art – Cre8-Space

Cara Heard: Mixed Media Artist

Cara taught herself to paint, built Lush Art to teach others, and then sold her business 11 years later. She’s navigating this transition — mourning Lush Art while looking ahead to reinvent her livelihood. Find out how she’s doing. And how she does it with such wit and grace.

Self-taught artists rarely start a business where they get to teach others. But Cara Heard did. That’s how brave she is.

“I try to avoid fear,” Cara says. “Nothing good ever comes from living in a state of fear. People can get stuck in it.”

Starting a business of any kind takes courage. Cara didn’t just start a business while living amongst people who knew and loved her. Oh, no, she brought her teaching studio Lush Art from North Carolina to Warner Robins, Georgia, when her husband Jon got a job at Perdue in nearby Perry. She didn’t know a soul in middle Georgia.

Not a soul.

Cara wanted to lift souls up, though, so she created Lush Art as a safe space for creativity, experimentation, and growth, and where she enjoyed watching women blossom with confidence in their artistry. Through Lush Art, Cara built a team of instructors who taught adults and children from surrounding towns, and then a few years later moved the team to a 1920 Sears Roebuck Kit Home on Main Street in quaint Perry, Georgia — affectionately called “Perry-dise” by locals. Over the years, her the team and regular clients became family.

“Lush evolved into a vibrant community and a home for people to bring art into their hearts and minds,” Cara says. “While it started under the genre of ‘paint and sip,’ that term began to make me cringe just a year in because Lush Art had become so much more.”

Watching women blossom and celebrating each client was Cara’s barometer of how much her own cup was being filled through her business.

Just one class of regulars, loving their Lush Art experience with Cara (center bottom).

Cara likes change, seeks it out at times, and is resilient when change is pushed upon her. She likes trying new things and is continually learning, even from mistakes.

Running a small business requires that kind of curiosity and flexibility. As the years ticked by and Lush Art settled into class schedules for adults and summer camps for kids, the routine became… well… routine. Maybe even rut-like. The pandemic and its aftermath also seemed to change the dynamic of clients and their expectations.

“To learn something new we must be willing to be beginners again,” Cara says, “And I was seeing that people wanted to be masters right away. They didn’t have the beginner’s mind.”

Now when Cara would ask herself if her cup was being filled or drained, more often the answer was “drained.” Slowly — like the formation of an idea to divorce a spouse — Cara was feeling, but not quite seeing, a need to divorce herself from Lush Art; an acknowledgement that would take time to face fully, and one she couldn’t speak out loud for months.

“I was meeting with my Small Business Administration consultant and discussing my feelings about Lush Art, and she just said to me, ‘Sounds like you don’t want to be here anymore.’ And I repeated what she said, ‘I don’t want to be here anymore.’”

a Cara Heard original mixed media piece.

The first time Cara said those words out loud was the beginning of her current transition: putting her business up for sell, turning it over to a new owner, and figuring out how she wanted to make art and a living.

“They say selling a business is like a death,” Cara says, “And you go through the stages of grief.”

Even though Cara chose to sell her business, it’s her baby, existing because of her drive and hard work, and years tending to all the demands of a small business.

Like most people who identify with their job, Cara identified herself as being Lush Art.

“I’m still in mourning and I have to decide who I am without Lush Art,” Cara says.

Yet, the sell of her business couldn’t have been more perfect. Organic even. Cara sold it to Heather DeLoatch, a friend and long-time Lush Art instructor and manager.

Cara and Heather met years before when Heather was teaching English at Georgia Military College and bartending at Wartown Taphouse in Warner Robins. Heather was responsible for the menu art behind the bar and when Cara, a patron of the bar, saw the art she asked, “who did that?” Heather owned up, causing Cara to instantly say, “You’re going to teach art,” and Heather instantly responding, “No, I’m not.”

Guess who won? Cara convinced Heather to start working as an assistant at Lush Art… and eventually coached her to start teaching. When the manager of Lush Art moved away, Heather took on the management role while continuing to teach.

“After years of managing Lush Art, I felt comfortable doing the business side. When Cara decided to sell the business, my husband and I thought about buying it.”

Heather and her husband own Lumber & Ink, a woodworking shop, and are familiar with the ins and outs of running a small artist-based business, so they decided to buy Lush Art.

“I’ve always said my life is like an I Love Lucy episode,” Cara wrote on Instagram during the transition, “and I’m so thankful to have had Heather be my Ethel all these years. I’m so proud of who [Heather] has become and who she will go on to be.”

Lush Art Studio on Main Street in Perry, Georgia.

Now that Heather has taken over Lush Art, and added “Studio” to the business name, regulars can still find lots of fun and engaging classes at the old Sears house on Main Street. Plus, the studio instructors participate in local events held at unique venues — Main St. Bar in Perry, for example — where they share their love of art with folks from all over middle Georgia.

Over the years, using her collaborative instincts, Cara has coached people into becoming true artists and then coaxed them into becoming assistants and teachers, just as she did with Heather.

Adrianne Jones is another perfect example of Cara’s “proactive” mentoring style. An Air Force IT system Program Lead, Adrianne found painting at Lush Art to be therapeutic. As a self-described Type A personality, she felt challenged by Cara’s art classes where visual abstraction rules.

“Her classes wreaked havoc on my need for patterns, neat lines, and ordered blending,” Adrianne says. “I got into it so much Cara eventually dubbed me Blendy McBlenderson.”

