Danny Gordo is a figurative painter, tattoo artist, musician, and founder of The Copper Wolf Tattoo Studio and Art Gallery based in Tumwater, WA. He holds a BFA in Illustration from the Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude and is the 2025 Robert B. McMillen Foundation MAC Award winner. Using oil and graphite, Danny blends classical techniques with contemporary symbolism to craft visually intricate and emotionally resonant images that invoke contemplation and reflection in viewers.
Beyond his studio practice, Danny is an active teacher and mentor. He works primarily with young artists in the South Puget Sound region, helping them develop both their technical skills and creative perspective. His work has been exhibited across the country and internationally, and reflects an ongoing commitment to inquiry, emotional clarity, and the belief that art can act as a catalyst for personal and collective transformation.
I’m fascinated by stories and the way they shape culture and society. I want to spend my time creating narrative, symbolic work that deepens my understanding of self and of this reality, while asking the viewer to examine their own beliefs in a way that might lead to a more intentional way of being. I see this as a critical counterbalance to the constant distraction built into the systems around us.
