Jane Davenport Blog

I officially started my career as an Fine Artist nearly 10 years ago. It took a lot of outside validation and wandering about to get me fully prepped to take the leap. When I look back, it seems the years leading up to ‘The Leap’, were all in preparation, leading me to that one little moment in time when my quietest voice announced: ” I want to be an Artist. I’m ready.”. And once I heard that little whisper, that little chime of my own truth, my life changed. I changed.

I have been creative throughout my childhood, and my first job was as a fashion illustrator. This evolved into fashion and textile design and eventually fashion photography. I always felt like I was bluffing my way through the fashion world because I am not particularly stylish, but I enjoyed it because the people are fun and I think I coasted along on other peoples’ passion! As long as I got to draw, paint and photograph occasionally, I was very happy!

It wasn’t until I ordered some close-up lenses on a whim and took a photograph of my first ladybird that I was guzzled whole by the shutter-bug. And what started as a little hobby, photographing butterflies, grasshoppers, flowers and frogs, began to turn into an obsession. I began to use photography to express my ideas. To re-interpret the world around me. To shout without words just how dazzled I am by nature. How breathless a bee simply just doing its thing makes me.

My work week was in the human world and my own time was spent with my ‘bugjects’. I kept my growing library of personal work very close only a few best friends were privvy to my secret bugsession. And then I did a strange thing… I entered my work in a few awards and I applied for a scholarship. I won them all. I studied at the Sante Fe Workshops and I flew there after winning a ‘Guru’ award at PhotoShop World in Los Angeles. It was an exciting time!

On my course was a woman who labelled herself a ‘Photographic Artist’ . At the time, I had hardly met anyone that called themselves an Artist, let alone something so specific. I regarded her as a magical creature…rare and ethereal….and my eyes opened up to see that there was a whole world of Photographic Artists. Sante Fe is a town in New Mexico and it is FULL of art galleries. Every day I would finish class and dash into town to squeeze through the doors of whatever gallery was getting ready to close. And my heart flourished. I’m felt my brain wake, sit up and take notice.

By the time I stepped on board my flight home to Sydney, I felt like a giant had picked me up by the ankles and shaken me with every ounce of their might. All my cells had moved just a fraction, and I had a new perspective. On that long, long flight home I couldn’t sleep, and in the dark of the night, a thousand miles in the air, my quietest voice tapped me on the shoulder and spoke. I can still hear it. All my memories of that time are clear. I will always leave a window open to that exact moment.

And when I stepped of the plane I announced to myself that I was now an ‘Artist’. I quietly accepted the word. I started saying it out loud. And you know what? No-one ever rolled their eyes. No-one has ever tried to convince me my plans were mad. No-one has ever pulled me aside and tried to talk some sense in to me ( Or if they did they did I never heard nor listened!). I needed that outside validation. I needed the prizes and Awards. I needed the time to gradually find my true path. I was gradually creeping up to my dreams, mindful of moving too fast lest they run-away before I ever got to see them, decipher them properly…

And then suddenly I was ready.  I moved quickly.  Suddenly I had the courage to leap into the arms of my life…I feel as if it was waiting there for me all along.

I have learned to let my creative dreams swirl around me, and form a cloud that will always offer me a soft place to land. And I would bet anything that your dreams are doing the same thing to you.

x

Jane

You know how it is when the words in a song suddenly reach up through the melody and give you a crow-peck on the side of the head? Well, I was listening to a lively ditty by Lisa Mitchell, and as she said “even the bravest lions, they need a sidekick” , it was like she was speaking right to my heart. My throat closes and tears still jump to my eyes whenever I listen to it.

I identify with the brave lion.

In my artistic life, I am constantly calling on my courage to create work by trusting the mess, daring inner demons and dipping into memories that aren’t always worth thinking about.  The monumental leap of faith I personally have to take every time I show my work takes guts of steel. I have pluck, determination and belief in my talent, but I am not a naturally confident person. I am sensitive….very, very sensitive. So the slightest step out of my comfort zone feels like I am taking on the world. Sometimes I need a run-up that takes months before I have enough speed to take the plunge.

But I always dare.

And when I look back at how valiant I’ve been, I feel glorious! The king of all I survey. For when I need to be, I am a brave lion indeed.

And all around me, I see these brave lion moments being lived out by others. Where we just have to get our mane on, take the head position of the pride and take on the world. Some people never take that mantle of. Some people seem invincible. They are lions, all the time.

But even the bravest lions, they need a sidekick.

This is what I drew when I was listening to 'Sidekick' by Lisa Mitchell.

And this bittersweet line reminds me that everyone is vulnerable. That we all need to rely on others. That we don’t need to feel alone, roaring into the darkness.

And hearing this thought, expressed in just that way,  unplugged a creative deluge. I have been drawing different versions of myself and the sidekicks I would like have ever since. Sometimes I am drawing the Sidekick I would like to be. I have loved creating these new friends.

And over a few months, I had a series of them. A body of work. A collection of Sidekicks!

Unbullied - Jane Davenport. Click for details.

Mind this Spot - Jane Davenport. Click for details.

Pandering - Jane Davenport. Click for details.

A Sidekick is a pal, buddy, friend and mate. An assistant to heroes! A sidekick is also a shoulder to lean in to or cry on to. A buddy that always watches your back and will hold your hand and piece together a heart when you need it. A safe harbour and cuddle factory. They have big responsibilities!

Hoot-a-Nannie Jane Davenport. Click on image for details.

SO who is my real-world sidekick?….I hesitated as images of masked men wearing undies over tights filled my mind. The easy answer for me would be to name my hubby or best friends as my real world sidekicks, but the title doesn’t seem to quite fit.

And then I looked at where all my Sidekicks were being drawn, and the answer came to me – my journal…sorry Art Journal. It fulfills all the above criteria. It nourishes me. It takes my tears and anguish and folds them away from sight to let me heal. It’s there to celebrate joys. Always at hand to laugh with me to reminisce with wonderful stories and funny times. It loves to plan my days with me and the unending to-do and ta-dah lists, catching left-over paint and generously letting me dig into its papery hide. How I love my little journals…my joy-nal..my journey-al, my jeune-al, my Jane-all. Hah! My Sidekick!

And I look through my art journal and I see the journey it took, the amount of brave decisions I had to make to finish The Sidekicks series and put it in my Gallery. My first publicly exhibited  series of drawings.

This is a video showing a little of the detailed work that goes into each illustration.

Who or what is your sidekick? Who’s sidekick are you?

Choose happiness,

Jane

P.S.

A week after ‘discovering’ Lisa Mitchell for myself, I saw posters that she was touring through my little town…can you imagine? Watching an artist that you adore in a small venue with terrific accoustics is ooh-la-la-la-la! I wish you were there with me! I wish I was there again right now! oh, it was bliss!

Links:

View:  The Sidekicks Series in my Portfolio

View: the Sidekicks in their own shop on Etsy called Artomology!

Lisa Mitchell is available in itunes of course – I don’t think she has created a song I don’t like yet.

The Wonder album is perfect. PERFECT! ( Oh! Hark! is a great tune too!)

I have just finished my latest Youtube vid! It features my favourite beach, me painting in my studio and some wonderful music!