Adrianne learned from Cara to let go and trust the process.

“I’m a HUGE trust-the-process fan,” says Cara. “I’m also a huge proponent of if-it-doesn’t-work, doesn’t-spark-feeling, isn’t-right… I’ll just paint over it.”

Adrianne enjoyed taking Cara’s cues to shut down her analytical brain while creating — without being concerned about the final product.

“I started working at Lush Art kind of on a whim,” Adrianne says. “Cara and I were out for drinks bemoaning the retirement of one of Lush Art’s favorite instructors. Since I’m a fixer, I was offering up a pep talk and said, ‘Cara, you have seven years worth of her paintings. Hire somebody to teach repeats.’ Well, guess who she hired to teach the repeats? Me!”

In her usual way of knowing what others need before they know themselves, Cara began giving Adrianne “assignments” that led to the creation of original artwork.

“Cara knew I loved a challenge and she dared me out of my comfort zone,” Adrianne says.

Adrianne expresses how inspired she is by Cara’s approach to living out loud, displaying emotions authentically, letting others know it’s okay “to be on the struggle bus with something,” showing her creativity by pairing wild colors and patterns in her clothing and art, and having the audacity to pursue “her big, crazy ideas,” all with “a strong dose of sarcasm and excellent sense of humor.”

Lush Art Studio has a new owner who’s building on the Lush Art family Cara started years ago, and continuing to grow the studio from the roots of courage, authenticity, and wildness planted at its inception.

“I’ve tended to meet people when they were going through some deep, dark shit,” Cara says. “And I’ve been thrilled to see people ‘trust the process’ using art to pull them out. And… perhaps a well-placed curse word or phallic joke helped, too.”

Cara, inspired by nature, with her plein air painting.

Self-Taught & Driven

Cara, originally from Greenwood, Arkansas, spent her early career as a hair stylist, having ample opportunities to stretch her creative muscles while listening to her clients and giving them what they wanted. Styling hair may be the most difficult client-based service out there; one wrong snip and the client can be devastated.

Understanding each person’s needs and using artistic precision to cut and color hair taught Cara how to make people happy, one client at a time.

Later, as a stay-at-home Mom with her young son Griffin, Cara missed having that creative outlet and decided to learn to paint, not just to express herself but also as a way to decorate her home without spending tons of money on mass-produced art — which is still a point of contention for her to this day. (See the Appendix below for buying original art in the Macon/Middle Georgia area).

Through experimentation, Cara eventually landed on mixed media as her favorite form of expression.

“I can’t just create, though,” Cara says about her creative process, clearly driven by her need to always be free to explore her way. We might even say Cara has a need to re-wild herself to find her creative groove.

“It’s like a book club,” She says. “If I’m told I have to read a specific book, my brain rebels and wants to do anything other than read that book. Sometimes I can fake it and make it happen but that’s rare and whatever I paint looks forced.”

Wanting to teach others to paint authentically from their gut makes complete sense for Cara, who uses color without hesitation to express her inner wild child. She might be an introvert, but her artwork shouts in brilliant hues.

“I spent a lot of time in my head as a child, have always had a big imagination and have always been a daydreamer. Is it manifesting? Is it a waste of time? Is it a way to relax? Who knows? Before I go to sleep I imagine things I’d like to happen.”

These days, Cara is looking for a balance between making art and making a living. Through Cara Heard Co she offers marketing consulting and content creation, and occasionally she teaches mixed media art (such as at Wesleyan College in Macon where I took her class). Cara also co-manages 478 Creatives, a group of artists, photographers, graphic designers, writers, ceramicists, etc., from all over Middle Georgia who meet monthly in Macon.

Cara and her Co-Manager of 478 Creatives, Erin Hawkins, a Macon-based muralists and graphic designer, each earn a small stipend that covers their management expenses but isn’t enough to support them. That hasn’t stopped Cara and Erin from creating a robust program for 478 Creatives members while pursuing their individual art careers.

“Cara is one of my favorite people to brainstorm with,” Erin says. “Her creative ideas are always inspiring and thought-provoking.”

Erin Hawkins and Cara Heart, Co-Managers of 478 Creatives.

Cara and Erin made a strategic move for their creative group by forming a partnership with the Macon Arts Alliance, providing the Alliance with access to the creative people they want to promote while also giving creatives a way to embed in Macon’s cultural scene.

Layers Upon Layers

Cara considers herself “silly and sarcastic,” but there’s nothing silly about Cara or her concern for others, including animals. Her sarcasm is light and humorous.

She doesn’t hide her emotions or thoughts, which most people appreciate as Cara being authentically Cara. She is kind, a smile at the ready behind her big blue eyes, but she’s also complex, formed of layers like the mixed media art she creates.

“I like layers,” Cara laughs. “The more layers the better. The reason I’ve latched on to mixed media is because there can be so many stories in the layers. I can hide things that only I know are in there. I also set an intention for each piece, or for the owner of the piece… And even after I forget what is hidden, I know the intention was good or powerful. I believe it gives the art energy.”

Not that she’s covering everything up. Cara delights in her clients finding the meaningful symbols she layers into their commissioned art pieces. After all, it was covering up “mistakes” that made Cara love mixed media.

“I started in mixed media by painting over paintings I didn’t love, a way of making lemonade with lemons. Although I’d much rather turn that into a margarita.”

She’s always layering in that humor, too.

