We were lucky to catch up with Sandra Davis recently and have shared our conversation below.
Sandra, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
I keep my creativity alive by trying new processes and opening myself to what is happening around me. Tulips blooming in the spring, a political story as well as what is happening in my own family. My creativity shows up in how I dress, cook and create art. The art I create is based on collage and mixed media applications, using what is on hand. For example, my mother is experiencing dementia and my response to that challenge is a portrait that include some of her completed crossword puzzles. Other work has been a response to the political environment like Black Lives Matter, Women’s rights and other activism topics. My art practice includes painting, sewing and combinations using different application processes. Painting on canvas is just the beginning. My art may appear on fabric tote bags, chair covers, small boxes and fabric appliques on wall hangings. Cooking for my family is another way my creativity appears. Using what is in the refrigerator and pantry and then challenging myself to make a tasty and filling meal.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am a banker by day and a visual artist 24/7. Being a visual artist is what makes me get up every day and look for new inspiration. My art helps me to articulate what I am feeling, it is my voice. I had to put my art career aside for several years. I restarted that part of my life in 2010 after being laid off from my job at that time. The layoff gave me an opportunity to re-focus on what I really wanted to do. I began showing my art at that time and have not looked back. My work is focused on collage where it is the materials that pushed me to create. Upholstery fabric, leftover wood panels, donated used cd discs are just some of the items that may show up in my work. Working with paper, wrapping paper, tissue paper, magazines are materials that are used to create the work. One of the ways that I am able to combine my corporate skills and my art passion is by planning exhibitions and programs that include artists that I network with. One of those projects is titled “Pull Up A Chair” that was exhibited in fall 2022. I received a micro grant to produce the exhibition. This project invited 20 artists and me to create art using a chair as the surface. Each chair told a story about the artists. My chair titled ” The Crown Act” was my response to people wanting to touch the hair of African Americans, especially when it is braided or worn in a natural fashion. The chair seat was made out of braided synthetic hair and scraps of fabric on a vintage chair. The success of that show led to a second grant to invite another group of artists to exhibit the chairs in 2024.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Three qualities I feel have been impactful are patience, resilience and planning. By having patience, you are willing to wait for the right time and not force things to happen. Applying for grants and submitting your art to exhibition opportunities that may not be the right time. Sometimes you are getting more no’s than yeses rejections are hard and that takes resilience for you to keep going, keep creating and keep submitting until the acceptance emails start to come. Some artists create all of the time and are very spontaneous. My art takes planning. I create small thumbnail sketches that help me to plan the piece out. I do color studies and practice the technique for the finished product. Also, by planning I am able to create opportunities for myself. Just like a chef that lays out the ingredients needed to create the dish it also lets the creator know what is missing or how to improvise to make it work. I approach my art in the same manner.
What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?
The biggest area of growth in the past 12 months is planning and going after exhibition opportunities that I have created myself. The project “Pull Up A Chair ” was the result of winning a grant and networking with other artists to create a successful exhibition. This approach has fueled me to apply and win a second grant to complete the second version of the “Pull Up A Chair” project. I was also approached by the City of Gaithersburg for a commissioned piece to be part of their permanent collection.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.imagerybydavis.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deedee_sandra/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sandra.davis.1015/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandraddavis/
Image Credits
Headshot taken by Aaron Davis
