Blackpool woman making the headlines into art

A Blackpool-born artist has achieved national attention with her ripped paper portrait of Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri.
Blackpoool-born artist Danielle Vaughan with her portrait of Leicester City FC boss Claudio RanieriBlackpoool-born artist Danielle Vaughan with her portrait of Leicester City FC boss Claudio Ranieri
Blackpoool-born artist Danielle Vaughan with her portrait of Leicester City FC boss Claudio Ranieri

Danielle Vaughan’s picture, part of a series based on famous figures linked to Leicester where she now lives, has appeared on TV and in newspapers.

The former Tyldesley High (now South Shore Academy) and Blackpool and the Fylde College student graduated from Leicester’s De Montfort University with a degree in footwear design.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But she returned to art after years as a primary school teacher and home schooling her own children.

Blackpool-born artist Danielle Vaughan's portrait of MorrisseyBlackpool-born artist Danielle Vaughan's portrait of Morrissey
Blackpool-born artist Danielle Vaughan's portrait of Morrissey

She said: “I started again about two years ago after coming to that point that people get to in their lives where they ask themselves, ‘Who am I?’

“I had studied fine art at Blackpool and the Fylde college but chose to do shoe design at university in the hope of getting a job, no one then thought it was possible to make a living from fine art.

“While at Blackpool I had worked in paper before and I done a study of a rotting watermelon in various stages of decay which I am told they have kept.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I have always been interested in working with waste materials, I am very keen on recycling.

Danielle Vaughan's Serge from KasabianDanielle Vaughan's Serge from Kasabian
Danielle Vaughan's Serge from Kasabian

“With the newspaper pieces there is sometimes a subliminal message in some of the words, but sometimes I choose the paper pieces just for their colour. I like to tease the viewer to guess if it carries a meaning or not.

“I have a series of work at the Cank Street Gallery in Leicester at the moment on the theme of faces and places.

“The city has been in the news for some time with King Richard being found and the football team doing so well.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“My portrait of Claudio sold this week which was great. I had got it signed.

Blackpool-born artist Danielle Vaughan's portrait of MorrisseyBlackpool-born artist Danielle Vaughan's portrait of Morrissey
Blackpool-born artist Danielle Vaughan's portrait of Morrissey

“I had written to the club with no luck so I ended up just waiting outside the club with some young fans after training. He drove past but stopped for the fans to sign autographs.

“I drove up with the picture in the boot and luckily he loved it and signed it.”

She said her husband Aubrey a Baptist minister and also from Blackpool, was a regular at Leicester City games.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Danielle, 47, said each picture, which can be seen on her website Dvaughangallery.com, can take between 10 days and two weeks to complete.

Danielle Vaughan's Serge from KasabianDanielle Vaughan's Serge from Kasabian
Danielle Vaughan's Serge from Kasabian

She has created portraits of some of her heroes such as fashion designer Vivienne Westwood and Smiths singer Morrissey, whom she got on stage with at the Opera House with a school pal.

“We were both wearing sheepskin slippers to try and look cool. I was very proud of those!

“I would love to get my portrait of Vivienne Westwood signed.

“I would keep that one, though. She inspired me with her designs, she is an icon a bit like the country’s alternative queen.”