Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rachel Davis. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Rachel, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
Long before being an artist even occurred to me, I’ve been drawn to images of exuberant, charismatic women. Women who know their power and relish it, who enjoy their bodies, delight in speaking their minds.
I only recently recognized what is glaringly obvious in retrospect. That all my representational work of women over the last four years – the tiny Post-its, face-sized mixed media portraits, the Esther paintings of my mom, the Scrappy Women celebrating unsung female artists – all of it has been about the same thing.
It’s been about answering the question asked in silly sing-song jest around my childhood dinner table when my mom had a lot to say:
“Esther, you wanna shut up?”
The answer is a resounding:
“No. Esther doesn’t wanna shut up.”
Esther and the rest of us want our voices heard. Loud and clear. Raw. Energetic.
Fun. Furious. Passionate.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My art is about freedom. Whether it’s representing women freed from narrow expectations, or freeing myself from the need to limit anrtistic expression to one lane only.
When people come to my studio, they can see different passions on display, There’s the learning curve wall, where I take wild chances and DON’’T pretty them up, the side-kick journals, abandoned books from my psychology practice or picked up in an airport lounge, full of leftover paint and collage scraps. These live side by side with portraits and figures of my beloved women, and layered botanicals from my beloved garden.
There’s method to the madness, and my space is beautifully curated – but the curation is an open book, open to what’s currently floating my boat. I find that my collectors follow my passion. As long as I’m paying close attention to what I love and sets me free – all is good. I’m jazzed and buzzed by the work, and and so are they.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
In addition to being an artist, I’m a passionate teacher. Helping unleash creativity in others is just about as fulfilling and unleashing it in myself. For decades I had a private practice as a psychologist, and I worked with musicians, visual artists and novelists, helping them get out of their own way.and back to creating.
The biggest blocks to a fulfilling creative life are internal. The good news is that they’re absolutely overcome-able, even if they’re sticky and persistent. My private mentees and workshop participants come back time and again. Getting a taste of the creative life is addicting in the best possible way. We humans can channel our natural ability to make up stories in ways that make us anxious and miserable, or we can pour them onto the canvas or journal. Helping folks make that shift, and make it sustainable and joyful is a thrill and a joy for me.
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
I wish I’d known there was absolutely no need to go it alone. I’ve had wonderful mentors, and am a member of a number of generous, helpful online artist communities. In addition, I’m beyond grateful to have a studio in an extraordinary artist collective, ICB ART icbart.com, on the working waterfront in Sausalito, CA. Instead of a lonely, struggling artist existence – this 100+ strong artist community work together, go to one another’s openings, laugh and inspire one another, help push all our art to the next level, and offer shoulders to cry on or useful critiques when we’re facing disappointment or stuck in our work. I pinch myself daily at this great good fortune.
Contact Info:
- Website: racheldavisstudio.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/racheldavisart.bay
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/racheldavisartstudiobayarea
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1AnfNZWovVK1M3D-wf9lEA