A Genuine Style and a Genuine Process

Daniel Bilmes in his Los Angeles studio ahead of his upcoming workshop at Willow Pond SLO, June 25-28, 2026

"A genuine style should result from a genuine process and a process that is true to who you are and how your brain works." Daniel Bilmes.

Introducing Daniel Bilmes, a contemporary painter based in Los Angeles who skillfully navigates the intersection of realism, symbolism, and abstraction. Daniel's artistry is a journey of deep personal exploration, where every brushstroke reveals a mystical narrative and rooted in the everyday. His paintings embody a unique duality—infusing hope while grappling with the weight of life’s complexities. With an aesthetic that resonates between the vivacity of the Russian circus and the gravitas reminiscent of a Churchill speech, Daniel creates works that capture attention and provoke thought.

Daniel's award-winning artistic journey began at an impressively young age—just eight years old—under the guidance of his father, the esteemed artist and educator Semyon Bilmes. This early exposure to the world of art not only shaped his technical skills but also ignited a profound curiosity and passion for creativity that endures in his work. Bilmes has exhibited in group shows worldwide as well as Solo shows in NYC and LA. His enchanting monochromatic realism and delicate expressions invite viewers to step into a world that captures the jazzy intimacy of life drawing with the allure of a classical oil painting.

Through his captivating paintings, Daniel Bilmes continues to explore and challenge his own process as an artist and instructor. He excels at teaching with his kind, inviting transparency and many years of observation and reflection. Bilmes unpacks the process of portrait painting from the initial positioning of a facial profile on canvas, the relationship between the primary shapes, and how that informs fine-tuning and every detail beyond that.

"I find magic when I work from life and especially when I paint friends. I like capturing the essence of the whole composition as quickly as possible. I mix burnt sienna and ultramarine blue as a base for my shadows. I did a lot of drawings when I was younger, and then eventually I realized that I actually liked my drawings more than my paintings and so I tried to understand what about my drawings really resonated with me and then find a way to convey that in my painting." -Daniel Bilmes

We love it when artists of his caliber, who can also teach, come to Willow Pond SLO, showing their process and inviting audiences to find their own narratives amidst the layers of meaning. Join Daneil on this artistic adventure for a four-day workshop, Form and Feeling: Immersive Portrait Painting, on June 25- 28, 2026, at Willow Pond SLO. Booking is open now.

Source:

Bilmes, Daniel. (2023, February 16).Things I’ve Learned as a Professional Artist: Oil Painting. [Video]. YouTube. www.youtube.com/watch?v=id50UkeXeMY.