The more time spent with Cara, the more layers are revealed:

She knows her values and stands firm in them
She’s a feminist who fiercely defends and promotes women, and imbues her art with patriarchal-busting sentiments to inspire women to change the world
She had the word “meraki” tattooed onto her painting arm because it means to put a little of your soul into everything you create. “I truly believe that,” Cara says.
She encourages everyone to create with abandon and joy, results be damned!
She wants everyone around her to feel triumphant and appreciated
She strove to empower other women to start their own businesses by being a model of entrepreneurship
She’s an Enneagram Seven
She strongly believes we should all decorate our homes with pieces made by local artists, not pieces from chain stores
She knows Maya Angelou was spot on for saying,“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use it, the more you have.”
She believes Elizabeth Gilbert got it right in her book Big Magic by suggesting creative ideas present themselves to us and we must act on them or the ideas will move on to the next creative person
She is guided and inspired by nature and travel, both offering new ways of seeing light and color
She prefers dark roast unsweetened Starbucks Iced Coffee with a splash of milk and pure maple syrup to fuel her creative adventures

Ruth Bader Ginsberg, an example of Cara’s pro-woman artistry.

Cara promotes women in their new and established businesses, hence her membership in The Web, a Macon work-share space designed for local solo-preneurs and small business owners. Cara joined The Web when it was first launched in 2019 and her art is usually on display in the little gallery space at the The Web. (Learn more about The Web and its founders in the appendix.)

The Separation & Turning Point

“I had to separate myself from my environment to see how I felt,” Cara says about her trip to France last year, where she attended a month-long artists’ residency at Château D’Orquevaux. She had been accepted to the residency two years before but could’t get away — she was was caring for her parents as they recovered from a serious RV accident. Luckily, the residency told her to pick an alternate date and she was able to venture to France in April 2024, when she was still running Lush Art.

Cara considers herself lucky to have been accepted into the residency from the large pool of worldwide applicants.

The countryside chateau is near the village of Orquevaux, with a population of 50 souls and no businesses; many locals are employed by the residency.

Surrounded by entrancing french countryside, far away from her life in Georgia, freed from daily concerns like managing a business, preparing meals, and cleaning, Cara was able to focus on creating art in her own private studio, working at any hour — everything she might need was accessible 24/7.

Cara in her resident studio at Château D’Orquevaux.

The beautiful countryside was a major supporting element in Cara’s experience, allowing for long, contemplative hikes.

She found the freedom from day-to-day responsibilities mind-expanding and leaned into forming bonds with her fellow artists, understanding what true collaboration feels like, and reevaluating her life in a meaningful way.

Cara is a collaborator, after all, and her experience in France showed her what would be possible back home among her fellow artists. And once back home, she could see her “daily grind” much more clearly, thus beginning her journey to selling Lush Art.

Cara, far right, with her fellow resident artists in France.

Cara then sold her business to Heather without even knowing what her next steps would be. That’s the resilient part of her spirit, the part that’s ready for new experiences and ready to pivot, like recently taking on the Marketing Strategist role for a new online community that supports the work of Dr. Jerry Lerner, a resiliency expert and author of Unraveled to Unrivaled: Embracing the Four Dimensions of Resilience.

“When Dr. Lerner asked me why I was burnt out with Lush Art,” Cara says, “my response was I felt people were harder to build up and the efforts were too draining. I hope by promoting his work, I will help people feel better in a different way than I could through Lush Art.”

Cara’s Creative Space at Home

Kudos to Cara for managing to fit most of her supplies from Lush Art into her creative space at home. She has organized her space to hold the things she can’t live without from her Lush Art days, and also to house her current works and past pieces.

Her two dogs, Bodhi and Hattie, visit her creative space regularly for head rubs!

Cara’s “Death” Tarot card, in progress, on the easel
(with Hattie and Bodhi visiting).

Cara recently worked on a mixed media piece representing a Tarot Death card for an art show — it has already sold. The Tarot piece dovetails perfectly with the project she worked on while in France, where she used mixed media to represent the Lenormand deck of 36 oracle cards.

Cara’s rendition of the Oracle Clover card, painted in France.

“The Lenormand deck is used for cartomancy and divination, and it differs from the more common Tarot cards,” Cara says. She plans to eventually have her 36 oracle art pieces printed as a card deck.

A sampling of Cara’s 36 Oracle cards painted during her artist residency.

Cara’s creative space always evolves: here’s a recent past rendition with helpful labels.

…and another recent rendition now altered.

478 Creatives

Cara is passionate about facilitating the 478 Creatives group with Erin.

“Connecting people to creativity is at the core of what I do,” Cara says. “I’ve experienced the transformative power of community first hand, which is why I’m dedicated to fostering a welcoming environment for all.”

Started in 2021 by Erin, the 478 Creatives group is on a mission.

“Our mission is to cultivate a thriving ecosystem where creativity flourishes, connections deepen, and artistic endeavors thrive. We believe in the power of creativity to transcend boundaries and unite individuals from all walks of life. Welcoming creatives of every age, background, and skill level, we are committed to providing a supportive space for exploration, growth, and collaboration.”

Cara and Erin do amazing things when coordinating the monthly meetings, bringing in artists to speak and educate, hosting workshops, leading a collaborative group art piece, or just having fun, like they did by playing bingo at historic Grant’s lounge in downtown Macon. Monthly meetings are held at different venues around town, sometimes at the Macon Arts Alliance gallery on First Street or the Alliance’s Mill Hill location.

