Danny Davini Interview

I have been watching Danny Davini’s work on eBay for some time. I think it was his colors that first got me me hooked. Or maybe it is the energy his work has. But what has kept me looking and enjoying his work is how he seems to put his whole heart into it. You can tell when something new has taken hold of his soul because of the way he dives into new projects. First I fell in love with his florals, then he started those stunning abstracts and then the jewelry. I wish I knew how he had the energy to create so much work that is obviously from the heart.

1. Can you tell me about the art you create and why you do what you do?

Well, I guess the only thing I can really say about the art I make is that I want it to be different and unique from what is already out there. When I was painting my abstract floral series that was my first goal. It has remained the goal no matter what medium or subject matter I am working in. So if it’s florals, collages, abstracts, etc. I always am experimenting to see what happens.

2. What are your favorite subjects to paint?

Besides abstracts I would put florals at the top. There are so many ways to interpret them. The traditional still life, of flowers in a vase is, to me some of the most compelling art there is.

3. What is one of your earliest memories of creating art?

Sitting in my living room and watching my mom do chalk portraits of all the neighbor kids. I would try and fail miserably.

4. How long have you been selling your work, and what motivated you to
start selling?

Since 2000. I guess what motivated me was someone asking me if they could buy a painting I had brought to work to show a friend. I figured I might be on to something.

5. During your art career what has been your favorite accomplishment?

I’ll go with the compliment. I was doing an outdoor show and was demonstrating. I happened to be working on one of my abstract florals.
I also had quite a few of them displayed.

I saw a young girl, about 9 or 10, whisper something in her mom’s ear. The mom started walking towards me with this strange smile on her face.

I smiled and said “what? What did I do?” thinking her daughter thought I was crazy or something (I had loud music on and was painting like a mad man).

She said…”My daughter thinks you are the next VanGogh”. I was stunned. I laughed and said “I don’t think so, but you have just given me the inspiration to paint another day”.

To this day I think about that moment and how it made me feel.

6. What advice would you give an artist starting out?

Do what interests you and makes you happy. Challenge yourself with new ideas and never give up.

7. What is your favorite marketing tool?

The Internet for marketing. but for sales nothing beats shaking someones hand.

8. What has been your biggest influence artistically?

My mom, VanGogh, nature.

9. Could you name 3 of your favorite artists?

I have known Randy for over 25 years. I have know Said for about 12 years.

Randall Hasson, http://www.randallmhasson.com/
Laddie John Dill http://www.laddiejohndill.com/
Said Abdelsayed http://www.vsarts.org/prebuilt/artists/registry/artistdetail.cfm?ArtistID=3678017

10. Can you tell me a bit about your art background?

Self taught by studying the masters and painting studies of their works. Art books & a few classes. Mostly just learned by playing in paint.

Be Sure and Check out Danny’s work here.

6 word memoir

Yesterday on our way to East Texas we were listening to NPR and they were interviewing some folks that published a book on 6 word memoirs. James challenged me to come up with one so here it is.

World’s scary, paints pretty pictures instead.

Gabriela Avila Interview

Gaby is another artist whose work I first saw on the eBay art and artist board. She has a beautiful delicate hand to her work and a each drawing shows a wonderful depth of personality. I think I like her hummingbirds the best though. Each time I see one of those birds, it makes me think of my grandmother and how much she loved them. Gaby’s way with drawing makes you feel like you could reach out and touch each feather or each whisker. But her drawings never appear overwork or stale. Instead they are beautiful and full of life.

1. Can you tell me about the art you create and why you do what you do?

My preferred medium is colored pencil, it is convenient and clean. I like to draw realism, not photo-like pictures but I tend to keep my portraits closer to reality and pay close attention to detail. I love cats and use them as my main subject, the first portrait I ever sold was of a cat. I also like to draw other animals, but cats will always have a special place in my art and my heart.

2. What is one of your earliest memories of creating art?

I guess like most kids I used crayons to decorate my bedroom’s wall. I also had to wash it up!

