Interview with artist Lisa Davis
Lisa Davis is an artist and visiting lecturer in the Department of Art and Design at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway. She grew up in Malaysia and Haiti and taught art for more than twenty years in Senegal and Kenya. These experiences have of course helped to shape her work, which is filled with the color, lines and rhythm of nature. More of Lisa’s work can be found at the Central Arkansas Collective gallery in Conway and at her website lisamiriamdavis.com.
AAS: Lisa, I know you are not originally from Arkansas. Where did you grow up and what brought you to Arkansas?
LD: My parents were missionaries, and I was born in Malaysia. I was there through 1st grade, then we moved to Seattle where I attended elementary and middle school. My high school years were spent in Haiti. After graduating, I attended Grace College, in Winona Lake, Indiana and earned a double major in Art Education and Graphic Design.
My first teaching job was at Dakar Academy in Senegal. I was the only art teacher - so I taught elementary through high school art. I worked there for 3.5 years. After getting married and having our first child, we moved to Kenya. I worked as an art teacher there for over 20 years and added two more children to our family. While there, I got my Masters in Art Education from Boston University.
In 2022 our youngest graduated from high school and my husband and I made the decision to return to the States to be closer to all of our, now grown, children. Why Conway? Well, while in Kenya we would return to the US approximately every other summer. My in-laws' home in Conway became our “homebase”. We were semi-familiar with Conway, and it is relatively close to our three kids. One lives in Little Rock and the other two are in Texas.
AAS: Did you have any artist role models growing up?
LD: My mother was a role model. She was a seamstress and enjoyed needle crafts - she always had a project going on. She would also sell her work at craft fairs. She was a gifted creative. As a child, I also remember thinking that my older sister's coloring book pages were so much nicer than mine.
In college, I had a pottery teacher who showed me what it looked like to be a professional artist. He demonstrated to me that it is work and can, at times, be frustrating and demanding. But it is also rewarding, exciting and grounding. I have been blessed to work alongside some great artists and educators, each demonstrating the importance and impact of art and art education.
I have also learned so much from my students. Kids of all ages are great teachers! It has been such a blessing to get to teach art to so many students.
Many of my coworkers have been role models as well. I have had the privilege of working alongside some exceptional artist-teachers and have learned so much from them. I also adore art history and find inspiration from a vast variety of artists. Some of my favorites are Michelangelo, Bernini, Caravaggio, Morisot, van Gogh, Rockwell, and Kusama.
AAS: What I love about your work is that you often integrate quite different media into a piece and still bring out the best in each. How do you think this approach developed?
LD: Being an art educator encourages one to experiment and to become competent in a wide variety of media. I am confident that teaching has made me the artist that I am. It has made my way of making more innovative while opening doors to combinations of different media. It has also taught me that not everything works and that sometimes unintentional discoveries (be it technique or media) can inspire new and interesting ways to create. I think that being a teacher also plays a role in my desire to keep pushing myself and my ideas. I do not stick too firmly with one genre or one preferred media. I would describe my style as illustrative with hints of realism. As an educator, I am a big proponent of the creative process, which often leads not only to technically stronger work, but also towards originality.
AAS: I want to ask you first about Little Bird, Orange Yarn. I think it is a good example of your effective use of mixed media. Tell me about that piece.
Little Bird, Orange Yarn, acrylic and collage on canvas, 24” x 12”
LD: I painted this shortly after coming to Conway in the summer of 2022. Looking back, that was a trying time - being new to the area, having a new job , living in a new place/country - all of this was a new adventure, but also quite stressful. I wonder if my feelings of being quietly adrift influenced this work. Perhaps.
The background leaves suggest nature. This is contrasted by the man-made inorganic cement wall. The wall is made from some of my mother-in-law’s old patterns. The white gives it roughness and also subdues the printing so that it is less distracting. The complimentary orange and teal stand out and provide a bold stage for the subject while the cast shadow provides the illusion of depth.
I knew that I wanted to be involved in art in Conway, and not solely through my work at UCA. So, I joined the Conway League of artists, and I made a series of works with birds and yarn and started to show my work at the monthly Conway Artwalk. It was at the Conway Artwalk that I met artist Faye Hedera and was invited to be part of her vision of starting a group and having a gallery. The Central Arkansas Collective is now a group of 12 artists, and we have a gallery space in downtown Conway. New shows are put up each month. This has been a humbling experience. I get to work with such skilled artists and am inspired to keep growing.
