Dani of Creations by Da

Social media has a way of connecting you to people in the weirdest ways. I saw from a mutual Facebook friend some of Dani’s work shared on her page and I was captivated by her use of watercolors and design/pattern method. I immediately fell in love with her outlook on art and her artwork after visiting her website. When I contacted her about an interview it turns out she lives here in Tucson, Arizona and I used to work with her mom. Please take a look at her artwork as well as her website. I hope you enjoy her art as much as I do!
1. Tell us a little about yourself.

I am a self-taught artist native to Tucson. I am also a graduate of the U of A who loves spending majority of my time outside.

2. When did you catch the creative bug?

I believe I was born with the creative bug to say the least. Art has always been apart of my life, and was very active in childhood. I would spend hours drawing stories about my little make-believe characters, and also hid in my church’s resource room to make glittery creations to hang in my room. Art was the the one subject I anticipated with such excitement, always bugging the teachers about the next time we would have it.

3. What does “being creative” mean to you?

I define creativity in my own life as the freedom to express the ideas and visions that stir in my brain. I’ve developed the practice of allowing myself to create with no judgment, embracing the imperfections that come during the process. Growing up, I have struggled immensely with an eating disorder and perfectionism. As I progress on my journey of recovery, I have found so much freedom in accepting who I am and the way I produce. It makes the creative process so much more joyful!

4. How would you describe your art and/or process?

My art is definitely not realistic. I enjoy doing small detail work, as that helps ground me in being present. Most of my vision comes from my quiet time with God in the morning. Usually once I see something in my mind, I sketch, outline and paint!

5. What has been your favorite thing to create or style to create?

I enjoy making cactus designs with unusual shapes and patterns lately.

6. Name a craft product you can’t live without?

Sakura gelly roll gel pens and Jane Davenport’s mermaid markers.

7. If there were a magic power you could use in your art making, what would it be?

Good question- there’s many! I wish I had the power of replicating exactly what I envision in my head without having to spend hours trying to draw something!

8. Tell us a little about your slogan “A creation a day keeps the doctor away”?

I’ve found that being in a consistent creative mode truly helps my every day mental health. When I am taking the time to create, I am more peaceful, present, and grateful for my daily blessings. With that said, creating every day keeps me from making trips to the doctors!

9. Any advice for those out there who think art is too hard?

It’s my prayer that people would just be free enough to let themselves pick up a paint brush, pencil, pen etc. and just go for it. The beautiful thing about art is that there is NO right way to create something..

Here is just a little sample of Dani’s artwork