My grandfather has been painting since I can remember and I think he always saw some talent in me. He is a very overbearing, obssessive man, so I think he pushed me a bit too much and made me not so interested in art. He would make me enter every kid’s painting contest. I remember one a major newspaper would organize every year, and every year I would be submitting my pictures. One time, when I was about 9, I was quite fed up with the contest and didn’t know what to paint, so I used watercolors. I put a lot of paint on a spoon and let it drip on paper, using different colors and then holding the paper vertically and moving in different directions creating all sorts of random figures and swirls. To my surprise that painting made it to the top 10 and I actually got money for it and my picture on the newspaper.

I was about the same age when the teacher asked us to illustrate a story. I chose Nibelungenlied and drew a pencil portrait of Siegfried slaying a dragon. The teacher said that we were not supposed to get help from our parents for the assignment, I told her I did it and she actually called my mom to make sure I wasn’t lying. The next day when she handed out our graded papers my drawing was missing, I asked where it was and she said she would like to keep it. I had no problem with that, I wonder if she still has it…

3. How long have you been selling your work, and what motivated you to start selling?

Three years ago I did a portrait of my cat, Frida. She had passed away a month before. I found a set of pencils I had kept in my drawer for at least 10 years, they were brand new and I thought I’d give drawing a try. The portrait was decent enough and someone suggested selling it. I was familiar with eBay where I used to sell CD’s mostly so I thought I’d give it a try. I remember my starting bid was $2.99, to my surprise that letter-sized drawing sold for $53! Of course I had to do it again.. the rest, is history

4. During your art career what has been your favorite accomplishment?

I don’t consider my experience with selling art a career yet, but I plan on pursuing it. In the 3 years that I have been actually selling artwork I think my biggest accomplishment is that people buy it. I am very proud that I can do what I love from my own house and make a living. I have met wonderful people and one of the biggest rewards is having a customer thank me for a portrait of their beloved pet that hangs on that special place in their home, I think that being able to be a part of people’s lives is fantastic. Not to mention that I have shipped my work to at least 20 different countries!

5. What advice would you give an artist starting out?

I consider myself an artist starting out, hehe. But I would tell them to do what they really love, because it comes through in the art.

6. What is your favorite marketing tool?

The internet, of course! Global exposure at a very low cost, you can’t beat that.

7. What has been your biggest influence artistically?

SO MUCH inspires me. I have been surrounded by art all my life. I admire painters like: Salvador Dali, Frida Kahlo, Monet, Van Gogh, Remedios Varo, Leonora Carrington, Miro…etc… While none of them actually influence my work, they inspire me to create and better myself.

8. Can you tell me a bit about your art background?

Like I mentioned before my grandfather has painted all his life. He always made sure I had pencils and paint although, to be honest, I was never too serious about art. I got a degree in Graphic Design and worked mostly creating commercial adds and webdesign. While I took a few art classes while in school I am mostly self-taught.

———————-

website: http://www.gabrielaavila.com

ebay ME: http://members.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=gabycat74

Interview with Nancy Holliday

I first saw Nan’s work on the eBay Art and Artist Board. I was stunned by her obvious skill. Her court house work captured personalities so beautifully. But I think it was the playful quality of her other illustrations that really drew me in. I have always been a sucker for art that makes me smile. My favorite part of the eBay Nibble Fest Art Contests has been getting to see Nan’s take on the months theme. I am still kicking myself for not bidding more on the Phoenix she did for one of the Nibble Fests. Now that she is offering some of her Shakespeare illustrations as reproductions, I am hoping I will get one of those soon.

I was thrilled when she agreed to answer a few of my questions. I share her love of some of the artists she mentions - especially Manet. But her knowledge of artists that I have yet to see, now has me rushing to Google a few new names in hopes of expanding my art knowledge and discovering some more wonderful work. I hope you enjoy reading about her experiences as much as I did.

