Daniel grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii. He started his art training as a fine art student at the University of Hawaii. Upon moving to California in 1989, he attended Cypress College in preparation for entry to Art Center College of Design in Pasadena; there he further extended his art training.
Daniel paints with imagination but not from imagination. Each landscape painting is inspired from an actual place. He creates composition in a simplified form with designs of shapes and patterns found in the nature world. One could speculate his designs are influenced by Fauvism. Daniel is definitely a colorist. With a dry-brush technique, he applies acrylic paints in layers to develop bold vivid colors to bring out eye-catching contrast in his designs. It is his own whimsical interpretation of each individual scene that sets his paintings apart from typical landscape painting.
Daniel passed away unexpectedly on May 8, 2016 while attending the Cottonwood Art Festival in Richardson, Texas. His wife, Sandra Wright-Ng continues Daniel's partnership with Heather Saltarella and Michael McCoy of Essential Glassworks Art Gallery In Moscow, Idaho.