It has been over a year since our first interview, when Tanya Davis was first expanding her creative work from sculpting and painting figurines to applying the same skills onto vinyl platforms. After all this time and
checking in regularly, there has truly been no pause in her actively making new art. In this interview I will attempt to bring our readers up to speed with her latest artistic endeavors.
How far has your experiment with vinyl platforms taken you?
It is still going and I am still trying different platforms. Most recently, I am tackling going larger. Outside of the initial MunnyWorld brand, my most successful work done on blank vinyls has been the Google Android mascot and Zukie bases. My most recent droid is a Penguin Engineer based on an illustration I created by the same name.
Illustration, that is something new. How did you get into that type of art?
It was more about me practicing drawing and also giving my hands a break from sculpting. Aside from chiefly commission figurine work, illustrative drawing and painting is my main art form right now.
Since the beginning of 2014 which one of your illustrations is your personal favorite?
My Penguin Engineer because it is the first original character I created that has a completely developed background. It was done free-hand from start to finish on the illustration board without any transferring. It was also the first one I did with the Derwent watercolor pencils. This illustration is currently available in limited edition signed watercolor prints done by local printer Mindzai Creative. Right now (mid-June 2014) there are 18 left. I have them on hand when I publicly show my work or you may obtain this print here.
With new forms come new tools and materials - so what are you using now to make your illustrative art?
My Prismacolor markers are used to create the "underpainting" of my illustration. Then I go in with the Derwent watercolor pencils to add depth and detail. This produces a watercolor painting effect. I have set up a table across from my workbench which is specifically for drawing and painting. I have just started using the "Van Gogh" table easel.
What things tend to inspire you the most?
Most of what I am drawing and sculpting are anthropomorphic animals and robots. These are usually easy to identify and relate to for many people. I also like to create fan art which comes from sources such as cartoons, movies, comics and sometimes television. In certain instances I can find inspiration in requests for custom pieces. I think the commission for the android penguin, which was something I had never done before and it made me nervous at first, was fun in a way going outside my comfort zone and trying something new. The challenge to make the desired piece using what I already have pushes me to hone my skills.The penguin's cartoonish face required painting small facial features involving much detail beyond that of my steampunk robot droids. Facing something new opens up ideas I had not realized I could accomplish before.
So it is safe to say drawings and paintings are a growing part of your artwork being created on a regular basis and presented to the public, correct?
Yes! And I still enjoy creating figurines and have lots of ideas left.
Do you have any recent or upcoming exhibitions you would like to tell us about?
There are a couple of paintings I have entered into the Omni Art House block exhibition this year which were mailed to them and viewable online or when shown in and around the state of Maryland. Locally, I have two entries of sculpted Tesla-Punk duck figurines in the Art Science Gallery here in Austin, July 5th through July 27th, 2014. I have built many connections through the RAWartists local chapter and also from going to events in town and meeting new artists. This has opened new avenues for me to show my art publicly and you can expect more to come. Here is some video footage from the most exciting event that I participated in December of last year (2013).
In closing this insightful follow-up with Tanya Davis I wish to invite you to check out her main site www.TanyaDavisArt.com which was completely re-done at the start of this year, so if you have looked at it before please look again! She also had new logo graphics created which polish her professional look. If you have ever wondered about how she started out with polymer clay sculpting, please read our collaborative review of that influential guidebook she picked up years ago here on So Crafty Magazine (newly acquired by HubPages). Thank you so much for being interested and reading this interview today!
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| Penguin Engineer by Tanya Davis |
How far has your experiment with vinyl platforms taken you?
It is still going and I am still trying different platforms. Most recently, I am tackling going larger. Outside of the initial MunnyWorld brand, my most successful work done on blank vinyls has been the Google Android mascot and Zukie bases. My most recent droid is a Penguin Engineer based on an illustration I created by the same name.
 |
| Penguin Engineer Droid by Tanya Davis |
Illustration, that is something new. How did you get into that type of art?
It was more about me practicing drawing and also giving my hands a break from sculpting. Aside from chiefly commission figurine work, illustrative drawing and painting is my main art form right now.
Since the beginning of 2014 which one of your illustrations is your personal favorite?
My Penguin Engineer because it is the first original character I created that has a completely developed background. It was done free-hand from start to finish on the illustration board without any transferring. It was also the first one I did with the Derwent watercolor pencils. This illustration is currently available in limited edition signed watercolor prints done by local printer Mindzai Creative. Right now (mid-June 2014) there are 18 left. I have them on hand when I publicly show my work or you may obtain this print here.
With new forms come new tools and materials - so what are you using now to make your illustrative art?
My Prismacolor markers are used to create the "underpainting" of my illustration. Then I go in with the Derwent watercolor pencils to add depth and detail. This produces a watercolor painting effect. I have set up a table across from my workbench which is specifically for drawing and painting. I have just started using the "Van Gogh" table easel.
What things tend to inspire you the most?
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| The Duke on Zukie platform, based on illustration art by Tanya Davis |
Most of what I am drawing and sculpting are anthropomorphic animals and robots. These are usually easy to identify and relate to for many people. I also like to create fan art which comes from sources such as cartoons, movies, comics and sometimes television. In certain instances I can find inspiration in requests for custom pieces. I think the commission for the android penguin, which was something I had never done before and it made me nervous at first, was fun in a way going outside my comfort zone and trying something new. The challenge to make the desired piece using what I already have pushes me to hone my skills.The penguin's cartoonish face required painting small facial features involving much detail beyond that of my steampunk robot droids. Facing something new opens up ideas I had not realized I could accomplish before.
So it is safe to say drawings and paintings are a growing part of your artwork being created on a regular basis and presented to the public, correct?
Yes! And I still enjoy creating figurines and have lots of ideas left.
Do you have any recent or upcoming exhibitions you would like to tell us about?
There are a couple of paintings I have entered into the Omni Art House block exhibition this year which were mailed to them and viewable online or when shown in and around the state of Maryland. Locally, I have two entries of sculpted Tesla-Punk duck figurines in the Art Science Gallery here in Austin, July 5th through July 27th, 2014. I have built many connections through the RAWartists local chapter and also from going to events in town and meeting new artists. This has opened new avenues for me to show my art publicly and you can expect more to come. Here is some video footage from the most exciting event that I participated in December of last year (2013).
In closing this insightful follow-up with Tanya Davis I wish to invite you to check out her main site www.TanyaDavisArt.com which was completely re-done at the start of this year, so if you have looked at it before please look again! She also had new logo graphics created which polish her professional look. If you have ever wondered about how she started out with polymer clay sculpting, please read our collaborative review of that influential guidebook she picked up years ago here on So Crafty Magazine (newly acquired by HubPages). Thank you so much for being interested and reading this interview today!
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