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

Every time I go in to my Gallery, I am surprised by people’s reactions to me as ‘The Artist‘. I suppose meeting an artist is unusual. ( Sort of like when I met a Zoo Keeper who was in charge of Red Pandas and Zebras the other week…I was all…twinkle-eyed and magic-ified…I can’t think of another word for it!).

And I was asked the other day, “what does it feel like to be an artist?”. And the question really touched me and I am still thinking about it!

In my Gallery I show my photographic art, drawing, designing, writing, journalling and painting.
I’m often asked which is my favourite. I love them all. Correction; I am wildly, arms-spinning-in-circles in love with all the art forms I employ! I go through phases where one is more important than the others. Except for drawing. Drawing is my constant thread. I was the kid at school that could draw. I am still drawing every day.

But I am usually doing a little of everything. Today for instance, I started a new painting, photographed and varnished two more for the Gallery, ruined a painting and hid it away, photographed live butterflies, wrote this blog post, updated the online store (hello html?) , journaled, went in to my Gallery and spun around in circles and did some business stuff,  had a glass of champagne at the beach watching the sunset with my hubby  and downloaded some new music (yes, and the Rachel Zoe Project…so major!). This evening I will sketch as I watch my favourite tv show (Grand Designs).

Tomorrow will be totally different! But I bet there will be a bit of painting, a bit of photography, a smidge of drawing, a pinch of journaling and a skerrick of writing and some ‘serious’ business stuff all squeezed in. I will ‘ruin’ something, and fall in love with another piece! I highly recommend working on lots of different things all at once. That way if one feels like it is turning to crappola you have plenty to move on to..and then, later, with fresh, unfrustrated eyes, you can come back to annoyances and say – “Oh! Right! THATS’s what you were trying to tell me! Got it!  Repaint the eye 2cm higher up! Of course!!”. Or I may not feel like doing anything creative at all! On those flat sort of days I try and tidy-up, organise and get prepared for my next inspiration.

So, where am I going with my art? I have seen with my own eyes how my work can affect people. I have comforted people through tears and learned amazing, uplifting stories from my collectors about how my work has affected them.  I am blessed that my work seems to reach out and it is these experiences that I am always looking for. I get goosebumps thinking about the precious stories I have been told.  I have made a little nest around my heart of these tales from collectors, and when I am having a trying time bringing a creation to life, I can snuggle into that nest.

I suppose I am always looking for people who connect with my work as that gives me courage to keep creating.

But it is the artwork itself that inspires me. Creating it. Bringing my ideas into the real world. That is my driving force. My imagination is unrelenting! I need to get these stories and ideas out of my head.

I use a wide range of materials and methods to create my work. For instance, on this page are details from my new series called ‘The Sidekicks’. They are all created with colored pencils, a brand new medium for me…but one I have been smitten so hard by, I had to declare 2011 as Year of the Pencil! ( see that blog post here)

I am working towards more gallery shows, more large-scale, outdoor art installations in amazing gardens and finding more collectors and fellow artists to connect with with through my blog and websites.  I also have a few children’s books hidden in the secret pockets of my heart…
There will always be change; it is inevitable. You will see me add collections or series of work to all my artforms. It will evolve. I am VERY EXCITED about my next photographic series (very ,very veeeeeeeeery excited…bursting-out-of my-skin, 5-year-old-on-christmas-morning exctited!). You will also see me keep adding to all my existing series. I see them as life-long friends and we always keep in touch. I am a loyal person.

The hardest thing about being creative is getting used to it… it’s terrifying! Exhilarating! Free! Beautiful! All at the same time….and Worth it.

If you are on the creative edge…tippy toe-ing around…make a splash as you dive in! (or I’ll push you – haha! I would never do that! but…I will call to you…the water really is fine!)

Choose happiness!

Jane