Muse of the Month: Jane Davenport
Professional artist, international workshop leader, degenerate art supply junky, art journal evangelist and koala mama ( yes! Koalas live in my garden).
I draw, I paint, I photograph, I art journal, I write, I film. I empower.
Name: Jane Davenport
Occupation: Artomologist
How would you describe yourself in three words?
Happy, focused, alive
What makes you come alive?
Making art, finishing projects, yoga
What encouragement and wisdom would you tell your aspiring younger self with the experience you have now?
Start yoga immediately young lady!
How does your work reflect you?
It’s vibrant, makes others feel happy and is approachable.
What is your latest project?
I am working on my first book about my artwork. It comes out with Quarry in 2015.
What can’t you live without?
Art, Angus (my husband), my dogs, my friends, my family and the art community I have gathered around me.
Oh! And watermelon.
How did you make the dream a reality?
Majorly hard work and many leaps of faith! But I pretty much adore what I do and who I work with, so its always been a fun ride. When I decided to share my knowledge and teach, my universe changed.
Can you share a Stella lesson you’ve learned along the way?
Your dreams are not only achievable, they will change. I have always had to really dig down to sort out my wants from what I feel is expected of me, but when I get that clarity of purpose, I am pretty much unstoppable. I feel so fortunate that I have had several ‘True Calling’ phases in my life. But the big lesson is that you can have several of these during your life/career. You don’t have to stick to one thing forever. Go where the juice is!
What is one Stella moment of your career?
At the moment, it is moving to ‘The Nest’. Our property has Fairy Wrens, Flame Robins, koalas and echidnas. Every day I walk around in a bit of a daze hardly believing that Angus and I achieved this. It’s the culmination of a lot of hard work and is the platform for all our next adventures. All my work has lead to this feeling of ‘Home’ – it’s awesome.
Do you have a favourite morning ritual?
Sipping my Fancy Coffee (coffee Angus makes!) and sketching and writing in my Journal… whatever comes to mind. Just cleaning up my mind, getting ready for the day.
What is your favourite inspirational song?
I adore Lisa Mitchell’s music and songwriting. She has a line in one tune “Even the bravest lion needs a sidekick”. It’s a favourite of mine and reminds me to stay connected when I am taking on a challenge, and also be there as a support for others when they are taking on their challenges.
Who is your greatest Muse and why?
My mum! Definitely! She makes time for her charitable passions and environmental beliefs. She is a wonderful business woman and eternal optimist.
Liz Davenport – fashion designer & business woman
Can you share a Stella tip for our fellow StellaTribers?
Draw and Journal! Seriously, regular practice will make a difference in how you approach life and think things through. It’s so important to nourish your creative health!
Do you have any other comments to inspire and ignite the passion for the StellaTriber?
Learn to observe your signals for impending Overwhelm. It’s a form of Panic and just friggen awful! A stressed out state is bad for your health, your career (nothing get’s done and you can make poor decisions) and relationships suffer. Many bad habits can form as a coping mechanism (drinking, smoking, comfort eating etc), but I have discovered that journaling keeps me on an even keel. Find that thing that serves you and let’s you let off steam in a positive way. The earlier on in life you can work this out for yourself the better your longterm survival!
Plus: get a purse-sized dog – they are very happy-making!
And get a juicer: carrot, oranges, mint and ginger – super yum!!!
