Danny Hughes

Visitors at the Danny Hughes Studio Gallery during the Long Beach art expo.

The Danny Hughes Studio Gallery at the Long Beach Art Expo.

Artist’s Works Connect, Inspire Viewer

By Julian Bermudez
Gazette Art Writer

Danny Hughes is an artist whose history might be familiar to many of us.

Early on as an adult, he found himself moving through a variety of jobs, never finding his true place. Years had been spent in hopes that he would find his purpose in life — his reason for being. Constantly searching, Hughes’ experience led him into a relationship that would change his life.

Sitting at the bar of Christy’s Ristorante, where several paintings are on view, Hughes describes the profound impact his girlfriend had on him.

“I think of her as an angel,” Hughes said. “She taught me that by staying quiet and listening to what’s inside, I would be able to create these paintings.”

For more than a year, Hughes has been painting works of art designed to help each viewer become present in the moment. His paintings are crafted with oils, naturally-weathered paper and resin, resulting in an aged look. Silhouettes of angels along with foreign symbols dominate both large and small-scale canvases.


The ubiquitous symbol of the angel is only too familiar to many people throughout the world. However, the other characters present in Hughes’ works have a deeper meaning — rich in history and purpose.

According to Hughes, the texts represent the divine three-letter combinations known as the 72 Names of God. Known well throughout the Kabbalist community, these “names” are actually energy fields, or visual mantras, designed to unleash the spiritual power within us all. A link on Hughes’ Web site takes you to a page where the “names” are defined as “the key to ridding depression, stress, creative stagnation, anger, illness and other physical and emotional problems.”

Without sounding New-Agey, I asked Hughes to describe a work of art that my friend Zack was immediately drawn to. Instantly there was a connection between the artwork and the two men. Hughes explained that the painting was to inspire the person to believe in their own self, to stop listening to the voices discouraging growth. The words “rise up,” written on the back, encapsulates the painting’s overall message.

My friend agreed. Apparently, he had been in this trap of self-doubt and was needing some form of guidance.

As we continued our conversation, Hughes asserted that he was acting more as a messenger than anything else.

“I’m re-distributing energy that’s already there. Each piece is given a certain energy that touches the individual once they look at it,” Hughes said happily.

“When I’m creating, I’m in a state of bliss. Time stands still.”

Each painting takes about a month to create, due in large part to the weathering process of the paper. which, it turns out, are pages from old bibles, newsprint, or other books. Christy’s Ristorante is hosting an artist’s reception tonight, Thursday, where a portion of the proceeds will go to “Raising Malawi,” a nonprofit organization.

Hughes’ commitment to his work is undeniably infectious. After meeting him, you leave with a sense of joy and kindness towards others.

“We are all connected,” he re-iterates. “The single most important thing to remember is to be kind to ourselves and each other.”


Visit .
Christy’s Ristorante is at 3937 E. Broadway.
Call 433-7133

Artist’s Works Connect, Inspire Viewer

By Julian Bermudez
Gazette Art Writer

Danny Hughes is an artist whose history might be familiar to many of us.

Early on as an adult, he found himself moving through a variety of jobs, never finding his true place. Years had been spent in hopes that he would find his purpose in life — his reason for being. Constantly searching, Hughes’ experience led him into a relationship that would change his life.

Sitting at the bar of Christy’s Ristorante, where several paintings are on view, Hughes describes the profound impact his girlfriend had on him.

“I think of her as an angel,” Hughes said. “She taught me that by staying quiet and listening to what’s inside, I would be able to create these paintings.”

For more than a year, Hughes has been painting works of art designed to help each viewer become present in the moment. His paintings are crafted with oils, naturally-weathered paper and resin, resulting in an aged look. Silhouettes of angels along with foreign symbols dominate both large and small-scale canvases.


The ubiquitous symbol of the angel is only too familiar to many people throughout the world. However, the other characters present in Hughes’ works have a deeper meaning — rich in history and purpose.

According to Hughes, the texts represent the divine three-letter combinations known as the 72 Names of God. Known well throughout the Kabbalist community, these “names” are actually energy fields, or visual mantras, designed to unleash the spiritual power within us all. A link on Hughes’ Web site takes you to a page where the “names” are defined as “the key to ridding depression, stress, creative stagnation, anger, illness and other physical and emotional problems.”

