It started with a word and a fear. “Fearless” was the word, and faces were what mixed media artist Dayna Collins was afraid of drawing. Now, they’re on display for all to see.
“One of my biggest fears is drawing, specifically drawing faces,” said Collins. “I’ve experimented, but was never satisfied and my inner critic shouted very loudly over my shoulder the entire time. Then I hit upon the idea to stop trying so hard and to just throw paint with no inhibition or fear of being wrong.” Collins started painting her faces in an old atlas that she had turned into a journal and eventually moved to painting them on old wood boards that she purchased from rebuilding centers. “I love that my faces represent me: bold, vibrant, a bit mysterious, slightly recycled, and definitely not worrying so much about lines,” Collins said.
For Collins, that meant not focusing on realistic or pretty faces, and instead an x for a mouth, and crazy teeth. “It was like, ‘I can do this! I can draw a face and it doesn’t have to look like a person.’”
Why Fearless? “Every year I choose a word. Last year’s word was ‘fearless.’ I have been a perfectionist and play it safe. I wanted to be able to stop worrying about what people thought about me and realize that it is okay to play and experiment.” That ability to cut loose is such that when she walks into her Alley Art Studio, near Bush Park, she turns on Pandora radio and plays hip hop music – not something you would expect a 50-something-year-old woman to be listening to. “It’s just freeing. I dance and I am just in a different world. Fearless is about stopping being so precise. It is just a way to find my artist’s voice,” Collins said.
“I am a drug and alcohol counselor and I do lectures of wellness and communication. I have been in recovery from alcohol for about 11 years.” Collins found art to be the missing link in her recovery.”It has been a lot about taking classes, trying different things; finding out what my passion is. I realized that I liked to paint, and I liked to paint big. I like wild colors and I am abstract.”
Collins’ adventure in art started in a class in Portland, and now she offers the adventure to local aspiring artists in Salem. “Several years ago I attempted to get through Julia Cameron’s book “The Artist’s Way” on my own, but abandoned my efforts about halfway through the program. I decided to try again and discovered an Artist’s Way Creative Cluster being offered in Portland under the tutelage of Gretchin Lair at Scarlet Star Studios. I signed up in the Fall of 2005 and with determination and delight completed her 13-week course. Out of it sprang both my desire and my mantra to be bold and to further enhance my creativity. As result of my newfound boldness, three things happened: Alley Art was born, I began offering Artist’s Way Creative Clusters in Salem, and I gave myself permission to call myself an artist,” said Collins.
Sharing with others is just another way for Collins to spread the vision. “I love to teach, encourage others, and lead groups related to creativity and artmaking. I’m also a workshop junkie, devouring as many classes as possible related to art journaling, painting, and collage. My creative resume illustrates the variety of classes and workshops that I have both taken and led.”
Collins’ work is inspired from the inside; her art reflects how she is feeling and how she is. Since Collins changes from day to day, so does her art. “I am taking some intensive painting classes right now, just to narrow the focus and find out what I want to do. I am not going to be painting the same thing again and again.”
As her orange spiky hair makes evident, she likes change. “I like plaster. You can layer it, sand it, dig into it, paint it and then sand it some more. It is just an amazing media to use,” she said.
This year’s word is Compassion, although “juicy” was a close second because of the rich colors that come along with the word. “This is a pretty exciting adventure, and my husband supports the craziness and encourages it, in fact, so that is very helpful.”
Collins admits that she is still working through this year’s word. “It’s much harder than fearless; I am pretty strong-willed so it takes understanding. I just take care of it, and just do it.”
If you feel like “doing it” and taking a look at Collins’ Fearless Faces, drop by Venti’s Cafe and see the art or visit her website at alleyartstudio.com.
