BY SHALEEN DESTEFANO
We had the pleasure of meeting Annie Decamp over coffee nearly two years ago. Having worked in the arts for three decades, she is a Denver treasure, and so is her art. We are thrilled she took time away from the studio to offer a glimpse into her process.
Tell us a little bit about your background… What made you interested in art? Who were your early influencers?
I am a self-taught artist and began painting approximately 25 years ago. In 2001 I started a jewelry design business and had success selling my work world-wide and in a brick-and-mortar store called Decamp in Palo Alto, CA. I ran that business for 15 years or so.
After moving to Denver I began painting again. After working with wax for jewelry-making I missed wax as a medium. I had always wanted to try encaustic painting. Encaustic blends beeswax with resin as a hardening agent and is applied to panel while hot. I began experimenting with encaustic in 2017 and much of my work was then focused on the Native American figure. It didn’t take long for me to experiment with mixed media (digital art and oil painting – often combining the three mediums).
My early influencers were Van Gogh and many of the traditional artists, Gerhard Richter, Joan Brown, Francesco Clemente, Wayne Thiebaud (particularly his landscapes), and Rauschenberg. All have and do influence my work in some way.
Who are your current art inspirations? Do you look to other contemporary artists’ work during your artistic process?
My most recent art inspirations are Francesco Clemente and another wonderful abstract figurative contemporary artist Alex Kanevsky (I’m always trying to figure out his palette as he consistently works with what seems like carefully constructed colorways). He’s a magician.
You often work with old photographs with an encaustic medium, but your recent work focuses more on original paintings. How has your work evolved and where do you see it headed?
I almost always use reference images when I paint. For a long time, I looked to late 19th century photos but have currently become interested in working with current imagery taken from fashion sets or runway scenes as I have had a long love affair with fashion.
Due to a diagnosis of a rare lung disease last year, I sadly no longer work with encaustic and am focused primarily on working with oil.
My work seems to always be evolving around subject matter but I believe my style has become more consistent. I enjoy going down a lot of rabbit holes for subject matter. My work will always be about story telling and humanity. As I have grown, I feel my ability to convey emotion and a sense of intimacy with my figurative work has matured. After a couple of life-threatening incidences last year, I believe I have come to see the figure more clearly so my work has improved. Additionally, due to those experiences, I have begun to explore floral and still-life painting which is quite meditative.
What is your state of mind when you are painting?
Generally excitement. I can’t wait to get to one of my studios every morning. My mood however can be in step with what I am painting, so subject matter affects my state of mind. I also work with an intense amount of curiosity around palette, approach, and my subject.
What are you currently working on?
I am stepping into working on very large-scale pieces. I began a piece in my studio of an aging model on a runway with my bulldog in the foreground. I like the weird stuff and to create scenes that are up to the viewer to build a story around. I often say that art becomes important when the viewer connects with it, and along the lines of striving to create a dialog around humanity through my work, I believe there is a communion between artist and viewer when this happens. That can be pretty magical.
What’s your take on the Denver art scene?
Denver has a healthy and growing art scene. I may see it that way as I’ve become more connected with a broad spectrum of artists I call friends. I produce an art event called Yard Art Contemporary that has certainly expanded my connection base and I am proud of our achievements as a body of artists working to bring art directly to the community.
Denver has some fantastic artists.
What is your advice for budding artists?
I advise all budding artists to build discipline. Start each day with a sketch or painting, or paint something three times to hone your skills. Plan to work very hard, and build your connection base. Your life as an artist can be so much more that making art. After my experience last year, I was deeply moved by the love that comes out of the art community – I live in a very generous world.
You have a distinct style. What are your guiding principles when choosing your subject matter?
As I mentioned, I like the weird stuff but also recognize that work needs to move people in some way for a connection to happen, so I want to make accessible work. I recently painted a number or painting of male models from high fashion ads and men wearing wigs and corsets. This was a study on human vulnerability. I was pleased to sell almost all of these works fairly immediately. This validated the mixture of somewhat offbeat storytelling with making accessible and meaningful art as people seem to have a real connection with it. I can’t wait to do more.
Can you give us a glimpse into your studio? What’s spinning on the record player?
I work out of a few studios, two here in Denver and one is in the mountains, and I love all of the spaces. My big studio by City Park has an incredible vibe – it’s generally quiet but when I teach a class there or have an open studio it takes on a whole other energy. I have what I call, my art bar that has a wall behind it where I hang all of my friends’ work, collaboration pieces, notes, silly sketches etc.
I either have a speaker or my head phones going at all times. Most often I listen to Eminem or the Fugees but I also love old school rock.
What has this last year looked like for you and what can we expect from you in the future?
Last year brought some challenges, but since I’ve recovered, I am exploring florals and still-life in addition to my figurative work. I believe my work feels more assured since some of the trauma I went through and am incredibly grateful that I essentially do art therapy every day.
When I was beginning to get back to painting last year, my friend Anuschka who owns Bloom in Cherry Creek approached me about doing work for a collaborative window display around the holidays and that’s when I dove into florals. She now sells my work regularly for which I’m grateful. I love to drop by Bloom for floral inspiration, and have spent some Sundays doing live painting there
I am excited to do a second Yard Art Contemporary event over the September 9th and 10th weekend at my home located at 100 Gaylord Street. Its an incredibly fun weekend for all of us and visitors seem to love it. This event is free and open to the public. We usually have a fun kids’ art table to engage the little ones.
I’ll be spending a significant amount of time in the mountains this year which has a special influence on my work and process, but since I launched a new website, I’ll be putting more time into that, too. I post my work regularly on Instagram and just love the connections I make there – @anniedecampart. I also just received the exciting news the my Daughter and her husband are having a baby next January, so I am delighted to anticipate that!
We can’t wait to see what the future holds for you and your work, Annie. Thank you so much for sharing your art with our audience. If you’d like to learn more, visit www.anniedecampart.com.