For our seventh interview of the 2022 Delaware Fun-A-Day, we talk to artist and art educator Vivienne Cameron about continuous learning, Delaware arts organizations, STEM, urban sketching, and plein air painting. Thanks, Vivienne!
We like to know how people are connected to Delaware Fun a Day - are you a resident, born and raised? What opportunities have you found being in the Delaware Fun-A-Day exhibit?
I used to bring my parents to New Castle to sit in Battery Park and watch the ships. I kept thinking, “I just love it here, I should buy here…” So in 2007, I did.
This is going to be your SEVENTH year participating in DEFAD - in a row - since 2016! Can you describe your favorite past Fun-A-Day project?
Favorite, hmmm. I think I enjoy the process. I’ve enjoyed all of them.
At least 2 of your past projects have been inspired by Asian culture. For your 2021 project titled “31 Chinese Paintings for the Year of the Ox” you set out to complete a shuǐ-mò (水墨, "water and ink") painting a day. And for your 2019 project titled “Art with an Asian Flair” you set out to complete 28 small works on paper. Please elaborate on this inspiration and how they’ve impacted your artwork, and if you’re comfortable, please share about your personal connection with these cultures.
I studied Chinese brush painting under Josephine Tsai (Dancing Brush Studio) for about six years. I think it’s beautiful. There is an energy and a simplicity to the paintings. The Year of the Ox paintings were a challenge because they were small. I included some calligraphy with those, little proverbs. My 2019 project ended up being little origami kimonos. I think they looked good because they were all different, but uniform. I did not enjoy making 28 origami kimonos. It was too repetitive. I did end up incorporating them into work for another show, though.
You are both an artist and an art educator, awarded at different times with Excellence in your field. You have a bachelor’s degree in English and a Master’s in Education for Technology & Art. And as you know, within the Arts Community there is a whole spectrum that creators fall into from having no formal education to very high levels of education. What practical advice, if any, would you like to give to folks in our arts community who are facing that tough question of whether or not they should pursue an actual art degree or certification? If not a classic degree, do you recommend any sort of other training or joining of guilds / organizations?
I would say do what you love. If you like to make art, then make time for it – even if it’s just a few minutes a day. Connect with like-minded people. Look for opportunities to make art. If you want a career in art, you’ll need that degree, but a degree costs a lot of money. There are lots of ways to make, share, and sell art without putting yourself in debt.
We are very lucky to have a vibrant arts community and the support of the state in Delaware. DEFAD organizers have continuously and tirelessly worked to make art accessible for everyone, both through their work with Fun-a-Day and also in their day jobs. The Newark Arts Alliance is a fabulous resource for artists, providing you with the opportunity to show and sell your work. Jester Artspace has all sorts of workshops and opportunities to work with other artists. Urban Sketchers meets every month to sketch together. It’s free, supportive, and fun.
First of all - thank you for your service as a teacher to our communities. As a teacher who works with folks in K-12, are there any projects or activities have you had students do during your years of being an educator that have inspired you? And do you recommend folks to participate in a daily practice like Delaware Fun-A-Day?
Thank you! My master’s thesis was about bringing fine art into the regular ed classroom. I developed an artist of the month program. We studied the artist and then viewed works by that artist each of the 180 school days. By the end of the year, students could look at a work they had never seen before and identify the artist. I tied it into poetry as well, introducing them to Wordsworth and Mansfield. By taking less than 10 minutes a day, they amassed a significant body of knowledge that they could apply in other settings.
STEM is becoming increasingly more important to incorporate into school systems, and as an educator who was a part of so many of these STEM programs, can you tell us about how these areas of study can also contribute to and impact a creative career?
The Engineering Design Process is applicable every day in everything we do, from cleaning our bedroom to creating an art project or coding a video game. Art is problem-solving. Art requires perseverance. STEM teaches you both of those things.
You’re one of the founding members “Urban Sketchers Delaware” which is a chapter of Urban Sketchers international, dedicated to fostering a community of artists who practice on-location drawing. This group meets on the 2nd Sunday of every month, alternating counties in Delaware. Please tell us a bit more about this group, who can join in, and what made this such an important initiative to start in the state of Delaware.
Anyone can come and sketch with us! All skill levels, all ages, all people are welcome. We set up meeting spots on the second Sunday of every month at noon. There is nothing to join, no fee to pay, you just check Facebook to see where we’re meeting and show up with your sketchbook!
We are unusual because each USk chapter usually represents a city. We felt that Delaware was small enough to have one chapter for the state and that it would be more inclusive that way. The goal is to travel to a different county each month and sketch places that you might not otherwise know about. It’s nice because it gives you the safety and comfort of being in a group instead of heading out alone somewhere. Google Urban Sketchers Delaware to find out where we are this month.
Did your involvement with Urban Sketchers Delaware play a direct influence on these past Delaware Fun-A-Day projects of yours? Or vice versa?
2020 – “29 Loose Landscapes” A collection of loose landscapes in watercolor and mixed media.
2018 – “ Be the Light” 31 5x7 lighthouses in various media.
2017 – “30 Small Landscapes” 30 small (4x6) landscapes.
I think those shows all took place in the winter, so I was working from reference photos that I had taken over the years. Urban Sketching takes place on location, not from photos, so no, they weren’t related to USk. The loose landscapes would have been experimental. I’m always striving to loosen my work and Fun a Day is the perfect opportunity to play with something new.
What is it about plein air painting / drawing in particular that calls to you? And do you perform plein air painting all year or only at certain times? How do you recommend folks to begin this practice?
I belong to a number of plein air groups. I think I’m in love with the idea of it. In reality, I think my studio work is much better. I very much enjoy painting with company. My suggestion would be to grab a friend and find somewhere nice to sit outside and paint. No painting friends? Come out and sketch with Urban Sketchers. We meet 12 months of the year. During winter months, we sketch together indoors.
Can you describe the meaning having an art practice has played in your life?
You will definitely see improvement if you paint/draw/make daily. It’s very easy to get caught up in life and then realize that you haven’t made art in weeks. Something like DEFAD or Figuary or Inktober gets you in the habit of making every day.
I like to work toward a goal, so I look for opportunities to do that. I like to find juried, themed exhibits and then try to figure out what medium would best express that theme. While I’m working I am completely focused. I’m not thinking or worrying or bored or mindlessly eating. I’m just in my happy place. Since I am a very driven person, art gives me needed downtime.
Do you find yourself using DEFAD as a testing ground for new directions your professional work is going? Or do you use the month- long challenge to produce more work that fits within your current cannon?
I think the key word for me is FUN a day. I aim for a theme that I can easily produce and that will give me a cohesive project on the other end.
Anything else you’d like to share? We know you’re a part of many awesome groups and organizations, so if you’d like to share any in particular to other participants I’m sure they’d love to know them!
Come sketch with us at Urban Sketchers Delaware! Support Jester Artspace and the Newark Arts Alliance, and of course, Delaware Fun-A-Day (DEFAD)!
Where can people see or purchase more of your work?
Next month I’ll have work at the Swarthmore Library 121 Park Avenue, Swarthmore, PA
Instagram: @vcameron4203