

I love drawing in different locations in New York City. In the fall of 2008 I started a reportage of Harlem. Every Saturday for about three months I walked around East and West Harlem thumb nailing and drawing various restaurants and people. In the beginning I was a little nervous because I didn't know what to expect. I have to say it was great! I met many friendly people and became comfortable in a part of the city I never went to. I think only drawing could have given me the unique experience that Harlem provided. What reportage gives me is difficult to express in writing. I feel that for me it can only truly be explained by the smile I have on my face while I'm sitting there drawing my heart away. By the mess I get to make, the oils, the inks, the pastels, the ink spills! How I always end up with ink on the back of my leg or across my face. How it stains my hands! It allows me to feel as if I were that kid who used to sit on my grandmother's front porch again. It allows me to be free. As I continue to grow, both as an artist and a person, I realize how much drawing and reportage have become a part of who I am."
• Danielle's blog.
• Danielle's art on Flickr.
• Danielle's website.