We recently connected with Daniella Batsheva and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Daniella thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

I work with a wide range of patrons and clients, but the most meaningful projects involve illustrating tales and figures from different cultures and time periods. My work leans towards a “dark” aesthetic so being able to draw something that fall under the umbrella of alternative culture is always the most fun. I’m currently working on a collection of pieces about the gothic side of Jewry, with a healthy focus on the Middle East, because I’ve rarely seen any representation in that area. I always had a hard time consolidating my personal interests and cultural background, so this exploration is very important to me. Projects with deep cultural ties always lead me to interesting source material and give me an excuse to schedule sessions in rare book rooms. I try to avoid google for reference and if I have the opportunity, I will go out of my way to find an illuminated manuscript at a library.

Daniella, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I jokingly started referring to myself as an “Illustrator with a design habit” because any situation where I illustrate and get to play with typography is where I’m happiest. I do everything from packaging to exhibitions and make it a point to make no distinction. I firmly believe art belongs everywhere, but I am partial to a very traditional style of illustration.

I’ve worked for Kerrang!, Paris Jackson, Pizza Girl, etc., and have had my work in The Hive Gallery, Gabba Gallery, and the Crypt Gallery. I’m all over the place. I don’t care who or what I draw for, I just want to draw. It’s a compulsion. There was never a time in my life where illustration didn’t hold a prominent place in my mind. I have a habit of walking away from google so I can find more interesting reference to work with, which is why most people commission me when they need something fresh and unexpected (or a little unusual) for their project.

I don’t give much thought to setting myself apart, I stay in my lane and do my own thing. Trends come and go. I’m really focused on integrating a victorian approach to my linework even if my subject matter is modern. I love that naivete from the late 19th century and want to see more of it in the world. I want to see intensely illustrated advertising again and decorative jars of toothpaste.

Lately I’ve been giving a lot more thought to social practice. I kind of want to rip people away from their phones so we can all wander an historic building together and tell each other ghost stories. I know how ridiculous that sounds, considering I’m typing this to you on a computer and this will definitely be shared on social media, but I want people to see art in person again. There are no words that communicate how much more impactful a painting is in real life. The screen does it no justice.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Let’s start with including a healthy amount of art in education. Once upon a time in a not so distant past, artists (illustrators, painters, writers, fashion designers, etc.) were respected as representatives of their culture. Children today are not given enough opportunities to learn about the humanities and are not encouraged to think critically. This leads to adults who have no ability to question their surroundings and dismiss anything with more emotional depth than a sandwich, because they haven’t been given a chance to learn how to process it. So what happens? Art in its entirety is misunderstood and dismissed as nonsense. “Rich people stuff.”

This is not to say artists aren’t to blame, either. We have a lot of work to do and we absolutely dropped the ball. Instead of making an effort to make art inclusive, to encourage people of all statuses and backgrounds to join us in our galleries and studios, we chose to do the opposite. Don’t have a fancy outfit or stellar connections? Tough luck, sprinkletits. Security is going to hound you until you leave that exhibition, even if you genuinely are there to see the work. I’ve been in that position and it hurt. It unfortunately soured my opinion of fine arts at an early age. The arts has been largely controlled by a small, wealthy few who are privileged enough to have visual arts feature prominently in their lives.
We need to break down the classist and political barriers that have pushed the general population away from creative spaces.

But I have to give credit where it’s due, there are many artists that are working on cool interactive projects. I recently had a round of mini golf with Anna Stump and Ted Meyer, who are both brilliant. Anna has built a place called Mojaveland in Twentynine Palms, where a group of artists collaborated to create mini golf installations, and anyone can go play there! That’s an awesome start!

If you want to support your local arts organisations, then find an exhibition that looks interesting to you! Go and talk to the artist! Ask questions. Go to a library and check out your rare book room. Go to a museum and stare at a painting for an hour. Look close enough to see if you can find a hair that’s stuck to the varnish (they’re in there). If you have a kid in school, open up a discussion about the importance of including the humanities in their curriculum. Get your friends together and go gallery hopping! Honestly, just show up.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I’ve harped on this a lot, so if someone who is not a creative is reading, I’d like to say that I’m no different or “better” than you. Artists, in general, work extremely hard at what they do and put a lot of grueling hours into honing their craft. I grew up in a blue collar town where artists were resented for some perceived status that, for the most part, we don’t really have.

We want to see you come to our shows and ask questions. Yes, you, the electrician. I’d love to tell you all about the history of grave robbing and I have a wonderful friend who could tell you about the origins of balsamic vinegar. Hell, tell me about what you do! If you’re a plumber, what’s the most bizarre thing you’ve pulled out of a drain? We probably have a surprising amount in common.

Don’t be intimidated if you feel you don’t know enough about art or if you don’t have the vocabulary to express your thoughts about it. We’re happy to share what we know with you. Everyone starts somewhere. All you have to do is take that first step into a creative space.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.daniellabatsheva.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daniellabatsheva/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/daniellabatsheva
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniellabatsheva/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/DaniBatsheva

Image Credits
Daniella Batsheva