Today we’d like to introduce you to Wendy Michelle Davis.
Hi, Wendy. We are so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Although I have been an artist since I can remember, I have spent most of my adult life working in other fields. I was under the misconception that it was impossible to make a living as a painter, mostly because people around me and most of society told me this was true. About two and a half years ago, I decided it was finally time to do what I have always wanted to do and launched out as a full-time artist. It has been one of the best life decisions I’ve ever made. I’ve learned a lot about running my own art business and still have plenty to learn. I’ve had many failure moments, or as I like to call them, learning experiences and successes. I am passionate about creating art and expressing myself in each piece, and I love sharing my work with others. At the start of 2024, I am thrilled to see what the year will bring me as I create and find new ways to showcase my work.
It wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Has there ever been a smooth road for anyone in life? I want to meet that person. Ha ha! No, starting my own art business has not been a smooth road, and I am okay with that because I know it’s in the struggle that I grow. I can list all the hard things, but my greatest struggle is the inner battle. The “I’m not good enough to make it” thoughts can be overwhelming. When I have an event where I don’t make the sales or I don’t get into a show that I thought would accept me, it can feel devastating. My first year of shows was tough because I took everything too personally, even when I told myself I wouldn’t. Art is very personal, and it is easy to tie my worth into each painting, thus carrying all that emotion into my business. To be completely transparent with you, I know that this is a battle I am still overcoming. Yet, I have gotten better at detaching my emotions from what happens. My artwork is good and plenty good enough to sustain my business. I have confidence and pride in my work and I want that to be evident when I talk about my work and show it to others. I have so much joy in creating; I want that to translate when I talk about it and sell it.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. What can you tell our readers who might need to be more familiar with what you do?
My art is an expression of how I see things. Since a young age, I have been captivated by nature. I love how being outside refreshes my soul and inspires me to create. I have also enjoyed traveling and made it a point to live and work abroad to have opportunities to see more of the world. Much of my new work is based on places I have traveled to: cities, buildings, streets and monuments, and cityscapes in Old Europe. I find it all enchanting-places, and things with hundreds of years of history and many stories to tell. I am excited about this new work. It is stretching me as an artist since most of my previous work is based on nature, and now I’m painting much more architecture. But I love it, and I love finding my way of interpreting what I see. What sets me apart from the sea of painters out there? As I think about it, I know there is only one me, and when I paint, it is how I translate what I see. There is no one else that can do that. I haven’t seen anything else that is quite like my work out there.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Art is so subjective, and I know, as many artists are, I can be my worst critic. I work hard to make art that I love and paint what brings me joy. Similar to what I mentioned earlier, I have this voice telling me that what I do isn’t good enough, that the art world won’t take it seriously, and that it’s pretty art and not “real art.” It can be hard to silence this voice. But I must because this voice steals my joy and makes me unhappy. This will always be one of my biggest challenges, that I need to continually lay down and stomp out and then do it again as it tries to resurrect. There are thousands of voices we can listen to in addition to the ones in our head that try to tell us we aren’t good enough, our art isn’t good enough, we need to do this or that differently, and it can be overwhelming or even detrimental. I am still working on ways to shut all that out and focus on what I know is true and good, like canvas, painting, nature, creating, and allowing the peace of God to flow through me. It’s a lesson I continue to learn.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.wendymichelledavis.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wendy_michelle_davis/
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/artistwendymichelledavis/
