Painting the greats: artist finds a career by following her passion By Sarah Morton Taggart | s.taggart@mycityjournals.com is now a dual language immersion teacher specialist at the Jordan School District. “I am so overwhelmed with joy and cried with happiness upon reading all her accomplishments,” Thomas said. “I always remind my students that I truly believe each and every one of them had the potential to be successful and that success may look different to different people. I am always there rooting for you from the sidelines, silently cheering you on even if it’s a decade from now.” Lopez moved to West Jordan with her family after sixth grade and graduated from Copper Hills High School. She went on to study fashion design in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. She then used her eye for color and beauty to create art on faces as a freelance makeup artist for Chanel. “I love studying people’s faces—studyDaniela Lopez poses between portraits she painted of LeBron James and Michael Jordan. ing their pores, the reflections, the warm light (Photo courtesy Daniela Lopez) and shadows.” Lopez had continued to draw portraits aniela Lopez woke up one morning to “Through those long fall and winter but switched from pencil to paintbrush in her phone ringing. The call was from months, I kept seeing the numbers 11:11,” Houston, Texas, and she let it go to voice- said Lopez. “Literally everywhere. Receipts, mail. “I Googled the number, and it was the clocks, train stubs, every time I glanced at Toyota Center,” Lopez said. “I freaked out.” my phone. It started to freak me out. I have a The call was from Tad Brown, CEO of lot of spiritual friends who reassured me that the Houston Rockets. He wanted to commis- this was good — that this meant confirmation sion a portrait of Yao Ming, the international- from the universe that I was doing what I’m ly recognized basketball star, to be presented supposed to be doing.” at his jersey retirement ceremony. Lopez had When the time came, Lopez was able 48 hours to complete the painting. to shut out everything else and complete the Lopez wasn’t a professional artist at the Yao Ming portrait in time. He stood next to it time. That would come later. This was 2016, as his jersey was retired during the halftime and Lopez had recently had some time off of a Houston Rockets home game on Feb. 3, from her job as a makeup artist. 2017. The team flew Lopez and her mom to “I had finished my Christmas commis- Houston to watch the game in person. sions and wondered what I should do next,” “Through that chaotic week of zero Lopez said. “I wanted to do something that sleep to pull off that insane project, it hadn’t was exciting to me, that I could get hyped even dawned on me that 11 was his jersey about. My family said, ‘What if you paint our number,” Lopez said. team, on a giant scale?’ We’ll probably be the Then she entered the arena where red only ones excited about this.” T-shirts with the number 11 were draped over Lopez is huge fan of professional bas- each seat. ketball, and her whole family cheers on the “I instantly crumbled,” Lopez said. “It Houston Rockets together. She had a few felt surreal.” large canvases ready to go and started paint- ROOKIE LEAGUE Lopez grew up in Midvale and particing portraits of Rockets players one by one. After posting just three paintings on Insta- ipated in the Boys & Girls Club and Head 2010. “Best day of my life,” said Lopez in an Start. “I remember doing a lot of crafts and Instagram post. gram, she got the call from Brown. “I never could have imagined anything art at Head Start,” Lopez said. “My mom GOING PRO happening like that,” Lopez said. In the says that’s where it all started.” Lopez recently posted images of two She continued to draw while a student at of her paintings of James Harden, one from months leading up to that life-changing commission, Lopez was questioning her purpose. Midvale Elementary School. 2015 and one from 2017. The evolution of “I always drew faces, sometimes Dis- her technique is striking. The earlier image “I would go through the motions of waking up extra early to catch the TRAX to ney characters but always someone’s face,” is artistic and skillfully captures the athlete’s work downtown, determined to save money said Lopez. “I had one adamant teacher in likeness. But the later image is in a whole difand commute this way to further invest my the third grade who planted the seed. She no- ferent category. Each hair, each bead of sweat paychecks into my art supplies, rather than ticed that I was drawing in the corners of my looks authentic. Lopez captures the intensity gas and parking—pulling an eight-hour shift homework and entered me in art contests.” of Harden’s eyes with her paintbrush. That teacher, Leticia Thomas, rememon my feet, riding home tired, giving myself “When I was in Houston for the playa little pep talk as I stared out the train win- bers Lopez as a very quiet, friendly and smart offs that year, the team invited me in to watch student. dow.” their morning shoot-around, and we chatted “Daniela always talked about being an about the piece,” Lopez said. “[Harden] was Lopez would then get home and paint artist when she grew up,” said Thomas, who through the night.
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Daniela Lopez was discovered on Instagram and became the go-to portrait artist for the NBA.
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really excited about it. It would end up going to his mom as a Mother’s Day gift.” Since most of her subjects are professional basketball players, it’s virtually impossible for Lopez to paint from life. So, she uses reference photos. “I like to use little-known photos,” Lopez said. “I find two or three favorites and take details from each one so the painting is not an exact copy of any photo. The finished art uses different details to make it unique.” She signs her childhood nickname, Yella, on each finished work. Lopez also paints portraits of celebrities and musicians. She uses acrylic paint, which is surprising to most people. “There’s a misconception about [acrylics],” she said. “I find the paint easier to blend and layer when it’s fast-drying.” She likes to spend a month or two to complete each painting, which adds up to around 300 hours of painting. “People don’t realize how big they are until they see a picture of me next to them,” Lopez said. Her largest canvas has been nearly 4 feet tall, and most are around that size. The massive scale is needed to fit the incredible amount of detail. A common response to social media posts of her paintings is, “I thought that was a photo!” Her realistic style resembles photographs, but also reveals an artistry that a camera can’t create. “If working on a commission, I like to research as much as I can about my subjects and find a connection,” she said. “If I’m going to spend weeks with a face, I need to feel something. In turn, the goal for me is when you see one of my paintings in person, you too will be able to feel something.” Some of Lopez’s art is available for sale on her website, www.iamyella.com. Prints cost as little as $55, while original paintings can command upward of $10,000. Her work has been displayed in New York City and Miami Beach, Florida. A permanent display of her work can be seen at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Lopez took the leap to leave her job and do art full time in 2017 but still freelances as a makeup artist. “It’s so much fun,” Lopez said. “I would not change how things are.”
TEAM PLAYER
Lopez says her parents and grandmother are her biggest inspiration. “Through them I’ve learned strength and dedication,” Lopez said. She continues to live in West Jordan and maintain ties to Midvale. Each year, Lopez helps organize the Cinco de Mayo celebration at Midvale City Park that was founded by her grandparents more than 30 years ago. Lopez didn’t enjoy the festivities as much as a kid because she got lost in the chaos. “But as we grew older, it was cool to see how much our family has invested to keep it going,” Lopez said.
West Jordan City Journal