said.
This style remains consistent with his artwork today, featuring anything from strange creatures crafted from children’s drawings to realistic snippets of everyday life. Daniel’s art easily draws attention, as his artwork exhibits extraordinary monsters.
“As a child, I was fascinated with reptiles, amphibians, and monsters of the deep, and so I’ve always loved to draw goofy and scary creatures,” Daniel said.
However, Daniel also tackles serious topics through his artwork. Inspired by his time in foreign countries and foster parenting, Daniel admitted that justice often appears in his work. Daniel is not only an artist but a teacher, too. Teaching high school English drives his passion for storytelling, which often goes hand-in-hand with his drawings.
Daniel’s teaching is not only limited to English; every year, he hosts a week-long drawing and illustration course at his school, encouraging students creatively while also introducing them to the local art community.
“Doing this has really made me love teaching art, so I look forward to future opportunities”, Daniel shared.
Fairly new to Chattanooga, Daniel shared he has plans to connect with the local art community this year, hoping to create an audience for his work. While he has done several commissions and even created album art, Daniel hopes to further his art career by publishing graphic novels, children’s books, or art books.
There is no doubt Daniel has generated his own style of art through many outlets of inspiration. His cartoonish figures and bright coloring draw in the wandering eye, and the messages sent by his works are powerful.
If you want to see more of his work, be sure to check out his Instagram page, @grissomd, and his online shop here.