Dan Wahl mentored under internationally acclaimed painter Ed Evans, with whom he shares a keen interest in nature’s displays of growth and decay. He has shown in group exhibits in Marshall, Minnesota, and Patti, Sicily, as well as solo exhibits at the Walnut Grove Art Gallery, the MAFAC Gallery in Marshall, and the Carnegie Art Center in Mankato.

Influences include the works of Helen Frankenthaler, Jackson Pollock, Deborah Butterfield, and Jean-Michel Basquiat. His paintings are also influenced by the close observation of rocks, feathers, sticks, and water, and the insights of his three children.

Wahl’s technique is somewhat unusual. To forward his wish to paint, intuitively, he uses silicone caulk, the same kind used for sealing windows, to let lines fall almost randomly on bare, unprepared canvas. He then paints over the caulked canvas with acrylics thinned to such a watery consistency that they blend together on their own. After the first layer of paint has dried, he peels off the caulk, which leaves a trail or memory of where it has been. Then the painting can be worked again with another translucent layer of paint that is thin enough to let light pass through, showing some of the original color.