Spotlight CAA Members: Janice Davis

My first memory of art making was at 4 years old. My mother would put out crayons, paper, glue, & scissors on Saturday mornings for me and my siblings to keep busy so my parents could sleep in. Art played a part throughout my childhood. It was always offered in elementary school through high school. Fun fact: I was in Art Club and had art classes with upperclassman Jackson Browne. We went steady my sophomore year, who would have known! He was writing songs in high school too.

I attended Junior College in Fullerton, CA (where I was raised), took art classes there, but I was bored of school. There were so many exciting things going on being the early 70’s. I moved to Hollywood with friends where we rented a house on Laurel Canyon Blvd. I worked in a boutique on Hollywood Blvd. and was asked to construct mannequins out of cardboard and window dress them.

I needed a better job though and PacBell was hiring. There I worked as a long-distance operator for a year, then transferred to an outside job. I was one of their first women phone installers and even got my picture on the cover of Money magazine! It was a very physical job, up and down telephone poles, crawling under houses with critters! Eventually I was promoted to management where I met my future husband. I took early retirement after 15 years to raise my beautiful daughters. I had various part time jobs and art took a back seat for a while.
I then started attending classes through Walnut Creek Rec and I’ve continued for many years now with instructor Patsy Taylor. I’ve learned a lot. I met Board member Renaye Johnson in the class, and she invited me to join CAA. I’ve been a part of CAA for 6 years and thoroughly enjoy all the activities and opportunities they provide. The biggest one being the utility box project where I was part of painting more than one of the 35 boxes that beautify Concord neighborhoods.
Thanks Jane!
Great story! Mine seems similar, except when I was 5, my mom used to lay out window shades that she had just taken down to put up shutters, I had an entire house of window shades to roll out and draw on, (she figured it was better than me drawing on the walls with crayons)! I'm a painter by profession and have been for 25 years. I wound up going to Philadelphia College of Art, and I have my own business (Garcia Design), and exhibit paintings in galleries, and for private collections. Keep going Janice! Don't be discouraged, as most artists are, but you have a talent and passion most people don't have, or ignore. Kudos to your mo…
Janice -- I liked reading about your previous jobs -- especially getting a job as a phone installer, and getting on the cover of Money magazine. And you painting of the mother and child captures a moment so well.