Without sounding New-Agey, I asked Hughes to describe a work of art that my friend Zack was immediately drawn to. Instantly there was a connection between the artwork and the two men. Hughes explained that the painting was to inspire the person to believe in their own self, to stop listening to the voices discouraging growth. The words “rise up,” written on the back, encapsulates the painting’s overall message.

My friend agreed. Apparently, he had been in this trap of self-doubt and was needing some form of guidance.

As we continued our conversation, Hughes asserted that he was acting more as a messenger than anything else.

“I’m re-distributing energy that’s already there. Each piece is given a certain energy that touches the individual once they look at it,” Hughes said happily.

“When I’m creating, I’m in a state of bliss. Time stands still.”

Each painting takes about a month to create, due in large part to the weathering process of the paper. which, it turns out, are pages from old bibles, newsprint, or other books. Christy’s Ristorante is hosting an artist’s reception tonight, Thursday, where a portion of the proceeds will go to “Raising Malawi,” a nonprofit organization.

Hughes’ commitment to his work is undeniably infectious. After meeting him, you leave with a sense of joy and kindness towards others.

“We are all connected,” he re-iterates. “The single most important thing to remember is to be kind to ourselves and each other.”


Visit .
Christy’s Ristorante is at 3937 E. Broadway.
Call 433-7133

Artist and spiritual crusader Danny Hughes has a profound gift he is compelled to share with the world. Lucky for us, Danny Hughes has found his calling. “I spent the better part of my life searching for answers to life’s questions,” he reflects. “I was looking for happiness and fulfillment, but felt like I was constantly jumping from job to job, and relationship to relationship, without ever finding any meaning or lasting fulfillment. I couldn’t seem to fill the empty feeling.” It is an overwhelmingly common phenomena of the human spirit, but one which Danny seems to have finally begun to understand. “The beauty of being dissatisfied with your life is that it forces you to search. Through all of the confusion, tears, and pain, it brought me to where I am today. I am where I am now, with a more simplistic view of a life that is very fulfilling.”

Danny’s secret to happiness is no secret at all; rather a beautiful gift he is willing—be it compelled-- to share with the world at large. “’Be where you are at’ is phrase I often say to myself. I find that when I am feeling uncomfortable, it is because I am either living in yesterday or tomorrow. I also believe that each life unfolds perfectly by design, and it is only my perception or my opinion that puts me into a place of non acceptance.” If only it were that easy. Danny knows that life has its obstacles and that he, like everyone on this planet, is faced with daily challenges. “Just be,” he says simply. “Just be in this perfect world, and carry courtesy, kindness, justice, and love into all that you put your hand to, without judgment or expectation. Realize also, that life’s challenges are simply opportunities, that we are given, to be consciously proactive instead of unconsciously reactive. The end result is a direct infusion of light that will create lasting fulfillment and effect true spiritual transformation.”


It was after this profoundly simple realization that Danny received a gift from a dear friend, a piece of steel with words etched into it that read: What would you attempt to do if you knew that you would not fail? “I had no idea at the time how those fourteen words would effect the course of my life,” says Hughes, but it was clearly the beginning of a beautiful thing.

Danny set out to do exactly what he felt he should do, believing, perhaps for the first time, that he would not fail. The results were mind blowing. Danny began creating art that spoke to him so truthfully and so clearly, he knew it was his path. Using his knowledge of Kabbalah, Danny began creating works of art, which seemed to breath a life of their own. “Kabbalah is not dogmatic,” explains Danny. “The seventy-two names of God are simply a series of tools that have been given to mankind. The sequences of letters in these paintings emit a particular energy that aid in specific areas of life and have been around for thousands of years. Up until about 60 years ago, only a select few were able to study the works of which these paintings originate.” Viewers were quick to concur, and Danny developed a fiercely loyal and intense following. “To sit in front of one of these paintings will call a knowing that has been lying dormant in your soul for along time, maybe even lifetimes. There’s an intense energy,” Danny explains, “and it resonates a truth we already know—deep within ourselves.” Indeed, standing in front of a Danny Hughes work of art is no less than a spiritual experience. “The symbology connects us to energy forces that are already present within each one of us.” Profound, but simple. Profoundly simple. “The purpose of this work is to aid in giving the planet back to themselves, one beautiful soul at a time.”

