By Jennifer Flowers

jenniferflowers@gannett.com

John F. Daniel has had a time trying to get locals to stomach his paintings.

The artist, 27, fell into political-themed work after his 2004 debut at a screening of protest films by minicine, an underground film group, with a painting on the Vietnam war.

Since then, he can list a couple of places where he's had to remove his work because of its subject matter, including 516 Soundstage and, most recently, on his March 14 opening day at the Prima Tazza coffee shop.

Daniel, who also paints abstract acrylic and mixed media works, says he usually isn't taking sides. Rather, he tries to bring political issues to the fore while leaving them open to interpretation with political symbols, including Confederate flags and Kerry/Edwards presidential campaign posters. He also recently made a work about Sept. 11 where he attempted to convey the confusion of a day that became a national tragedy.

A local thespian for more than a decade now, Daniel most recently acted in the East Bank Theatre's "The Mousetrap," and played the lead in the Shreveport Little Theatre's fall production of "The Foreigner." He grew up in Blanchard and graduated from Louisiana Tech with a bachelor of fine arts in theater. He teaches drama part time at the Renzi Center.

QUESTION: What's the appeal of theater?

ANSWER: Theater is my backbone. I was always a shy kid in school and theater really gave me a way to express myself and get away from myself for a while. It's just really fun playing other people. As far as directing goes, I've always enjoyed that because it gives you a chance to get your feet wet in a little bit of everything.

Q: What's your art style?

A: I consider it sort of primitive, sort of folk art almost. I don't really color within the lines. I don't mind it looking a little rough. I think the actual artist term is nonrepresentational. Abstract art is taking something that's real and abstracting it, so nonrepresentational art is just colors and shapes and forms that don't really mean anything specific.

Q: How does self-expression in theater compare to painting?

A: It's easier to express myself with visual art than it is with theater. Theater is really more of a collaborative thing because even if I was doing a one-man show, I would have a director and a lighting designer and it takes all these different people to put something together. My art is deeper and more personal because it's really just me.

Q: What's your take when someone's offended by your work?

A: I think it's what made me stay more involved in my art. That (Vietnam war) piece was actually the first time I had a piece at a show anywhere, so that was my debut. I had all these people that really loved it and I had someone who was really affected by it. I think that's what kept me interested in pursuing this, ironically. When someone compliments you, you never really know when they're being sincere. When someone insults you, you know they really mean it.

Q: Why do you like using political themes in your work?

A: One thing I really love about making those pieces is I can make them and leave them up in the air for other people's interpretation. I make the art but I don't necessarily have to be for either side. I like to leave them in that sort of vague gray area. I think it makes it more of an even playing field because both sides can get something out of it. I'm commenting but I'm not taking either side.

Q: How has theater influenced your painting?

A: I think theater has allowed me to be more of an emotional person. It's showed me ways to express myself that I didn't know before. So I can play an angry villain on stage and go home and sort of let go of the motion or any tension that went on with that on canvas.

Q: What are your long-term goals as an artist?

A: As far as theater, I really want to become more of a local director. I want to get a small company together. I think there's a real need for more sort of avant-garde theaters here. We really don't have a niche for that here. I think with the new artspace there will be more opportunities for that. As far as art goes, I'm sort of leaving that up in the air because I do that for me and I won't be offended if it doesn't go anywhere. If it ends today, it ends today. I just want to keep making things that are important to me.