The Macon Arts Alliance is hosting a show in their gallery this month, kicking off on April 4, and will exclusively exhibit the juried works by creatives in the 478 region. Cara’s work will be on view during the show, which runs through the end of April 2025.

Some time in 2025, the group anticipates holding occasional meetings in Erin’s new studio space in Downtown Macon where she’ll house her Mama Hawk Draws business.

The best part of the meetings is mingling with artists of all mediums, sharing ideas, and collaborating on projects that arise from random conversations.

“Cara has an incredible talent for connecting with people,” Erin says, “and making everyone feel welcome to our 478 Creatives meet-ups. Her mentoring spirit encourages fellow creatives to grow, and her boundless creativity constantly inspires me and my own artwork.”

Cara’s in-progress art piece in the Wesleyan College art class she taught.

Erin and Cara are both talented with a brush and paint and also with digital illustrations. Erin designed the logo for the 478 Creatives group and Cara designs the monthly event invitations.

“After each event,” Cara says, “Erin and I ask each other if our cup is filled or drained. So far, we have both felt filled.”

Goodbye and Hello

“I loved it, I hated it, I lived it, I breathed it,” Cara wrote on Instagram to the people who supported her during her Lush Art years. “It allowed me to grow up, to connect with so many incredible people, to be a stronger person, to be a better artist. It’s bittersweet to say goodbye, you’ve all changed my life. It’s fitting to go out on a full moon.”

These days, Cara is refilling her well, feeling her resilience and being that brave soul who’s courageous enough to follow what she loves while fulfilling family responsibilities.

This transition has been an incubation period where Cara assesses options for her marketing consultancy business and artistic work. Recently, that included making art in anger — a rarity for her, — but essential for helping to digest everything that’s going on in our country right now.

During this transition, Cara’s openness to what the universe might bring has now manifested the largest art commission of her career! Cara is painting 18 unique art pieces to hang in the new Central Georgia Cancer Care facility, designing with powerful colors to inspire patients going through extreme health challenges and to bring a little hope and joy to their families .

“11+ years of hard work,” Cara recently wrote on Instagram, “a shift in passion, and a leap into the unknown… and then, through the power of community, connections, and referrals, my biggest art commission yet. Proof that when you pour into others, the right opportunities find their way back to you.”

Her largest commission ever is also proof that Cara is a talented artist who’s easy to work with and determined to get it right.

One of Cara’s original goals for Lush Art was to build a local creative community. She did that. After selling Lush Art, she continues to build a creative community through 478 Creatives.

As Cara navigates this life transition, using her talents to make a living while pursuing artistic adventures, a big part of her destiny is based on her tendency to gather and inspire people — especially creative people — and to cheer them on to greatness.

Her Self included.

Website: https://www.caraheardco.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1007790463184312/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caraheardco

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cara-heard-a2202812

478 Creatives Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/478creatives/

Appendix: Cara Says Buy Original Art!

“There’s something special about being surrounded by original art,” Cara says. “Art that was made with love, with feeling.”

Here are a few options for finding local art made with love and feeling in the Macon/Middle Georgia area:

Macon Arts Alliance Gallery – The Gallery at 486 First Street has a retail shop in addition to the exhibition space. They sell art pieces in all mediums (pottery, paintings, jewelry, photography, sculpture, fabric arts, etc.) made by 300 artists from the Middle Georgia area. (Hours: Tuesday – Friday, 10am-5pm). You can also support the Alliance and it’s work in boosting local artist. They’re celebrating their 40th anniversary with an Art Market on May 17, from 10am to 4pm, at the Mill Hill Community Arts Center. (Tickets are $5 at the door only).

Macon365 – A complete listing of all cultural events around Macon so you know where to go to find original art. They including happenings in Music, Stage, Art & Culture. “Subscribe” on their website to receive their newsletter full of upcoming art shows and other events, large and small.

The Web Workshare – The Art Gallery at the Clubhouse in the Web’s office displays Cara’s artwork on a rotating basis along with art by other local artists — including renowned textile artist Wini McQueen. The Web workshare space is located at the same address as Macon Magazine: 1083 Washington Avenue. Cara joined The Web as a member when it was launched in December 2019 by three Macon businesswomen: Susannah Cox Maddox (Publisher/Editor in Chief of Macon Magazine, Elizabeth Schorr (ES&CO), and Jessica Walden (owner of Rock Candy Tours).

Bohemian Den – This shop at 502 Cherry Street, owned by Scott Mitchell, supports social justice issues, curates fair trade products from around the world, and sells original and prints of artwork by Macon’s best artists, such as Redefiningshe.

Rabbit Hole – This smartly curated home goods and decor shop at 811 Forsyth Street is owned by couple Autumn Van Gunten and artist Cedric Smith who sells his own artwork in the store, along with art from other local artists and creatives from around the world. They also sell some Bitter Southerner apparel. Cedric spoke at a 2024 478 Creatives meeting and is featured in the February/March 2025 issue of Macon Magazine.

First Friday – The first Friday of every month is a great time to visit downtown Macon for live music, good eats, cold brews, and local shopping. Many restaurants, stores, and galleries are open and showing off their latest acquisitions or simply celebrating Macon’s artistic and musical culture. Visit New Town Macon’s Facebook page to see who’s participating in each First Friday, or just show up and be surprised.

