Meet Danielle Rush | Artist behind illuminated ART Hawaii, Makeup on Canvas

We had the good fortune of connecting with Danielle Rush and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Danielle, every day, we think about how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
For the past 20 years, I was a Local 706 Makeup Artist working mostly in Los Angeles on big glitzy glam TV shows such as Americas Got Talent, Dancing with the Stars, American Idol and many more. I met my amazing husband, Sterling, on a TV show, and long story short, we fell madly in love and had 2 beautiful daughters. After having our girls, the pressure of being at work instead of home with them was constantly bothering me and I was determined to figure out a change in our lifestyle. After a talk with a close friend about manifesting, I decided to put my mind to finding a family adventure for us. About 3 weeks after putting it out into the universe, Sterling got a call to work on a TV show in Hawaii. His initial reaction was to say no but I told him this was our opportunity for the change we were looking for.
So we did it. In about 3 weeks we completely up and changed our entire lives. And I’m so glad we did.
After a year of living the dream of being a stay at home mom, in Hawaii nonetheless, I was getting antsy and needed a creative outlet so decided I was going to print some of the amazing photos I had been taking on my adventures around the island. But when the canvases came, they were no where near what the moment looked like when I took the photo. I was so disappointed.
And that’s when it happened. I had a dream about doing makeup and seeing how the reflection of the light made the skin literally shine and light up. I remember in the dream painting on faces but with large paint brushes, then the faces turned into the sunset and I was painting with makeup on one of the photos I had printed out on canvas. The next morning I took out my makeup kit and my art kit and started mixing things together to see what would happen.
With the first stroke of the brush on that sunset, it literally came to life and was bouncing off the canvas. I knew right then this could be something really special.
So this is truly where illuminated ART comes from. I was able to combine my 20-year makeup career, love for photography and passion for painting. And since the first showing of my art at Made in Hawaii, November 2021, things have been insane!!! I currently am the resident artist at The Twin Fin, formerly Aston Waikiki, and have my own illuminated ART Hawaii studio over looking the ocean in the heart of Waikiki. I have even been the Artist of the Month on multiple occasions at hotels in Waikiki, I am also currently showing my artwork in multiple exhibits and galleries.
I am so grateful for all of the support and love that I have gotten from everyone and for this life I am living!!!
I hope that you get the chance to see my artwork in person, it truly shines unlike you can imagine or see in the photos or videos I post- but I’ll never stop trying to show the true illumination!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
illuminated ART is a new type of artwork that I created by combining my 20 year career as Film and Television Makeup Artist, my love of photography and passion for painting. My signature illumination process begins by printing digital photos on canvas. I then mix my own paint using makeup and other materials and apply them to my photos, sometimes covering  the entire piece and sometimes simply to the highlights or shadows, to add texture, motion and create a three-dimensional effect. Lighting is incredibly important to “illuminate” my artwork but the beauty lies in the element of surprise every time you look at each piece. You will continually see something new as the light continues to change and bring the photos to life!

Each piece of illuminated ART is completely one of a kind, I create a Certificate of Authenticity for each piece as they sell to keep this guarantee and increase the value of the artwork itself! Each illuminated ART comes framed and is accompanied with cleaning tool, to guarantee the ultimate sparkle and shine forever.

I love collaborating with other photographers and working on commissioned pieces to bring other peoples favorite moments to life. I can illuminate any photo in any size, the sky is the limit- a beautiful landscape, wedding memories, your favorite pet or family photo! My hope is to create a feeling of being present in the moment, and spread Joy and Aloha with the world!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My gallery is in The Twin Fin Waikiki, which also has the amazing Tiki’s Bar and Grill. I would also recommend to Honolulu Zoo and Aquarium which are in walking distance as well! Waikiki has so many delicious restaurants, Duke’s, Hula Grill, Wasabi Sushi Bar, Paia Fish Market, and then of course my all time favorite tacos, Thyda’s Tacos is by far the best on the island. Don’t want to miss Makapu’u, Hanama Bay, Kaiena Point, and North Shore. This island is filled with amazing places to see and eat!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Well there is no question that I wouldn’t be who I am or where I am today without the love and support of my amazing family. My parents and sister are truly my best friends, biggest cheerleaders and have literally been there for me through everything, good and bad. But I have to give a special shout out to my mom as she is the one who suggested my very first Special FX makeup class so she’s basically the reason for everything!!! That being said, my husband, Sterling, is like my Superman. He can literally fix, figure out and make anything happen. He is my strength and ALWAYS shows up when I need him to. And of course he is the reason I have my 2 amazing daughters, which is actually the reason for my being. My daughters have taught me a love I never knew possible and have been the guiding light behind my entire business and life. They make me want to do better and show them that if you work hard, anything is possible.

Website: www.illuminatedArtHawaii.com

Instagram: illuminatedArtHawaii

Linkedin: Danielle Rush

Facebook: illuminated ART Hawaii

Yelp: illuminated ART Hawaii