Jane Davila: An Artist in Motion
Jane Davila’s artwork is instantly recognizable from its use of flora and fauna, its delicate color sensibility, and its use of writing and markmaking. Jane’s printmaking background is most evident in her well-known gyotaku fish paintings which are often included in her fiber artworks. In addition to teaching workshops, Jane is a prolific author including Surface Design Essentials, Art Quilts at Play (with Elin Waterston) and Art Quilt Workbook (ditto). See more of her artwork on her website.
1. What are you working on in the studio now?
Oh, I wish!! I just moved and everything is topsy-turvy. I haven’t been able to find the power cord for my sewing machine yet! While the chaos is making me a little nuts I am enjoying the opportunity to re-invent how I use my space and honing in on what’s absolutely necessary and what’s baggage, supply-wise. There’s an adage about your stuff expanding to fill the available space and right now I’m in the process of making my stuff contract to fill the space since it’s smaller than my last studio. It’s a good thing that will have a positive effect on my future work, it’s just slow going right now.
escarabajo 3 by Jane Davila. This artwork will be available during the ONE fundraiser on February 16 with 100% of the proceeds being donated directly to the American Cancer Society.
2. Where do you find inspiration?
I find a lot of inspiration in literature, stories, song lyrics and poetry. I love the images that pop into my brain when I’m reading a good piece of literature or an evocative poem or listening to music that tells stories. I also play word games with myself when I’m in the research phase of a new series – word associations, synonyms, definitions, it all becomes fodder for the visual part of art creation. And I adore finding color combinations in really random places like packages in the grocery store, magazine covers (text and photos), paint chips in the hardware store, fashion forecasts online, and mood boards on design blogs.
3. Do you collect art? If so, how do you know a piece is right for your collection?
I collect art that I feel a connection with. For example, bird imagery often appears in my own work and I find myself drawn to it in others’ work. I have a small collection of 2-dimensional and 3- dimensional art of or with birds. My husband and I also collect folk art from a number of other countries – many African countries, Thailand, Peru and Mexico mostly. And we collect our own art! There’s mighty competition for wall space in our house as my husband is also an artist. He works in oil and paints massive abstract canvases. The juxtaposition of the more rustic folk art and the more aggressively modern art is really refreshing. They complement each other without competing with each other.
4. What advice do you have for new art collectors/new Patrons of ONE?
I think the best collections are those that contain art that is relevant to the collector. You could choose to collect within a theme – Nature or Flowers for example, or you could have an eclectic collection. Art that moves you, that speaks to you, that resonates with you on some level, not necessarily art that “goes” with this or that room, a particular decorating style or other pieces in your collection.
Pastiche 7 by Jane Davila, 10″ x 10″
5. What advice do you have for artists who are seeking their unique voice or direction in their own artwork?
It’s what I tell all of my students. Make work, make more work and then make even more work. It’s the only way to develop your voice and mature as an artist. It’s only after you’ve created quite a number of pieces that you can step back and start to see the connections between them, to see what motifs you’re drawn to, to discover which methods make you happiest, which are the best fit for your situation (space, materials, experience, equipment, lighting, ventilation, etc). Don’t get too precious about your work. In order to grow and discover who you are as an artist and what techniques work for your vision you need to experiment by working and working and working.
Some of those pieces won’t be perfect and that’s absolutely okay. The pieces that are unsuccessful are learning opportunities. Because I started as a printmaker this is a lesson I learned early on. If you’re pulling a print on a press and something messes up – for example, the registration’s off or there’s a void from a skin in the ink, there’s no fix. You tear it up and make another one. I feel the same way about my fiber art. If it isn’t working, learn from it and move on. Not everything you make will be brilliant or a masterpiece and working under that kind of pressure is self-defeating.
6. Any upcoming exhibits, new artwork, books, etc. we should know about?
Super exciting things are on the near horizon plus I’m working on a new book! I’m doing a lot more far-flung traveling to teach this year - I leave for South Korea in a couple of weeks and I’m going to Australia in April.
