Today we’d like to introduce you to Chloe Davis.
Hi Chloe, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I am still quite young – so much of the story is hopefully left to be written.
My name is Chloe Davis. I am an artist currently located in Savannah, Georgia, though I am native to Wilmington, North Carolina.
My mom is an artist, my great aunt is an artist, my great-grandmother was an artist- I think in some ways, pursuing art was a choice against my will; a choice of fate.
So many of my early memories are about art — my mom painting on the porch (brush-filled cups of paint water and acrylic splotches all over the wooden boards), drawing on the playroom walls with crayons — yes, I admit my guilt– and making up my own little stories and illustrating the characters. My first foray into animation was through my Nintendo DSI. On Flipnote Studio, I animated dinosaurs running around, jumping on trampolines, and chasing my siblings.
I never intended to pursue art as a career. I have always been school-driven and pushed myself to excel in everything academic. However, at the end of high school, I realized that pursuing a career in math or science would only depress me. This was during the pandemic, so the future was always on my mind. When COVID hit and the world shut down, art and music were the things I kept coming back to. I don’t think there is time for me to invest my energy elsewhere. I decided to pursue animation because it was a combination of all the things I loved: storytelling, illustration, and music.
Now, I am about to graduate from college, and I do not regret that decision.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Pursuing art in any capacity is going to create for a rocky journey. I don’t anticipate a clear road ahead, either. Most of the struggles I have experienced have been related to questioning my skills and comparing myself to others. Comparison is truly the thief of joy. There have been so many moments where I question if this is really what I want to pursue in life. The odds of making a solid living are slim. But I’ve realized, creating is something I will always do. There is not enough time for me to spend my life working for/on things I do not love. Maybe that is a privileged perspective, but I believe every creative needs to try to make it happen.
I think every artist can relate to moments of joy and agony in improving at their craft. I was not a born Picasso, but I loved to create.
I distinctly remember the intense jealousy of seeing a fellow elementary schooler’s drawing get more attention than mine. At 12 years old, I remember telling myself, “I am going to be good at art.” Though I had the natural inclination, there was a moment I made the intentional decision to improve at this thing. I filled up sketchbook after sketchbook after that– completing 30 or 40 in a 4-year timespan. To put that in perspective, I probably fill two sketchbooks a year now (outside of the artwork I am already doing). Those sketchbooks were full of hot garbage, but I kept drawing. I loved it and I hated it.
Growing up in the age of social media is a blessing and a curse. It allowed me a massive breadth of knowledge right at my fingertips. I learned so much about art from social media. However, I was viewing such incredible art from such young artists that it made me frustrated and devastated. I would go on Instagram, see a fantastic illustration, look at the artist’s profile, see their age, and think to myself, “I have X number of years to be that good.” And then you see someone younger than you and better than you, and it all comes crashing down.
Luckily, I do not think like that anymore. I have spent the past four years studying at SCAD. From day one, I have been surrounded by unbelievably talented artists. Now, instead of jealousy, I feel pride — I am proud of their hard work getting there.
Difficulties come on a day-to-day basis, but every struggle is an opportunity to grow.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
It’s hard to define myself. I am an artist, a musician, and a writer, but most importantly, I am a student. I want to spend my whole life as a student, learning anything and everything I am passionate about.
I specialize in anything related to the pre-production stage of animated media (and a bit more). That mostly includes animation layouts, background paintings, storyboards, scriptwriting, environment design, and character design. In my spare time, I also do 3D modeling and texturing, narrative writing, recording engineering (setting up mics and managing a recording session), and music production.
Recently, animated films have been occupying my time. Collaborating with like-minded artists is the best thing in the world, so I am on far too many projects. One of which, I am directing. It has been a fantastic few months watching it all come together. I am so proud of everyone’s efforts. Working on these projects has made me realize that there is no limit to what a group of artists can create. The future is boundless, and I am excited to see what else we come up with!
Something that sets me apart from others is my desire to learn. Even if I have no clue what I am doing, I will dive in headfirst and figure it out as I go. Retaining childlike wonder and fearlessness is something I am always striving to do — failing is an opportunity to learn, so dive in!
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
People matter most to me. Creating matters most to me. Making a difference matters most to me. We really only get one shot at this whole ‘life’ thing. At the end of the road, I’d like to look back and know I made a positive mark on the world. Art builds connections – it sparks conversation, picks us up when we are down, is a point of collaboration, and is a tangible representation of the human experience. It matters to me that I am creating in the way that is only possible for me to do, and that hopefully by doing so, I am encouraging others to do the same. If not inspiring others to create, I hope to bring a little bit of joy into their lives; that makes all the difference.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://chloe-davis.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pehbble/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/chloe-davis-19b311247