The purpose of the Danny Hughes Studio is to create works of art that gently aid the viewer in being fully present in the moment. These works that have been inspired through the teachings of Kabbalah, and possess a healing energy that enables the viewer to sit quietly and know, with absolute certainty, that he is right where he is supposed to be.

While standing in front of a Hughes painting, the viewer is struck with a sense of ease and a vague remembrance that everything is simply OK. Each painting offers a specific sequence of Aramaic and Hebrew text that is infused with a particular spiritual energy that gives the viewer an opportunity to invite this energy into their lives. Whether the message is to invite peace and harmony into one’s life or find affinity with abundance, the viewer is infused with Light from the Source. Moreover, each painting is a gentle reminder that each one of us has the ability to take control of our lives and stop living a reactive existence. Each Hughes painting contains aged biblical and Kabalistic text along with raw papers that have been colored and textured by the elements. Each painting is a great metaphor for life in that, though the artist sets his intentions on how the painting will turn out, it often takes on an existence of its own. According to Hughes, “I have learned that letting go of expectation puts me into affinity with the process of life and creates a beautiful by-product… light.”

Los Angeles Journal
September / 2006


A CALLING OF LOVE AND LIGHT

There is no manual on earth that can teach you how and no directions, which can be given to help you find your calling in life.
Written By: Sara Schlussel

Some people spend their whole lives on a treasure hunt for a way to feel complete and productive; sometimes never finding that perfect jewel. It took Danny Hughes thirty-five years.

Bouncing around between parents in Southern California and Oregon since he was a child and growing up attending a Hebrew school that never provided him with the spiritual answers he needed, Danny was on a quest for something that felt stable and fulfilling.

Spending time working in corporate America, as a musician and in the construction business, “I never found anything that felt like I was accomplishing my calling, my purpose in life.” Danny found himself in what he calls a “spiritual pit,” and he was unable of rescuing himself from the darkness that had taken over his soul, “but four years ago,” Danny explains, “an angel came into my life and just as quickly as she entered my world she disappeared.” The angel was an artist who taught Danny the art of silence, “a way to get quiet,” he elaborates, “to reach the depths of my soul, to find creativity.” After going through so much despair, “I was finally able to listen to someone and push away my fear.” Danny finally began believing in himself, in his dream of succeeding and finding what he had always been looking for.

After being given a mystical book entitled 72 Names of God¸ Danny felt a compelling urge to express the kabbalistic images he read about. According to Danny, “Kabbalah is not a dogma, rather it follows in the same tradition Judaism does, only Kabbalah explores a consciousness with an energy and light, an energy one can bring in to save the world. Kabbalah felt different than what I learned as a child. I felt more open and able.”

Beginning his creative process by layering a wood panel with collections of aged biblical texts from the 1800’s, then applying elements which cause a rust-like reaction and drawing the image using oil paint and finishing his masterpiece with a coat of resin as a sealant. With forty pieces complete, Danny has received an overwhelming response from the general public. “My images,” he describes, “cannot be understood by the rational mind, but instead by everyone’s soul. Light exists in everything; whether a cup of coffee, a vehicle, or a relationship. I am bringing art to people who can gain from its’ light and energy.”

Danny uses a metaphor of a cell phone to provide a better understanding of the energy within his paintings, “Everyone fundamentally understands how a cell phone works, what each button does, how when you dial a certain amount of numbers you end up calling ‘Joe’; well just like a cell phone, each painting has a particular energy that comes with it. Whether a viewer is looking for more health, prosperity, to smash one’s ego – my paintings bring that light and energy the viewer’s soul has been longing for.”


The title of each painting embodies the painting as a whole and the sequence, which has been illustrated upon each panel. Danny believes his paintings “illuminate one’s soul pushing away ego and darkness.”

Danny feels “that as children we are connected to a wonderment about life and the world that we live in. As we get older and are faced with the challenges that show up day to day, we become jaded and biter and loose touch with that wonderment that we once knew.

This childlike wonderment and awe that we loose is where creativity and fulfillment reside. The journey has been about re-connecting to that place.” Through Danny’s use of his creative soul, he has finally found “the only thing in life that has ever been for sure” – his artwork. Painting has put a resolve into Danny’s life as never known.

“Being able to touch people… to help give them back to themselves has the most fulfilling aspect of this journey. It is my wish that this work will inspire more souls to find ways to touch their world with love.”

Artwork by Danny Hughes can be found at