1. Can you tell me about the art you create and why you do what you do?

I have done so many different things, and enjoy working in so many different media. I paint in watercolors, acrylics and oils, work in pastels, pencils and charcoal, enjoy the print mediums (such as silkscreen, linocuts and woodblocks,) and I love to draw! If I had to describe how I am working now, I would say that drawing is the foundation of all my art, and my “line” is a component of my work that identifies it – even in my paintings, the “line” remains a dominant element. I would say my style is somewhat realistic, but I enjoy tweaking reality, and looking for visual surprises that a camera couldn’t capture.

For a number of years, I did illustration work for children’s magazines, such as Highlights for Children, Jack ‘n’ Jill and U*S*Kids. I also worked as a courtroom artist for local television stations.

2. What are your favorite subjects to paint?

I love to paint and draw people. However, I find that I am also interested in landscapes, still life work, and anything that is visually intriguing. For one NibbleFest, I did a watercolor of my Mother’s old mixer! I also enjoy combining realistic elements with more abstract designs.

3. What is one of your earliest memories of creating art?

I was lucky, in that my family supported my interest in art from the very beginning. One of my earliest memories was drawing on the white cardboard that was included with my father’s shirts when they came back from the laundry! I also remember my Grandfather insisting that I be given an easel and poster paints to work with. I was perhaps four years old, not yet in school, and my parents recorded me painting at that easel on the patio with their home movie camera.

A few years later, my Grandfather, (who had retired from teaching at Central High School in Philadelphia,) took up painting. He encouraged me to try my Mom’s oil paints. I think I was seven or eight years old. My first effort was a portrait of my dog, a Dalmatian named Mike. My grandfather bought the painting for a dollar, and it hung in his office until his death, when it was returned to me, as stipulated in his will. I still have it.

4. How long have you been selling your work, and what motivated you to
start selling?

Since I went to art school and studied Illustration/Graphic Design, I have been a working artist my entire adult life. Selling illustration and design work is a little different than selling paintings. You get an assignment, and create the work to fit it. I never found that restrictive, by the way. I love the collaborative effort between the printed word, the design of a page and the art, all combining to communicate an idea.

Selling my paintings is a rather recent development in my art career. Being an illustrator, I was never part of the “gallery scene,” and my focus was in publishing and/or advertising. I saw eBay as an opportunity to sell my work – a kind of world-wide online virtual gallery, which might give me an audience a bricks and mortar gallery could not.

5. During your art career what has been your favorite accomplishment?

It’s interesting how many different things I have done as an artist. When I was in college, I had planned to make a career illustrating children’s books or designing posters for Broadway shows! But, as the John Lennon lyric goes, “Life is what happens to you
while you’re busy making other plans…”

My most interesting “job” as an artist was the dozen years I spent as a freelance courtroom artist for a local television news program in Philadelphia, WCAU-TV10 News. This was during a decade when television news really covered trials! I covered Federal Mob trials, MOVE, and all kinds of murder, corruption, and general misbehavior. Despite the somewhat gory details, I found it challenging and fascinating. It combined my love of drawing from life with my interest in law and politics, and it was never, ever boring! Not only did I gain an understanding of our court systems, I learned a great deal about television news and journalism in general. In addition, I could draw and observe all kinds of people. It was often a pressure filled situation – frequently, there was no time for a “do-over” if I missed something important. So I was intensely tuned into observation, and drawing, getting the whole scene, plus details that helped to tell the story.

Since I always loved observing people, and drawing them in my sketchbook, courtroom art was a perfect venue for me. I honed my drawing and composition skills, and my time management skills – there was a deadline every day at 4:00 o’clock, so that the drawings could be videotaped for broadcast at 5 pm. I sold a number of drawings to lawyers, but the feedback that the public gave me was instant and unfiltered. I got a lot of nice compliments, and found that an artist is fascinating to nearly everyone. Mob guys who spent a lot of energy avoiding television cameras would stop to comment on my drawings, as I sat on a window sill, frantically finishing the drawing for broadcast. Judges would motion attorneys to move to the side, if they realized that I was drawing them! And the lawyers! Don’t get me started…

6. What advice would you give an artist starting out?

I went to Moore College of Art and Design. My advice would be that art education is valuable; although you may learn a lot from trial and error, and experimenting on your own, the experience of working and learning with a group of like-minded artists can be life-changing and eye-opening. I was challenged to think in new ways, to discover techniques and points of view that I had never even considered. I was taught to be self-critical, and not to be too “precious” with my art. If you got too smug about your creations, there was always a professor or fellow student to suggest improvements.