Gallery West – Photographer Kirk West has photographed musical artists for decades and was road manager for the Allman Brothers for 20 years. He and his wife bought The Big House that would later become the Allman Brothers Museum. Gallery West, which just celebrated its 10th anniversary, sells Kirk’s photographs and books in the 3rd Street shop in downtown Macon. The Gallery also features artwork, mostly paintings, by local artists like Johnny Mo.

Macon Magazine – The December 2024/January 2025 issue shares their annual “Local-Loving Gift Guide” to various products produced locally, including art pieces. Erin’s glass ornaments from her Mama Hawk Draws company were featured in this recent gift guide!

Artist Gift Market – Every November/December, the Artist Gift Market is held for six weeks and features all types of items made by local artists including pottery, t-shirts, scarves, books, jewelry, home decor, etc. Watch for information about the Artist Gift Market in 2025.

Triangle Arts Macon – They’re hosting an Artist Market on Saturday, April 26, from 11am to 5pm featuring original art, food trucks, a kids zone, demos and open house, and music. 206 Lower Elm Street, Macon, GA 31106.

Jeff Carol Davenport, Sculptor, Part 2

Jeff has done it again! After her Pat Tillman sculpture was installed at Arizona State University in 2017, Jeff’s statue of Coach Bobby Winkles was unveiled there in April 2024. Plus, she’s been creating new art pieces every single day!

Jeff Carol Davenport looked around her studio, trying to see it through new eyes as she tidies up in anticipation of hosting VIPs from Arizona State University’s baseball program.

Keeping her studio neat is a constant challenge; pottery materials, paints and sculpting tools are scattered across various work stations. But she must get her creative space looking organized and welcoming; a big sculpting project is on the line!

Will she get the commission from ASU to sculpt a life-size likeness of beloved baseball Coach Bobby Winkles? What an opportunity that would be for Jeff!

Bobby Winkles coached ASU’s Sun Devils baseball team from 1958, when the school adopted the varsity sport, until 1971, taking the team to the national championship three times. He’s considered the architect of ASU’s baseball program… and also a legend.

When she had received an email two weeks before — asking if she was interested in the sculpting job — Jeff responded with an immediate “absolutely.”

When the three baseball reps were shown into Jeff’s detached art studio filled with colorful paintings, ceramics and sculptures, they immediately saw the maquette of Coach Winkles that Jeff had been working on. She has a gift for capturing faces in clay and she had Coach Winkles looking just like he did in a photo sent by the baseball committee.

Many artists won’t even sculpt a maquette as a prototype if they haven’t secured a contract. But Jeff does. She doesn’t mind doing a little work for a potential client without receiving money or without an upfront promise of getting the job. Not many people in any field think like that.

“They walked into my studio and seemed very happy with the maquette,” Jeff says. “They liked it, and I thought ‘this is going to be a go.’”

“Thanks so much,” one man said to Jeff. “We’re looking at two other artists and will be in touch.”

“That made me feel down,” Jeff says. “I thought, ‘maybe I won’t get the commission.’”

ASU players touch Jeff’s Patt Tillman sculpture before each game.

They knew that Jeff had already sculpted Pat Tillman, former ASU football star, for a life-size bronze sculpture installed at ASU, so that would hopefully help sell her to this committee. Yet, even with creating Pat Tillman’s sculpture, Jeff didn’t take the Coach Winkles prospective job for granted.

“I don’t expect these things,” she says.

Pitchfork in ASU’s Mountain America stadium.

Jeff had also created the bronze Pitchfork sculpture placed in ASU’s Mountain America stadium.

Her mode is to keep working, no matter what, and that’s what she did until the day in early 2024 when she received word that the committee had selected her to sculpt Coach Winkles!

At the unveiling ceremony in April 2024, one of the committee members said to Jeff, “The minute we walked in and saw the maquette, we knew you were the artist for the job. We had to follow our formal selection process, though.”

“But, they knew,” Jeff says, enjoying the thought of their immediate acceptance of her skills, even if they couldn’t say anything at the time.
Those are the lows and highs for artists who put their art out into the world. The highs and lows never really stop, even for seasoned artists, but they hopefully become less intense with time and experience.

Unveiling Coach Winkles’ sculpture at entrance to Phoenix Municipal Stadium.

Jeff was on a high at the unveiling ceremony and she was honored to meet Bobby Winkles’ family, including his grandchildren.

She considers her Bobby Winkles sculpture to be her “star accomplishment.”

Coach Winkles family and friends celebrate unveiling.

“But what about Pat Tillman’s sculpture?,” I say. “That’s a star accomplishment, too.”

“Yes, but Pat’s sculpture is in an area of the ASU stadium where mainly the staff and team have access, so the general public doesn’t always see it. Coach Winkles’ sculpture is on the third-base concourse at the entrance of the Phoenix Municipal Stadium, ASU’s home park. Everyone attending a game will walk by Coach Winkles’ statute when entering and leaving the stadium.”

This news article from ASU gives a great overview of the sculpture and its unveiling celebration.

ASU plans to add more sculptures on the stadium’s walkway and they’ve indicated they want Jeff to be involved.

“Adding new sculptures may not happen for a while,” Jeff says. “These things don’t always happen fast, but I’m happy that more good things might be coming.”

Jeff Carol Davenport’s tireless creative force was on full display in my first spotlight of her in 2017. Back then she was still teaching ceramics at Sandra Day O’Connor High School in Phoenix, counting down the days until she could retire and throw herself completely into sculpting, both bronze and ceramics.

While teaching high schoolers during the day, Jeff’s time in her home studio was busy, busy, busy.

