Artist of the Month: Jane Davila

Posted on by Bridgeport Art Trail

The experience of living in Peru and traveling to a number of different places around the world has had a lasting impact on my appreciation for the diversity of cultural expression and iconography, which as a theme frequently shows up in my work. Repeating motifs of fish, birds, and insects reflect my ongoing fascination with nature, the environment, and human impact on both.
 – Jane Davila 

Davila 1

 

Q. How would you describe your artwork/style?
My work is collage-based. No matter the medium that I’m working in, it’s all about the layers! My work is graphic, stylized, and fairly minimalist.Q. What medium do you work in?
I started as a printmaker, specializing in etchings and intaglios. Although I work mainly in fiber and mixed media now, many of my pieces incorporate printmaking in some form, including screen printing, gyotaku, and block printing. Having a printmaking background I find it more natural to work in a series, to take an idea and play with its many possible iterations before moving on to the next idea.

Q. What is your process like? 
I sketch out compositions in a notebook, then often carve a block, burn a screen, or create a stencil. I’ll audition fabrics and art papers to arrive at a color palette, paint some backgrounds, and then jump into construction. The thinking and planning usually take more time than the actual execution because by the time I get to the “doing” phase most of the decisions have been made.

Q. What inspires you?
Nature, iconography, pattern, poetry, song lyrics, and typography all inspire me. I like to challenge myself to start with a lyric, a phrase, or a verse, and create a piece in response to it.

Q. How do you think you’ve changed or developed as an artist?
I think I’ve become much more aware of how interconnected we all are. You can research or find out about any art form, any topic with a click of a mouse. It becomes challenging to say something unique. I try to make sure that what I am expressing as an artist is showing my viewpoint that it’s filtered through my experiences and that I’ve left my “mark” on it.

Q. Can you tell me about your experience during The 2014 Bridgeport Art Trail?
The Artists Party at McLevy Hall was really inspirational! I enjoy the interaction with the other artists in my building, NEST Arts Factory, so it was really nice to be able to connect with more artists from around Bridgeport.

Q. Any upcoming news or events you’d like to share? 
I teach classes in fiber art, surface design, and in the business side of being an artist at my studio at the NEST Arts Factory. I’ll have a new class schedule out after the beginning of the year.

For More Information on Jane Davila’s work and class schedule visit her website at: www.janedavila.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Davila 3