Daniel Chayra

I am a retired firefighter from the City of Pasadena CA. I taught myself how to paint using watercolor paints after a life changing experience and soon realized that I really enjoyed painting. I have always been drawn to western art and so I started with very traditional colors, shapes, and forms. I had always yearned for distinct colors and shapes not associated with traditional styles. A fellow artist told me you are the artist, and you can make it any color or shape of your desire, it is how You see it. That opened the door for the development of my own palette and style. I changed over to acrylics so I could accommodate my need to paint larger pieces. Again, I had to learn how to use a new medium and I love it.

I have been heavily influenced by the native American culture. I feel a deep kinship and use the symbols to represent my thoughts on life’s journey. I would like to bring beauty and conversation into this world of ours. My name is Chayra and I am a painter. I try and capture whatever life may be teaching me today. “I believe that improvement is an interesting journey even though perfection will never be achieved.” - Daniel Chayra