We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Damaris Nino. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Damaris below.

Damaris, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

Creating the collection or series “From Dust to Dust” thus far has been one of the most meaningful projects to date. This series of 20 paintings all in different size was a combination of mediums I had been wanting to use together since 2012 and finally decided to put it together. Acrylic paint and clay as a painting medium. It was a brand new adventure for me and left me feeling so full. Not only that, I was given the opportunity to have a Solo Art show for this particular collection.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I got into art in high school, it was not really something I wanted to do professionally, but I did enjoy creating things. As I went through college I then decided I wanted to pursue painting as a major, when looking for a minor ceramics caught my eye. I have always liked working with my hands since I can remember. I love being able to take things apart and trying to put it back together. I do not mind getting my hands dirty and it may all be a sensory thing for me. Which I think goes back to my child hood. I love creating paintings where there is action involved, and motion. Where people can see that my whole body was moving to create these works. It is a bit of a work out when it is all said in done. Not just a physical work out but I like to delve deep spiritually by reading the Bible and through prayer. At the end of the day the name I want people to be drawn to or think of is Jesus. I want that name to be glorified. I feel as though if He gave me the ability to create then why not do it as a form of worship. I have had plenty of proud moments in this career, but to date having my first Solo art show “From Dust to Dust” has been my proudest achievement in this career thus far. There were a total of 20 art works, when I say it was a success, there were people who were moved to tears because the paintings impacted them so, not just that but the story. I sold more pieces than I would have ever imagined. I created works that I am truly so proud of, and played with mediums that I had been wanting to mix for as long as I can remember. Paintings mixed with acrylic paint and clay slips, clay glazes just a beautiful combination.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

This question is pretty important for me. As we all know everyone has priorities and those look different for everyone. However one of the biggest things for me is supporting local business and artists. They at many times are working 3 times harder than a chain. Or mass produced work. This goes for anyone in the arts; To pursue this as a career it is expensive, yet so highly needed for culture. If there were no Original art works, music, theater, food, and so on there would be no culture. You can not get culture through technology, sorry but you cant.
So when you invest in original art work you are not only contributing to create culture around your area, but you are supporting a family that is working very hard to bring life into the community around them.
You can not get that wonderful sensation when you buy mass produced art work from a chain store. I understand that original anything is more pricey I get it, but that is what makes it that much more special.
I have had the opportunity to buy original artworks from artists and it feels so good, knowing that not only I am getting something beautiful, but I am helping support a family. You never know that if by buying one of their originals you just helped a family pay a bill. Or brought a special surprise for their family. It is a win win for all parties.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

During my years in taking studio classes to receive my major, I had a lot of tug a war happening. It stayed with me for so many years. It almost was ingrained in my mind that I could not paint about my spiritual beliefs because not everyone felt the same way as me. I started believing this lie that only work that was not about that was good strong work. It was almost like I had to be someone else, or put my belief in Jesus aside to create good work. As I have gotten older and wiser, that was what distanced me from creating impactful work. It is almost a message of: to create good art work it has to be deep, and depressed, or melancholy or just far out weird for people to be able to relate to. This is so far from the truth, you can create work that is beautiful and joyful and people will respond to that. It does not have to be dark, and hard to understand to make it worth something to someone else.

For many years I kept repeating scenarios of conversations I would have with a professor, and they telling me that the ideas I had were just ok, that I should not create a certain thing because not everyone saw things the way I saw them. Now I know that all of that was more of a push against me, because I am a believer in Jesus and to be a Christian in the field of arts and to try to create works that draw you back to Jesus is a hard battle. However one I have accepted and am willing to continue to push with. I can not, not talk about the one who created it all first. I am a vessel. Now after seeing the response to my work, and viewers telling me that a certain painting moved them and took them to a special place in their hearts or minds I know that the hard work and perseverance is paying off. That if I stick to who I truly am, and what I love then people will respond to that. To come to that understanding is constantly a work in progress, however I have come a long way. All that to say be true to who you are.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.damarisnino.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/damarisr.nino
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/splashesoncanvas