By Ryan Farrell, Staff Writer
A lifelong passion for the arts bears many facets. Autumn Damron uses a variety of mediums to craft what she dreams of. Though her pieces usually portray themes of nature and botany, Damron uses her art as a vehicle for representation.
In a previous drawing class, Damron chose to center her art around domestic violence, a subject she had been researching. The course gave Damron the opportunity to express her artistic capabilities.
“I wanted to work a component where I can, not advertise, but increase awareness through representations,” Damron said.
Damron is currently studying psychology and studio art as she completes her senior year. She has been a part of the USM community since 2015.
Damron’s Facebook page, known as Versatile Visions: Fine Art in Many Mediums, showcases her collective art. Each category of media displays Damron’s extensive range, as well as her curiosity.
She has used her Facebook platform to attract business via commission. Five of Damron’s pieces have been purchased by Maine collectors, and she has sold art to collectors in Massachusetts, Utah, and California.
For Damron, the arts are a lifelong passion. She began sketching for a couple hours a day in her youth, quickly becoming inspired by her older sister’s artistic style.
As Damron grew older, she became attracted to the idea of artistic representation and began exploring a variety of new avenues. Her grandparents always encouraged her to explore new mediums, giving Damron art supplies to motivate her to try new crafts. In high school, Damron would conceptualize furniture in hopes of being able to craft them in the future.
Throughout Damron’s artistic career she has preferred several mediums. She previously favored sketching with charcoal because it forced her to abandon previous concepts. The unpredictable nature of charcoal is difficult to control, however Damron appreciates the unforeseeable.
“It’s a lot of fun when you kind of just let it do its thing and let it take you where it wants to go,” said Damron.
Damron’s current medium of choice is acrylic paint because it’s an affordable, wet material, bearing a plethora of colors. Her previous paintings benefit from this decision. Damron’s painting expresses an impressive sense of realism when exploring nature and landscapes. Her abstract works utilize the vibrant paints in interesting ways.
“It’s a lot easier to achieve a more malleable color with acrylic than with colored pencils, because with colored pencils, I’m not as familiar with their blending,” said Damron.
When looking for inspiration she considers her emotions and the message she wants to communicate. Similarly, she wishes to remain artistically adaptable.
In the future, Damron hopes to start exploring furniture crafting. Since she has the necessary tools, she is already well equipped. Damron hopes to start doing more commissions during school vacations.
Her artwork can be found @TheSeasonalArtist on Instagram.
“Blind” (Four piece of charcoal and white pastel on 100lb. Bristol paper, 19″x24″, Spring 2019)
(Acrylic on Canvas, 40″x30″x0.5″, Spring 2019)