Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Danielle Ivester. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Danielle, we are so happy that our community is going to have a chance to learn more about you, your story and hopefully even take in some of the lessons you’ve learned along the way. Let’s start with self-care – what do you do for self-care and has it had any impact on your effectiveness?
For me I find it’s extremely important to create a schedule and have outlets outside of the studio that boosts motivation and joy. To me, self-care isn’t about face masks and pedicures; its therapy and gardening. Therapy allows me to get rid of emotional baggage to a third party, who has no personal attachment to the things or people in my life. Life can be hard, relationships can be difficult, so having therapy as an outlet gives me perspective and calm. It’s something that will help me grow as a person and as an artist which I find is so very important. Gardening on the other hand, gives me something to study, cultivate, and draw inspiration from. Both of these outlets are always there for me and have helped me be consistent in my studio practice. It’s even helped me to push through any self doubt, creative exhaustion, or that pesky imposter syndrome that likes to make an appearance now and again. I consider self-care something that you do for yourself that helps you grow. I don’t ever want to be stagnant and I think as a society we’ve turned the idea of self care as a “treat yourself” concept that gives momentary happiness. What I truly find is self care is doing something that challenges you and helps you become a better version of yourself. Sometimes self care is work, but I find it so worth it. Over the past couple years I’ve seen progress in my work and the confidence in myself grow. Having these outlets to rely on makes the future feel bright and I’m excited to see where it all takes me.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am a fiber artist living and working in Austin, Texas, who creates abstract artworks using raw canvas and acrylic paints. What makes my work special to me is the process. I start each piece from a hand-drawn sketch and take my time mixing and pouring acrylic paints onto raw canvas or linen, exploring the color interactions and discovering happy accidents in how the acrylic paint mixes and adheres to the canvas. This is a calm, exploratory part of my process that I take a lot of joy from.
In contrast, my process abruptly changes when I begin to cut/rip my painted canvas into pieces and sew these newly cut pieces together using a sewing machine. There is a physicality to the work that is both exciting and cathartic, transforming what once was into something new. The final product of my artwork is stretched and hung like a painting and depicts imagined landscapes that are pulled from past and present memories.
I feel at home with this process, and much of my work is inspired by the coastline of Massachusetts, where I grew up. It’s a landscape I fondly remember and visit frequently throughout the year, and this connection to my roots adds a unique dimension to my art. This process is somewhat new for my work, and I look forward to sharing it with the world through exhibitions and collaborations with other artists.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Art has been a constant presence in my life, but it turned towards abstraction in college after taking a course in color theory. Color theory opened my eyes to a whole new language and has inspired me and my artwork ever since. It’s an important element to my work and having this knowledge makes my color decisions purposeful and thoughtful. And I just love it. There’s a reason why many artists are struck by color theory in college, it’s so inspiring, and the bounds are endless.
A quality of mine has always been determination. For me, making art isn’t a choice; it’s a need, at whatever stage of my life, I would find ways of expressing my creativity through different mediums. Be it baking, collage, drawing, or gardening, I will find ways to express my creativity.
And a skill that has proven invaluable, especially in managing my art career, is bookkeeping. This is a skill I learned over the years working in retail and later an interior design firm. It has taught me to be very organized financially (which can be a struggle for an artist) and also very business-minded.
For those who are just starting their art careers, I would encourage them to be persistent in their practice and establish a work schedule. This type of determination is what has helped me the most. Getting in the studio and doing work is the best way to grow as an artist. Mistakes are pivotal lessons that will help you in the long run. As much as they are not fun, learning from your mistakes ensures they do not happen again, and for your process will improve. And, give yourself a break (talking to myself here). Sometimes a studio day for me is fully cleaning it, sketching out new ideas, updating my website, whatever. As long as it’s helping you make art, it’s part of your practice. These things are important even if a finished work isn’t coming out of it. So don’t be discouraged if your day looks like this; it’s only getting you closer to your final product. Be determined to make work and put in the hours; your artwork will benefit from it!
What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
My biggest challenge at the moment is scaling up my artwork. My current process involves pouring acrylic paint onto raw canvas that I then cut and sew together using a sewing machine. This technique came about by chance when I began exploring ways to add dimension to my work. Initially, I experimented with hand sewing, creating organic forms from raw, painted canvas. Later, I embraced the challenge of learning to use a sewing machine, despite having no prior experience. This journey has been both exhilarating and daunting at times, especially as I endeavor to scale up my artwork.
Currently, I’m tackling this challenge by adopting a grid-based approach, which enables me to incrementally scale up my artwork in sections. While it’s not without its difficulties, I find this method more manageable, and it has introduced me to the world of quilt art, which is both fun and exciting.
Looking ahead, my passion for this art form fuels my desire to explore new horizons and consider future projects, exhibitions, and collaborations. I’ve learned that embracing challenges in my artistic journey teaches me that by challenging yourself, one can learn, grow, and open doors to new opportunities. I now consider myself a fiber artist because my work involves a physicality in the process where I manipulate painted canvas. It has opened new doors for me, and I’m excited to see where it takes me next.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.danielleivester.com
- Instagram: @danielle.ivester.studio