Now that she’s retired, she’s unstoppable!

Jeff might be your creative kindred spirit if you wake up wanting to get to work on a project and go to bed thinking about tomorrow’s projects… while art ideas pop into your mind night and day.

She’s usually working on several pieces of art in different mediums, spread out in her studio at designated work areas: the pottery wheel area, the glazing area, the jewelry-making area, the painting area.

Jeff’s detached art studio filled with supplies, paintings, prototypes and inspiration.

“Making art fulfills the need that I apparently have,” Jeff says, “to always be creating and be productive. Creativity breeds creativity.”

Since retiring from teaching in May 2022, her production rate has sky-rocketed, just as she had yearned for during those working years. Jeff paints, makes ceramics, creates sculptures to be cast in bronze — managing them through every step of the casting process — and now makes jewelry. She’s even learning to weld!

Yet, as productive as she is, there’s never enough time to make all the beautiful things flooding her brain.

Jeff and her husband Mike have an off-grid vacation home in New Mexico that they’re building by themselves…and they bought another nearby lot so Jeff is now hankering to build a small dwelling there, too. By hand!

Jeff welding a base for one of her sculptures.

She somehow remains focused on her multiple art projects but one distraction she finds pleasant is her two-year-old granddaughter, Adaliya, who lives with Jeff’s son, Jeff, and his wife Aiya in Flagstaff. (Jeff, the mom, is also a hunter and for years has gone on multiple Elk and deer hunts with her son Jeff.)

When not with family, Jeff is in her studio making things like:
• Branded ceramic mugs as corporate gifts for her son Cori’s clients
• Ceramic bells
• Small branded ceramic coffee cups and bee earrings for a local boutique
• Paintings of giant saguaros that live near home in New River, AZ
• Small animals from clay to fire at her next Wood-fire Workshop in Northern Arizona
• Maquettes of commissioned statues to be enlarged and cast at the local foundry (where Jeff worked for 20 years)

Most of Jeff’s art is inspired by her Sonoran Desert surrounds, where she grew up and has lived her entire life: 66 years so far.

She has a distinct aesthetic style, able to create adorable desert animals like javelina or bunny rabbits that look soft and realistic, even in bronze.
Sure, she’d like to participate in some of the annual winter art shows in Phoenix, Scottsdale, or Wickenberg. She plans to continue applying to those shows until the organizers recognize her tenacity and invite her to exhibit.

Jeff showing off her small javelina sculpture.

But Jeff doesn’t want fame and fortune at this stage in her life. She just wants to keep making all her wonderful creations and have people appreciate them… and purchase them so she can buy more supplies and make more beautiful things!

“I don’t know how to get where I’d like to be,” Jeff says. “I don’t look at rejections, though. Instead I look at what works for me. Like the Bobby Winkles sculpture. I just keep working to get those kind of jobs. In the meantime, I keep my creativity going and keep making art.”

STUDIO

Jeff admits her studio isn’t organized like one might see in a magazine. Stuff is everywhere, stacked in containers, stuffed into drawers, sitting on desks and tables, all akimbo. But it works for Jeff.

“I have Dis-organizational Organization,” she says with a chuckle. Her different work areas may be cluttered but she gets lots of work done at each one.
“I’m a visual person so it helps me to see my supplies. If I were to organize them into a tidy little space, I’d probably lose everything. If my glazes are on the table, I’m more productive versus having to go search out where I put things.”

Coach Winkles in the wax stage of the lost wax method.

If she puts things away she forgets about them.

“I found a box of jewelry-making supplies at a yard sale and was going through it,” Jeff says, “when my neighbor Brent suggested I just offer them a price for the whole box, and I did. The other day I found that box and started pulling out silver solder and some cabochons, which I can use in pieces right now. But I had forgotten about the supplies in that box! What else in the studio is tucked into boxes that I’ve forgotten about?!”

Coach Winkles bronze sculpture in process.

The cost of materials is a huge part of making art for any artist, especially when they’re trying to set prices for their work. Also included are the thousands of hours of training and dedication that an artist puts into mastering their craft. As patrons of creative people, we’re buying that skill and expertise when we purchase a piece of their art.

“It sometimes feels like I’m paying people to buy my art,” Jeff laughs, “because maybe I can never get back the money I‘ve put into all my endeavors.” She has multiple pottery wheels, mounds of clay, several kilns, and materials for jewelry that include precious gems and fine metals. The cost of building a creative space to work in must also be part of the calculation.

“For one of the ceramic bells I make, it’s not just about how much clay the bell takes, “ Jeff says, “it’s also about electricity to fire the kiln, studio space, and the time it takes to sculpt and then assemble the finished product.”

Every little expense adds up, especially when she’s working across multiple mediums. Luckily Jeff and Mike love to shop at yard sales and thrift stores and that helps in financing her art.

STAND-OUT SCULPTOR

Of course more good things, and more great sculpture commissions, are coming to Jeff.

No other sculptor can produce what she does for what she charges.

“I provide a great product for the cost,” Jeff says. “No one else would do what I do, like making prototypes without an agreement in place. My prices are reasonable. I come highly recommended and know how to manage my time and meet any client’s deadline. I always do things on time.”

Coach Winkles sculpture going into place at ASU’s stadium.

Jeff has been building a reputation for doing these public projects for decades. After working at the local foundry for 20 years, she knows every process of casting bronze. She can do the physical work of mold making and cleaning seams, etc. Being local, she can meet her clients at the foundry at any time during the process and explain each stage. For local clients, delivery fees are not as expensive as delivery costs would be from an out-of-state artist.

