You Need to be Versatile By Andi Davis
I grew up with a father who instilled in me, from a young age, a unique love of music. When I was in the second grade we had to go around the class and tell everyone who our favorite musicians were. Most of my fellow second graders were hard pressed to know what the word “musician” meant, but I knew right away what my answer was. “B.B. King!” I shouted. Being seven, I’m sure I didn’t know exactly what I was talking about, but I knew that this B.B. King guy had to be good because he was my Dad’s favorite; and anything that was my Dad’s favorite, was my favorite. Along with my naïve love for music, I’d like to argue that I was also the most competitive second grader when it came to arts and crafts. Most of the other kids ran to recess while I stayed at my desk to make sure my project was just perfect. My mom is an amazing artist and I was so inspired by her creativity that I wanted to do anything she did and do it just like her. This is where my love of art and music began. My Dad was always playing music around our house. It was either him playing guitar, or the soulful sounds of Stevie Ray or Clapton coming through the speakers. When I saw my Dad playing guitar I knew that I wanted to try it. The minute I did I felt like a total rock star. It allowed my creativity to explode into music and lyrics. Growing up, I was surrounded by art and music all the time so it became a way of life for me. As I grew older I found music to be a way to inspire my art. A song would lead me to paint an image in my head or would be my motivation to just sit and draw. To this day I can’t sit and paint without listening to my music.
Throughout middle school and high school I was heavily involved in theatre. Every chance I got I was on stage dancing and singing. Besides my art, it was my way to express and push myself. Then came time to decide which facet of the arts I wanted to pursue in college. I seriously considered studying visual art at the University of Hartford in Connecticut. But something kept pulling me back to performing arts. I knew that my drawing and my painting would always be there, but my music and performing is what I knew I ultimately wanted to do with my life and I needed to perfect it further. So I spent four years studying musical theatre at the University of Northern Colorado and found an amazing way to use my artwork as a way to help pay for my schooling! It was the best of both worlds! My Mom and Dad always told me to find something that I loved and then find a way to get paid for it; and I have. I started my own personal pencil portrait business, AdavisARTS, when I was 16 and never looked back. Even though I am now living in Los Angeles pursuing a career in singing, T.V. and film, my art has always been, and always will be, the one steady constant in my life that I know I will be able to fall back on.
Any musician, actor, or artist knows that the life we lead can be a terribly unforgiving and harsh one…but I know I wouldn’t want it any other way. You need to be versatile and creative to keep the money coming in and I’d like to think that I am truly blessed to have TWO amazing forms of art that keep me going. I knew that being an artist was what I was born to do. Music and art are all around us and I have chosen to make it my life’s career. I am so excited for the road ahead because I know that even in hard times I am doing what I love and that is all any artist can ask for. (Except to maybe become the next Andy Warhol/Meryl Streep super rich mega-star….but that will come in time!)
Please visit AdavisARTS.com to view my artwork and email me at [email protected] if you are interested in a personal, custom pencil portrait!
