Today we’d like to introduce you to Wendy Michelle Davis.
Hi Wendy Michelle, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Some of my earliest and most significant memories involved art and art making. I did not grow up with art enthusiast parents but they did well in providing me with art supplies. Mostly I forged my own way in the world of art. My mom and did have a particular love for the outdoors and we spend many days as a family camping, hiking and exploring nature. This has given me a deep affection for nature and all its fleeting a lovely details.
Fast forward to present day, and you will find the grown-up me painting nature in variety of ways. It took me being well into adulthood to finally work up the courage to dive into art as my full-time pursuit. No other jobs, just art-making.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Are life’s roads every really smooth? And if they are it typically doesn’t stay that way for long. Now that I’m nearly five years in as a full time artist I have gotten better at rolling with the difficulties. If anyone asked me how I like my job I will alway’s say, “It’s the best job in the world!” And this statement is true, but an art career is not easy. Most artists tend to be sensitive and more on the introverted side, including myself. Ironically, selling my art takes dealing with lots of rejection and having to interact with people.
For example, I apply to art markets all over the nation with plenty of rejections. The hardest rejections are when it’s a show I thought for sure I would get into. In this case, I remind myself that my work’s value does not equate to which show’s I get into. If I let rejection be my meter for the quality of my work I would be on a roller coaster of emotion. Not good.
I’ve classified myself lately as a “Social Introvert” meaning that I am able to be in social settings, I even enjoy it most of the time, yet I am absolutely exhausted by the end of it. So when I sell my work at a show, or attend an art event it takes a lot out of me. I also wrestle with feeling awkward or just unsure of myself when I attempt to discuss my art.
Despite all this, I know how good it is for me to break out of my comfort zone and continue sharing my artwork. And the more I do this the better I become at handling rejection and the more confident I am at sharing my work. One of my goals is to be better at finding balance: Working hard, but also resting and finding time for play. When I do this I can replenish myself and the creativity flows better.
My relationship with my Creator is the key to all I do in art and life. It is He who centers me when life feels overwhelming and chaotic. It’s He who collaborates with me as I create. It’s He who brings peace and joy regardless of the road set before me. “In Him we live and move and have our being.” Act 17:28. A verse I love as it reminds me that I all I have is because of God thus all glory be to Him.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As a fine art painter I focus on creating pieces of art that are uniquely my own. My process starts with inspiration from nature. It could be something I see while on a walk, or an arrangement of flowers from my garden, or individual things like a Sparrow or a perfectly shaped Pear. When a composition takes shape in my mind I put down a base layer of acrylic paint on a canvas, then I map things out with a wider brush and darker shades, working towards lighter colors and thick painterly brush strokes as I near the finished painting. It often feels like magic when I painting emerges from messy blobs of paint on a pallet. My recent work has me very excited as it’s more one-of-a-kind than previous things I’ve created. I began a series a couple years ago I call my “House Plant” series in which I do just that: Paint house plants. It has developed into textural house plants with fun backgrounds such as wallpaper-like patterns, and/or fun patterns on the pots or table cloths. I look forward to how this series and my other work develops this year.
Any big plans?
No hugely different plans for now. My wonderful husband and I will continue to travel and do art shows. I am looking into other revenue streams for my art. I am still at the beginning stages of this so I may have more to share with you in the next interview.
I do want to share that part of what I do is support and encourage other artists. We are so much better as creatives when we uplift each other. In Waco I host artist retreats and workshops and I put on art fairs in spring and a fall. Reach out to me if you are interested in any of this.
Pricing:
- Most of my art work can be found on my website as prints ranging from $55 t0 $1500 depening on size and type of print. Reach out to me personally for original at pricing.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.wendymichelledavis.com/
- Instagram: @wendy_michelle_davis