So my advice would be, learn, study, and never stop challenging yourself. If you are too easily satisfied, you will never grow.

7. What is your favorite marketing tool?

I don’t really have one…although this interview may be my favorite!!!

8. What has been your biggest influence artistically?

I suppose in painting, I would have to say The Impressionists. They were the first artists I was really aware of when I first started studying art in Junior High School. Later, I became aware of other art movements, but I always come back to The Impressionists. Of that group, my favorite is Edouard Manet. He was a brilliant draftsman and colorist, and his compositions are never boring. I also love Whistler, Degas, and Eakins. Later, I discovered the work of less well-known women artists of that era and later: Marie Cassatt, Berthe Morisot, Cecilia Beaux…and later Georgia O’Keefe, Judy Chicago, and Alice Neel. One of my real favorites is a bit obscure – Charles Rennie MacIntosh, who was also an architect, but who did the most beautiful watercolors.

Since I studied illustration, I was also influenced by the great American illustrators; N.C. Wyeth, Norman Rockwell, and a Brit, Arthur Rackham as well as the lesser known but no less accomplished woman artists Jessie Wilcox Smith, Violet Oakley, and Elizabeth Shippen Green.

My biggest personal influences are actually Beth and Joe Krush, a couple who illustrated some of my favorite books, including The Borrowers series by Mary Norton. Beth was the head of the Illustration Department at Moore, while Joe taught at Philadelphia College of Art, (now the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.) Their teaching and later their friendship have been so important to my art and my life. Beth was a marvelous mentor, and Joe was a master at teaching drawing. (I can’t look at a poorly drawn hand or foot without remembering Joe’s admonishment that those drawing mistakes often separated good art from bad.)

9. Could you name 3 of your favorite artists?

Gary Kelley, an illustrator who works in mixed media/pastels; Jerome Witkin, who was my Freshmen year Figure Drawing teacher and is an amazing painter; Victor Ambrus, another illustrator…I have so many more!

10. Can you tell me a bit about your art background?

I guess I may have already covered this.

11. I know that you also work as a graphic artist. What project or job
have you most enjoyed in this field?

For a number of years, I did a feature in U*S*Kids Magazine called “The Puzzle Squad.” It was a number of full pages of illustration, combining recurring characters, text and various activities, from crosswords, to hidden pictures. (I didn’t invent the feature, but continued the series after several other artists.) That was a lot of fun.

For most of my career, I freelanced. I did have a full-time job as a graphic artist for Phoenix Marketing, which did all the art and design for The Media Theatre for the Performing Arts. I loved the work – and the steady paycheck – but the people who owned the place at that time were somewhat difficult to work for. It has since changed hands.

12. For a young person starting out, what sort of education would you
recommend for them if they want to go into graphic design?

As I mentioned, I would strongly suggest some kind of intensive study, and the structured college programs are generally the best way to learn what you need to know. In addition, the teachers in those institutions are often professionals in the field, and can provide contacts for opportunities after graduation. I would recommend an art college if the student is secure in his/her decision to study graphic design. Although a traditional college can provide a choice of majors, rarely do they provide the depth of study of a college dedicated to art and graphic design.

