Today we’d like to introduce you to Jordin David.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Jordin. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
As a kid, I would always lock myself in the linen closet [where we kept all the craft supplies] for hours – flipping through craft books and creating whatever came to mind. In high school, I fell in love with colored pencils in the way they allowed me to recreate images with fine detail. At this point I knew my work was pretty good, but I still viewed art as a hobby. It wasn’t until my sophomore year at San Diego State that my parents sat me down and basically told me to switch my major from psychology to art. They knew what my true passion was and saw it would be pointless to do anything but that.
I have studied painting, drawing, life drawing, photography, and more, with some of the most relentless and inspiring professors in San Diego. I lived in Florence, Italy for a semester, studying at Lorenzo de’ Medici with genius professors who pushed me to trust myself and hone in my techniques. I graduated from SDSU with my Bachelor of Fine Art, with an emphasis in Studio Art; 10+ art pieces that have been displayed at art shows, bars, and galleries from San Diego to Los Angeles; and a lot more confidence in my work. I’ve been selling prints both in person and on my website, but I still look forward to selling originals.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Whoever said that art isn’t for the faint of heart definitely understood the harsh reality of this career. Post-grad life has not been easy by any means. On one hand, it is freeing to not be stuck in the studio at 2 am – crying, laughing, smoking, and blindly staring – with a looming deadline and an unfinished piece. But no longer having a professor and classmates to answer to means that I have to find inspiration, follow deadlines, and make time for my art all on my own.
If I can offer any piece of advice, it would be to find a studio, or build one in your home, that you will go to every day. You don’t have to be working on a masterpiece at all hours, but simply hanging out with your art and sketching every day will keep your mind running. Take breaks, but not long enough to get distracted from your goals. Challenge yourself, but don’t make room for doubt. Above all, trust that everyone’s timeline for their career will be unrecognizably different.
We’d love to hear more about your art.
My main focus is definitely painting. I love drawing with pastels and charcoal, but my work is always finished with oil paints. For a while now, my biggest inspiration has been the connection of women to nature and the extraordinary power that each hold. We only exist because of a woman who birthed us, and the Earth who was here before us. My work can be recognized by the nude female form as the main subject, rendered with mostly realistic techniques but abstracted with surrealistic elements/ideas. My largest piece to date is 6′ x 7,’ and I hope to keep pushing even larger in the future.
So much of the media coverage is focused on the challenges facing women today, but what about the opportunities? Do you feel there are any opportunities that women are particularly well positioned for?
I think in the art world today, there isn’t as much connection between gender and success as there used to be. People just want a story behind the art. They want to feel a purpose and know that there is meaning to the paint rather than it just being a pretty picture. Same goes for people – no one cares if you’ve had a perfect life, but they’ll definitely be intrigued by hardships and repression. I don’t know if there are any professional places more specifically destined for women, but I would say the art world has always adored women in one way or another. It is up to each new generation to decide for what reasons women will be admired.
Contact Info:
- Website: jordindavid.com
- Email: jordin_david@yahoo.com
- Instagram: @jordin.david
Image Credit:
Delfina Glover
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