Gift from the Vancouver K9 PD to a donor, sculpted by Jeff from her prior life-sized memorial.

“People respond to my style,” Jeff says. “My work is realistic but I have a really nice style. Plus my large body of work with sculptures installed around the state and elsewhere demonstrate my expertise and talent. I can stand up with the best of artists.”

What Jeff doesn’t mention is her positive attitude and sunny outlook. Or her kindness. She is a pleasure to be around and a complete sweetheart for her clients to deal with.

Jeff is a sculptor who can design in a short period of time with minimal input from clients and nail their concept from the start. It’s rare that a client asks her to redo her original design. Jeff’s relationship with the folks at the foundry make it easy to process any statue from start to finish. She knows the foundry, its people and equipment. They know her and trust her.

Jeff’s pig sculpture for a popular breakfast spot.

Jeff does all of this with a smile, offering great ideas and delivering more than she promised.

Jeff has created two sculptures for Creighton University, a Jesuit Catholic institution in Phoenix with a large focus on their nursing program. St. Ignatius was the founder of the Jesuits and his sculpture stands at the university’s entrance.

Jeff’s sculpture of St. Ignatius at Creighton University in Phoenix.

Jeff Sculpture of Billy, Creighton’s mascot, on their campus in Phoenix.

As a sculptor, Jeff has much to recommend her for any size projects. And that’s just her sculpting. She is as talented in her other artistic pursuits.

The Boys and Girls Club of Flagstaff commissioned Jeff to
create this sculpture as an award.

Popular by Vote

Jeff’s sculptures often capture the public’s imagine and take on a life of their own. For instance, she created Learning Together, a sculpture of a boy and his dog, modeling the figures off of her son, Jeff, and their family pet, Cisco.

Jeff’s sculpture Learning Together was modeled on her son, Jeff, and pet Cisco.

“We got Cisco as a rescue,” Jeff says, “and in the sculpture you can feel his anticipation of Jeff throwing the ball. My son was known for taking his shoes off wherever he went, so to add to the story I placed his shoes at the base of the sculpture. Also, if you look in the eyes of the dog, you can see the reflection of the boy.”

Three of these sculptures stand in Arizona; in Oro Valley, Prescott Valley and Mesa.

“The Learning Together sculpture in Prescott Valley at the Civic Center overwhelmingly won the Public Choice Award with the purchase agreement for the city,” Jeff says. “The one in Mesa also won the public choice award.”

So add “award-winning sculptor” to Jeff’s resume!

WOODFIRE WORKSHOP

For the last five summers, Jeff has made her way up I-17 to Flagstaff and the Northern Arizona’s ceramic workshop comprised of a series of wood-fired kilns set beneath towering Ponderosa pines. She attends the two-week class, working from sunup to sundown every day, ready to fire as many pieces as possible in the large kilns.

All workshop participants pull together, taking turns to load and unload the various brick kilns day in and day out to ensure everyone’s complete collection is fired by closing day. Participants create all types of pieces, from dish ware to vases and everything in between, when they’re not tending to the kiln.

Jeff made a promise to herself that she would sculpt one small animal every day of the year to take to Flagstaff.

“I’m known for my animals in the kiln,” Jeff says. “I started out just wanting to make a quick clay sketch but then started spending an hour a day on each one, so I’ve slowed down on them and plan to pick out my top 50 to take to Flagstaff in the summer.”

Those small sculptures could be the start of something bigger. “I can scan each one and enlarge it to make something big, like a bronze statue,” Jeff says.

Jeff keeps the “living” wood-fired kiln breathing.

Often it seems like the older people put in the most effort, but maybe that’s just because inexperienced students are surprised by the amount of physical work it takes to fire a piece in a wood-fired kiln, which is much different than using an electric kiln.

People have to physically load the kilns, crawling inside to stack pieces just right, and folks must also stay throughout the night to keep the temperature up.

“Working with a wood-fired kiln is enormous work,” Jeff says. “A kiln is a living thing. It must have oxygen and wood. A kiln might stall in the middle of the night and you have to get it back to breathing.”

Many workshop participants have been attending for years, some longer than Jeff, and this group of returnees have the process down. They know what needs to be done and they make it happen.

“We have a big chart on the wall of what we need to load, unload, bisque fire, etc.,” Jeff says. “There’s nothing worse than someone not having fired all their pieces by the end.”

Jeff prepares ceramic items for months in advance to take to the workshop, and she brings home a good many beautiful pieces, but she’s also simultaneously making other items in other mediums.

BOUTIQUE WARES

Sharron Brenning, an artist friend of Jeff’s known for her lovely paintings of Native American children, opened a boutique in Verde Valley, taking over space in her son’s adjacent gun shop, “Deuces & Aces.”

Sharron’s little shop is cleverly called “On the Softer Side” and has a flower-and-bee theme. Sharron asked Jeff to make tiny coffee cups with a Bee motif to use as necklace pendants. And little bee medallions for earrings. Sharron offers handmade soaps in her shop and asked Jeff to make ceramic soap dishes to pair with the soaps. To complement the gun shop’s theme, Jeff makes a ring holder with a large-gauge bullet as the center post.

“Sharron and I are just starting out with this collaboration,” Jeff says, “and we’re learning what sells and what prices to charge. She’s trying to make a go by offering unique handmade products as a draw for customers.”