AAS: Birds often have a central role in your work. One of my favorites is Parade. Are you portraying a fable of sorts with Parade?
LD: Birds, like insects, are so diverse. They come in so many varieties and colors. They are fun to watch and seem so focused on the task at hand. Plus, they can fly! How awesome is that!
Parade was one of my first works to be exhibited with the Central Arkansas Collective. While not a fable, it is a commentary of sorts. The gist is- find joy where you're at and who you are with. Celebrate what you can with what you have. I found it humorous and whimsical to think of a turtle pulling a toy train. While the turtle lumbers forward, the small proud bird rides contentedly with little fanfare apart from a leaf/stick pennant clutched in its beak.
Parade, acrylic on canvas, 10” x 20”
AAS: How do you think the time you and your family spent in Kenya and other ‘exotic’ places has influenced your art.
LD: Kenya is beautiful. The soil is rich and plants thrive. In our yard alone we had avocado trees, banana trees and a guava tree. One quickly becomes accustomed to the beauty of the flora and fauna. Our kids grew up climbing trees, going barefoot and finding chameleons. Everything feels bigger there- even the air.
African culture also celebrates color. Textiles are often bold and bright. Perhaps, unwittingly, that has influenced my affinity for strong colors. I am confident that my surroundings greatly influence my work. Upon moving to Conway, I had to start looking up birds that are native to Arkansas.
AAS: Truth and Misinformation is a wonderful piece! We all need little helpers, particularly these days.
Truth and Misinformation, acrylic and embroidery floss on canvas, 24” x 24”
LD: Truth and Misinformation is a recent work and is currently on display in the Central Arkansas Collective Gallery. What started as an experiment evolved into a statement. The first few lines are dependable and stand strong - these represent Truth. But as Truth breaks down… due to lies, propaganda, agendas, bias, hate and/or ignorance… it can become distorted and corrupted, and difficult to find. Eventually, sometimes Truth gets so obscured that while still there, one must sift through so much waste to find it. Dung beetles collect waste; here, they are the collectors of the mess. They roll it up to take home as if it were a prized possession.
Moment Before Mayhem, wood, acrylic and Sculpey clay, 36” x 12”
AAS: In Moment Before Mayhem, you use 3D shapes to create the sharp lines and shadows rather than thread and ink. Tell me about it.
LD: About three years ago, I started to make my own frames for my work. Being a very novice woodworker, who does not always “measure twice” and from off cuts, I ended up with quite a bit of scrap. Not wanting to throw all the scrap away, I decided to cut it into pieces. These, along with some new wood, I painted and glued inside a handmade box frame. The blocks represent the water, rocks, docks and trees. I then made two figures out of Sculpy clay - a little girl fishing and her banjo picking grandpa. They are having a grand time. In the water, I put lost ‘treasures’. Mayhem is about to occur due to the fact that a large fish is seen just about to bite her hook.
Self-portrait, graphite and Prismacolor pencil on paper, 15” x 12”
AAS: You’ve done several, what I would describe as non-traditional self-portraits. What does the drawing of your hand reveal about yourself?
LD: I am not altogether sure. Let’s say it is an expression of exhaustion - wringing water from the dry and lit match.
Another way to see this is as death and life. The water represents the latter. Psalm 73:26 says "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” While we may feel extinguished, God still gives life and He is all that is needed. So, hang on.
AAS: What are you teaching at UCA? I know you have taught students from many cultures in different parts of the world. Are there any commonalities among art students?
LD: Students are students, kids are kids no matter where they come from or where they study. Apart from talent, what makes a student a strong art student is dedication, willingness to try, willingness to fail, and the drive to continue.
I am currently a Visiting Lecturer in Art Education at UCA. I teach Art Education courses and observe student teachers at their placement schools. I have also taught Fibers, Art Appreciation and art Foundations classes. I have been in the role for three years. Art Ed at UCA is solid. The students get quality instruction and a lot of field experience and graduate prepared to teach the next generations of art students.
AAS: Lisa, where do you think your art will take you in the next 5-10 years?
LD: I really have no idea. I do not want to get to the place where all that is important to me is to make a sale. Art, for me, is a way of life. It is cathartic, motivating, calming and communicative. It keeps my mind engaged and encourages me to be alert to inspiration. I want to create work that says something. I want to create work that matters. Right now, I feel like I have barely done so… but that is something I long for. I have a motto, ‘Make Art. Everyday.’ Most days I do, so I guess that is my plan…
