DPW Spotlight Interview: Jodi Manca

Each week we will spotlight a different DPW artist who will give away one of their best paintings.

To enter to win Jodi's painting, "Untitled" go to Daily Paintworks and click on the link at the top of the page announcing their interview.

From Jodi's DPW Gallery page:

My name is Jodi Manca and I live in North Kingstown, Rhode Island.  I am a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in Illustration.  I also hold a Masters in Art Education from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.  I have been an educator of the arts for over fifteen years, spending the last 14 years in the Cranston School Department.

Primarily a painter, using mostly oils and acrylics, I adore color!  I consider most of my work to be an exploration of color and its relationship to everything else around it.  I spend a great deal of my time doing commissioned pet portraits and always enjoy painting man's best friend.  I also create in the mediums of collage and silk screening.  I spend my life with my husband Andy and our two dogs Flash and Timmy.

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

I think my love affair with color began with my first coloring book!  I knew from an early age that art was my passion.  My first real painting class was my sophomore year at RISD, I've been painting ever since!

Untitled
(click to see original image)

Enter to win by clicking on the link at the top of the home page announcing Jodi's interview.

Did you have any stops and starts in your painting career?

There have been times where I have not been as productive as I would have liked; work (I'm a full time art teacher in a public school), personal life, motivation, they sometimes all get in the way.  The past three years I have been very productive, it truly is when I am the happiest!

What mediums and genres have you experimented with?

Oils, acrylics, tempera, water color, etching, silk screening, collage, and recently oil pastels!

Which ones have "stuck" and which ones have fallen away?

Oils and acrylics, are always a focus, water color comes and goes, I find the medium intimidating!

Sad
(click to see original image)

Which ones are you looking forward to exploring?

I really am enjoying the oil pastel exploration right now, and am looking forward to doing some more printing this fall!

Who or what inspires you most?

Sunlight inspires me!  I really love the different effects that are produced during different times of day, seasons, and weather changes.  Also, looking at the work of other artists!  I spent so much time as a student studying artists of the past, now I really love to look at the work of others.  Daily Paint Works is a constant source of inspiration!

Berry
(click to see original image)

What does procrastination look like for you?

I can be a terrible procrastinator!  T.V. is a sand trap!  My mind goes numb and nothing else gets done!  My dogs are also a fun source of distraction!

What techniques work to ensure that you make time for your art?

Commissions help!  When I am on a time line I know I have to plan accordingly.  I usually carve out at least two hours a night, more on the weekends. I just need to remind myself that I am much happier being productive: like a runner feels after a run!

Happy
(click to see original image)

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

I love landscape, so that is usually my initial pull.  I also really love painting dogs, they are most of my commission work.  I have recently started revisiting still life, I like simple.

How do you keep art "fresh?" What techniques have helped you avoid burnout and keep your work vibrant and engaging?

For me knowing that I still have so much to learn keeps me engaged!  All I have to do is see a painting that I love and I say "I need to try that!"

Morning Hunt
(click to see original image)

What do you feel you are learning about right now as an artist?

Last October, I did a painting a day as a fundraiser for Breast Cancer, during that month I felt like I could see improvement in my work!  It made me realize to stay sharp you have to paint as often as you can, and when possible work with other artists!

What makes you happiest about your art?

The moment when I feel like the subject is alive, it really is magic to me!

Thanks, Jodi!

© 2014 Sophie Catalina Marine Cruse