NibbleFest Sunrise:

NibbleFest Doors:

Tomato and Pepper:

Reflections in a Stream:

Shakespeare Linocut:

Courtroom art – Berrigan:

Blogger

http://nanartchik.blogspot.com/

eBay Blog

http://blogs.ebay.com/nanartchik

Me Page:

http://members.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=nanartchik

An Interview with Patricia Ann Rizzo

I was very excited when Ms. Patricia agreed to let me ask her a few questions about her and her art. Her paintings always make me smile, especially her Lulu character. Lulu is a plump older woman who is sexy, lively and has a sense of humor. Lulu is the sort of gal, I would like to call friend. Her other work is just as beautiful and lively, and always light up my days, no matter how bad the day started out.

1. Can you tell me about the art you create and why you do what you do?

Well, I create because I can. I’ve worked hard a long time and raised my son and now that I’m retired I’ve gone deeply into my artwork. I enjoy acrylics the most although when I started painting as a child, oils were my sole medium. I also like watercolor and colored pencil. Of all of them, oils always look best but acrylics are fast, don’t take up room lying around and drying out and can be used thick or thin. I think they’re just great.

2. What are your favorite subjects to paint?

I don’t feel I have a favorite - though I’m partial to LuLu and her friends. An artist only needs to look around to find tons of things to paint. The world is full of topics and it just takes a bit of imagination. Besides that, I tend to paint what I see that sells. My goal is to get plenty of my work finished and sold. For some reason, that’s always been very important to me.

3. What is one of your earliest memories of creating art?

The answer is somewhat strange. I was put into school at a very early age because my mom had to work. So, I was probably two years younger than my classmates. It made for a pretty lonely time in school. I was probably in first grade, hanging out in the schoolyard by myself. The older children pretty much either ignored me or teased me. Besides being younger, I was so small I had to have a special desk which was moved from room to room as I was promoted from grade to grade. That special desk lasted me a few years. Anyway, back in the schoolyard, I picked up a stick and began drawing in the dirt of the schoolyard. When I got back in class, the teacher took me to the window and picked me up so that I could see what I had done. I remember seeing animals in the dirt that I had drawn - circus animals. It was then that they realized I had some talent.

4. How long have you been selling your work, and what motivated you to start selling?

I was never motivated to sell. Sketches and pictures were always around and people would come and visit and sometimes they wanted a painting or a sketch and would give me a couple of dollars. I soon learned that I could make some extra money this way. At least enough to buy some supplies. By the time I was in my teens I was going about town getting different businesses to hang my paintings and sold a lot of them that way. Even now, neighbors will come by when they need a gift or are decorating and they’ll look thru what I have here and sometimes buy some.

5. During your art career what has been your favorite accomplishment?

I’m really proud of some things. Just this past summer I was spotlighted in our Orange County paper. They came to my house and interviewed me and took some pictures of my paintings. I found that pretty exciting. Outside of that I’ve had some great customers thru the years - some pretty famous and others just outright art collectors with the money to back them up. Its exciting to work for people like that because they generally know just what they want and there is no hasseling over price.

6. What advice would you give an artist starting out?

Don’t expect overnight success and enjoy what you do above all else.

7. What is your favorite marketing tool?

The internet! I’m kind of older than most folks so its not really convenient for me to hit the show circuit. I’m grateful to have found the internet and about 90 percent of my work is shown and sold there. I have my own website and also am trying out several different venues.

8. What has been your biggest influence artistically?

Unfortunately, I’ve had no influence. I just always had to draw and paint and be creative or I wasn’t a happy person. Many artists have the same drive - some more than others - so I have to say it isn’t outside influence, its the drive to create that influences me and forces me to paint.

9. Could you name 3 of your favorite artists?

There are many artists I dearly love. Everyone who knows me knows of my love and respect for Dali, then it would be Norman Rockwell and last of the top three would be Jack Vettriano.

10. Can you tell me a bit about your art background?

I had fine arts in high school….also took a few watercolor classes. That’s about all. I firmly believe you learn art by reading about it and studying artists that appeal to you and by doing it.

And I love LuLu so much I couldn’t decide on one image to share, so here is Ms. Pat’s Youtube of her instead.

For some more examples of Ms. Patricia’s wonderful work check out her website http://www.watercolorsbypatricia.com