SOCULTURES MAGAZINE MAY-JUNE 2019 / 53Dan decided 11 years ago to open The Noble Art
Gallery after receiving encouraging words from a
very talented local artist, Terry Ratliff, which gave
Dan the confidence to consider himself a “Bona
Fide” painter. He asked his wife, Lori Wilson
Gagen, if he could pursue his passion, she said,
“Okay” and that was all he needed. He considers his
craft a job, he has a daily regimen to paint 8 hours a
day, working 6 to 7 days a week in which he creates
between 3-4 pieces each week. He takes roughly 1
out of 5 pieces to the apartment above his studio and
gallery, which he shares with Lori. They let them
hang for a month or so, bounce critique, both positive
and negative, amongst themselves and Dan will
decide to either paint over the piece, do some more
work on it or bring it down to the gallery for display
and sale. Talking to people who visit his gallery is
enjoyable to Dan, but at the end of the day, it is a
job. He loves to engage in conversation with other
artists on topics ranging from art, civil war history
and microbiology, one of his secret passions. His
interest in microbiology leads him to say, “Are you
sure there is no God”, the glint of fascination in his
eyes, visualizing molecules and cells as the building
blocks of life.
Working at his family’s newspaper was
easier in many ways. Having a boss telling you how
to do a job versus the million decisions necessary
when running his own business. Dan exhibits many
other artist’s creations in his gallery. He finds it very
exciting having artist’s works on display, it truly is
not a competition for Dan, as he views the business
side of a gallery in terms that if other artists succeed,
he will succeed. Selling is the least favorite part of
his job, as it is for many artists who would prefer the
motion of brush in hand versus the machinations of
business, 50% of his sales are driven by
commissioned work, it’s the feeling of “getting a new
baby”, the conception of inspiration to the ultimate
delivery of the creation to the proud parent.
The balance of his business is
feed by repeat customers,
word of mouth and travelers
wandering through the quiet
countryside of Northern
Indiana, making a stop in this
charming village of Albion.
Dan jokingly refers
to himself as having a,
“Doctorate in YouTube Art”,
studying techniques online,
tinkering with them in his
studio to decide whether each
are a fit for his wonderful
style. Dan also draws great
inspiration from Rembrandt.
Rembrandt’s execution of
shading and style in his
portraiture is perfect in Dan’s
eyes and he emulates those
characteristics in his own
paintings. He is a master of
black and white, photorealistic
oil paintings, with famous
persons typically gracing the
canvas. Practice makes
perfect for this art, studying
each subject to determine live
and dead sides of their
features, mastering the
technique, which has taken his
art to another level. His dry
humor permeates his
conversation when
referencing his technique,
“Photoshop with a paint
brush”, to accentuate their
best attributes.