Spend time looking at Dani Schafer’s (@danischafer_) recent work and you might feel an overwhelming sense of calm. “I never consciously intended to work with cooler tones, but once I started I couldn't stop,” says Dani, an artist in Madison, Wisconsin. “I'll move away from them when they no longer fit my vision.” She starts her 3-D pieces with drawings and plans, but her painting process is different. “They begin with a vague idea in my mind — maybe a few colors, the shadows of a few forms,” she says. “Once I start, it all happens on my palette and the painting surface.” Photo by @danischafer_