Dan’s life began as a Cinderella story. When he left home in Iowa at 18, he worked on a roofing crew. By the end of summer he was employed by the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art. The CRMOA happens to house the largest collection of work by the regionalist Grant Wood and became Dan’s first major and lasting influence.Eventually Dan moved to Minnesota with his new bride, Vicky, earned an MFA in painting and art history from the University of Minnesota and immersed himself in the Twin Cities art scene. He become a successful theatrical and television artist and eventually transitioned to full-time painting. His work is included in 72 public collections and found in lengthy list of media outlets. He has received numerous awards, grants and scholarships, including two Minnesota State Arts Board grants in 2019 and 2021. In 2025, his work was juried into the prestigious Salmagundi Artist Club’s national exhibition in New York (past members included George Inness, William Merritt Chase, and Norman Rockwell) and was subsequently offered membership.