Introducing .. Artist Elaine Davidson

#2 in a series of Ageless Artist Interviews

Nov 19, 2023

I have been thinking about ways we can create community and solidarity online for the Ageless Artist who is working continuously to grow and make art to sell or because its their lifeblood. We are situated worldwide and our commonality is our love and creation of art. My intention always has been to encourage the artist of my vintage-a little younger or older perhaps - to share their stories and challenges as an artist in this place in time. We understand the world has shifted and changed since our early artist days and how could it not? How we navigate these times as an artist is personal -but often requires a shift and perhaps new opportunities to try out new skills and approaches to our profession . Growth is possible and imminent. Here at “Get your Artist Jetpack On” we will be learning from artists who continue to forge new paths in their art practise!

This post we learn about Artist Elaine Davidson from rural Ontario, Canada who has interpreted the questionnaire/interview in her own distinct creative fashion :-)

ELAINE DAVIDSON Jet packer and Ageless Artist

NOVEMBER 7TH 2023

Somewhere between 1998 and now I recognize that I actually am living an Artist Life. It could have been when I had a successful Art show with lots of good feed back and sales of course, or once I had a regular gig at the Owen Sound Artist Co-op where it keeps me motivated to continue showing up. Someone said you are only an artist if your doing art. So I resigned to the fact that the hours should be filled when possible with doing, seeing, reading about Art.

I tend to keep a rolling along attitude where I try not to be a strict boss to work for, but I do feel a balance needs to happen to keep working. I notice often the ebb and flow, and allowing the feelings of not knowing what I’m doing to sit in the back seat and allow them to have their say. But To know I am driving this tour bus and its forward motion or else then what??

I falter when things don’t go well, I sputter along and try to pick away at something for too long. Thankfully a day or two and a complete turn around will happen and ideas will be floating around me like bats!

I’m not sure who the Artist was but I really do feel she was smart in saying GO in with very low expectations. And just say I’m only going to do an hour in the studio, or a line or clean things up. I often will do this practice and it gets me revisiting old sketches, works on paper and things start to happen little by little.

SKETCH TRAIL

I try to stay physical and being someone who has been born with some physical challenges, It helps me maintain endurance in the studio and keep the brain happy and filling up with ideas on a good day.

I use what I call an “art mobile” on my close to home outdoor sketches. I am a walker first but I do use the chair for keeping my back comfortable at home. It has its hauling benefits too! We have the good fortune to live beside a Rail Trail. Where so many of my paintings have come from.

This was painted from a sketch I did from the trail, not from verbatim but from doing the house on one occasion, or a round bail on another. Then one day as luck would have it the bails happen to line up in a good composition.

I do struggle With composition sometimes, I just want to impatiently dive in, which can be fine but doesn’t always work out and you feel pissed off that you spent all the time and effort and money (art supplies are expensive)

EVOLUTION OF AN ARTIST

I had this friend who was an artist, I worked a day job doing Lab assistant work. She offered a workshop and I was off and running looking for ways to teach myself drawing (I never drew!) and had a trail to the local art store trying out all that my wallet could afford. I fell in love with water-colour and stuck with it till I felt confident in technique, but wanted to broaden my voice with other mediums. So I now have a good platform to use whatever the subject mater requires for the painting. I am also easily bored, and want to learn new skills. It makes me happy and excited and keeps me going. We are fortunate to have an Art School in town and have tried to keep up with learning something new from every skilled professional Artist- Also by visiting our public Gallery.

STUDIO

This is my little corner studio in our home I share with my husband and two Labrador retrievers. It has a door I can shut to block some of the sound but it is in the main living space so its not always ideal. Yesterday was one of those challenging days where nothing was gelling so I opted for trying to work on many pieces other than the one I felt was going to be in the stinker bin. I ended feeling like I was pushing a rope, so I left it all for the day. But alas, we do know that these times come along to teach us something new and to keep going regardless. Even if we set out to say its going to be an ugly painting and that’s it, I can always gesso over, It never gets any easier, but we do get better and we do get the practice in. At least this is what I always try to keep telling my self after I have kicked my easel a few times! I do tend to lately work in Oil and Coldwax which can really be at lot of fun adding lots of texture and luminosity and it can also be challenging!

WHY DO ART

What I would say to emerging artists is do not go into this for the money, but for the love of making Art. It’s not that it’s impossible to make a living, but that it is a rarity. I have found that you got to love it or at least enjoy most days that you do make Art.

I do love how I see after a session of doing Art, Things look brighter, more colour, shape etc.

Happy Creating, or at least go in their and muck around for awhile, who knows what will show up!

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