Display of Jeff’s coffee cups made into pendants.

the PAINTed desert

Jeff has been painting for years, though it sometimes takes a backseat to ceramics and sculpting. There are only 24 hours in a day, after all.

Sadly, one massive Saguaro on Carefree Highway in Cave Creek went down a few months after Jeff painted it. It can takes hundreds of years for a cactus to grow to that size. Saguaro cacti are only found in the Sonoran Desert, nowhere else in the world, and they are a protected species. In this case, the cactus’ demise is even more sad because Jeff suspects it was possibly removed to make room for power lines.

Jeff painted/captured this beauty’s image before it sadly went down after 100s of years.

If a Saguaro must be removed, it is usually carefully uprooted, gently transported and then planted elsewhere, as part of the laws to protect them, but moving a cactus as large as this one must be impossible, hence its treatment.

“All the arms were cut off,” Jeff says, “and were left piled up next to the road.”

Thank goodness Jeff preserved the cactus’ image before it went down.
“I feel by painting the cactus, I’ve documented it in history, in a way. To think of all the years and progress that saguaro had lived through. It’s sad.”

This cactus lives on 16th Street just north of carefree highway.

And here’s the painting from the sketch.

BELLS atolling

How did Jeff come up with the idea of making the ceramic bells, one of her more recent and popular inventions? She received a wedding invitation from two former students who had met in her class. After much thought, Jeff decided the bell would be a perfect ceramic gift to represent how the couple had met.

“We’re going to their wedding next month so I made the bell and inscribed their names and wedding date on it. I also made one for my son Cori who married Rachel in July. People love these bells, and every time I post them on social media, they’re bought up quickly.”

Perhaps people want a piece of affordable art made by the great sculptor Jeff Carol Davenport, who is making a name for herself through her public sculpture commissions. Plus, Jeff prices her work so reasonably, charging only $40 for one of her handmade bells; a true bargain for a handmade piece of art.

OFF-GRID VACATION HOME

Several years ago, Jeff and Mike bought a lot in a remote neighborhood near Ramah, New Mexico. Regulations allow only “sheds” on-sight; a “shed” is a building of 200-square-feet or less. Jeff and Mike have made trips to the lot and built an off-grid 12 x 16-foot shed/cabin/bungalow from scratch, and they love how it’s cozy enough for them plus their dogs Eli and Maya.

“It’s like a hunter’s cabin,” Jeff says of the little space outfitted in blue pine walls and rustic flooring, and made comfortable with a large bed and pretty decor. “We bought another property up there and will build another little place so friends and family can come visit.”

When Jeff says they’ll build another hunter’s cabin, she’s gleefully saying that she can’t wait to get up there and cut boards, build the walls, put on a roof, outfit a porch, etc. She’s eager to build the new shed/cabin with her own hands.

DAD, WADE HOFFMAN

If Jeff’s dad, Wade Hoffman, is any indication of her potential longevity, she could have many more years of good health in which to create things. Born in 1932 in North Carolina, Jeff’s dad is 92 years old and still working two days a week as a security guard.

Mr. Hoffman and the 1930 Packard he’ll restore with Jeff.

“We want to put a 35 x 40-foot building in our backyard,” Jeff says, “to act as an apartment for my dad and a garage where we can restore his 1930 740 Roadster Packard, which he’s owned since he was 17 years old. I’m looking for a civil engineer to get the building started.”

Mr. Hoffman, a veteran of the Korean war, has all the parts for the Packard and has restored individual pieces over the years. Eventually they’ll transport the car and its parts to Jeff’s house so she and her father can restore it.

“My dad bought a travel trailer to live in as we’re building his apartment and garage,” Jeff laughs. “Parked in our yard, he says he’ll be our onsite security guard.”

PETS aplenty

Also onsite at Jeff and Mike’s house, in addition to their dogs Maya and Eli, are chickens in a coop and their two aged turtles, Indi and Tony, who live under a Paolo Verde tree in the front yard. Indi and Tony love a lettuce snack and an occasional spraying with the water hose.

Jeff has had chickens for years and one of her hens recently hatched two rooster chicks.

“I felt badly that only two of her eggs hatched,” Jeff says, “so I ordered four baby chickens and snuck them under her in the middle of the night. When she woke up she thought she had six babies.”

Jeff manages to care for her husband, her grown children and grandchild, her turtles, dogs, and chickens, all while producing great amounts of great art. And enjoying life with a big laugh throughout it all.

the FUTURE’s so bright

In between sculpting, painting, ceramic projects, building “sheds,” assisting her father, encouraging other artists, tending to her animals with lots of love and caring for her extended family, Jeff has begun experimenting with making jewelry. She took a course in college and has now taken a local refresher course.
“I made four silver rings, one with a cabochon, and then came home and made turquoise rings,” she says of her refresher course experience.

Jeff plans to grow her jewelry-making skills while also pursuing participation in local art shows and maybe getting her work into a gallery in Cave Creek, a popular western-themed town near Jeff’s home.

“At this stage of my life,” Jeff says, “I’m comfortable because I don’t need the money. If money comes, that’s good. But I don’t make art for the money. If I was doing it just for the money, I simply would not be doing it. There’s something deeper than financial gain for me.”

Hear, hear!

And there’s something deeper for the folks lucky enough to experience Jeff and her art… in all its many forms.

RESOURCES

Website: jeffcaroldavenport.com
Instagram: @jeffcaroldavenport