Today we’d like to introduce you to Stan Davis.
Hi Stan, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My story begins as a young kid growing up in Akron, Ohio. From a very early age I’d had a strong enthusiasm for art and science, and learning how the two mesh beautifully. My earliest childhood memories involved sketching and drawing at every chance I got. My family was always very supportive of my interests and helped to develop my various hobbies into refined skills. At just two years old, my grandfather regularly sat me on his lap with his spiral notepad and fat construction pencil from work to show me how to draw primitive objects from very basic shapes and embellish them as I got the hang of it. We’d fill the page, drawing a simple biplane repeatedly, adding more and more detail to each image. First, I’d master the plane shape itself, then add wheels, then the pilot, then his goggles, then a scarf blowing in the wind. The sessions were the first of many lessons in creativity and discovering how the overall project is built in pieces, which made it less overwhelming as a final product. I found a passion in exploring a world of possibilities pouring straight from the imagination onto the empty paper. The light, gentle sketching approach was a technique we used to slowly materialize the idea in a guided manner and evolve in confidence during the process. I could see where I was trying to go as opposed to regretting where I went with heavy, solid pencil marks.
Those primary concepts continued well into my school-age years. I’d doodle the subject matter onto my old-school homemade grocery bag book covers, write graffiti and calligraphy with an ink pen on my hands for makeshift tattoos, and participate in all kinds of art & design contests from t-shirts to organization logos and campaign posters. Combining those creative talents with my interest in science, I began to understand the correlation between form and function. My 2-dimensional artworks matured into 3-dimensional concepts and structural pieces for school projects and science fairs. Our 5th-grade science project was to build a habitat of any kind using practical resources from around the house. I constructed an igloo using a box of Domino sugar cubes. I realized the cubes came equipped with the perfect visual effect and were also workable enough to shave the sharp corners into the customized curves necessary for the igloo contour. These were long before the days of step-by-step internet tutorials! In high school, I worked with a team to devise a pair of wearable shoes capable of walking across an open carton of eggs without cracking them. In this case, of course the function was far more important, yet I still felt overly compelled to transform them into the likeness of a cushy pair of baby blue Adidas, stripes and all. It worked quite well for our team.
All things considered, I knew for sure I’d be successful at art and design as a course of study in college. Instead, I went for the academic challenge and pursued an engineering education at the University of Cincinnati. After spending years in such a technical career field, I found my creativity being stifled and my inner artist being starved. I felt like I’d reached an “early-life” crisis and decided to do something about it. I enrolled in art school in the evenings after work so I could strategically work my way toward a smooth transition. After graduating with another degree in Graphic Design, I was comfortable enough to take the leap and do things my way. I have no regrets about doing so because of the technical knowledge gained from the Engineering curriculum. My most valuable takeaway was that Engineering conditions a person to think a certain way. It becomes second nature. Principles such as efficiency, waste management or elimination, best use of materials, and critical paths all lend themselves to effective art & design processes. I pride myself in merging left-brained analytical thinking with right-brained, free-spirited creativity.
Today, my work reflects an original style of art I created from a very mindful strategic approach with consideration to the above tenets. My work has opened many doors for me that I wouldn’t have otherwise seen, let alone walk through with an heir of belonging. Ultimately, my professional life has been far more fulfilling, and I am eager to share my story in hopes of encouraging at least one person to actively follow their dreams. Sometimes with a calling and purpose in mind, we have to seek out the unbeaten path and imprint our own footsteps in the proverbial sands of life.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Of course, my journey hasn’t been completely smooth. I’ve had several beautiful struggles and empowering hurdles along the way. I find that it’s just a matter of holding a positive, unrelenting mindset to keep pushing through hardship. Learning from mistakes is the most important make-or-break aspect of making them. In fact, my very style of painting was contrived completely by accident! I watched a few oil painting tutorials on YouTube and they looked so simple, like oh yeah I can do that! I got the gist of the process and got right to work, with the wrong paint…acrylic!! I knew nothing about paint types or additives for that matter, so my paintings were drying far too quickly to blend like the oil tutorials I witnessed. It’s laughable now, but then I was lost! From there, I recognized that instead of blending the paints, I could do each color separately and even sped the drying time with a hair dryer so I wouldn’t need to wait nor blend colors. Boom, just concocted a consistent recipe of spiked lemonade from a single spoiled lemon. The rest is history…or MY story.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
MannMade Creative Consulting was established in 2008 out of a desire to transition from an engineering career into making a living from a true passion for art. The name itself was a clever spin of my nickname “Mannie” suggesting that the products and services are made by me. Working within my creative abilities in a professional capacity has been beyond a blessing but also a duty. I’ve always viewed my talents as a gift from God, for which I’d tossed the receipt! With that, I am proud to offer a concentrated variety of creative visual art across the gamut of fine art, graphic design, and photography. Fine art projects consist of acrylic paintings, character illustrations, custom sneakers, and personalized group paint murals. Graphic design offerings include logo and flyer design, book covers, corporate identity, and various motion graphics. Photography covers wedding photos, outdoor photo shoots, and product placement.
I’m often asked which aspect I enjoy doing most, and I honestly relish in the balance of it all. It keeps my work from feeling like work and becoming mundane in my day-to-day. Although I love creating and bringing clients’ visions to life on my own, I thoroughly enjoy my group painting murals, which I’ve been hosting consistently for 15 years and have completed nearly 40 murals to date. The concept is a Paint-by-Numbers style process where large groups of participants contribute to a large collective mural, taking turns with their numbered containers of individual colors. It has has been an excellent team-building exercise and a great networking activity where there’s no painting experience necessary. I truly love to see and coach people of all ages as they unleash their inner artist without much fear of being perfect or knowing what exactly to do. Paint-by-Numbers is the ideal production to introduce a brand, welcome students back to school, or even just do a smaller-scale date night for a special someone or intimate group.
I strongly believe that my genuine care and compassion for people and their ideas is what affords me the wherewithal to consult with them candidly to meet the requirements and exceed their vision through #MannMadeArtwork.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
The number one attribute I appreciate most about the city of Atlanta is our unapologetic blackness! I absolutely love the array of black professionals and creatives across all industries. The art scene is unparalleled from writers to painters, spoken word artists, rappers, singers, performance artists, designers, and so much more. The networking potential is incredible! You can go to any corner of the city and are highly likely to rub elbows with other successful individuals from all walks of life who can assist in your own journey and vice versa. For me, that’s what it’s all about. The high-energy nightlife and fast-paced vibe is surely a bonus in my opinion. Atlanta is also a city that never sleeps. That’s my kind of place! (Hold the traffic.)
Contact Info:
- Website: www.linktr.ee/MannMadeArtwork
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/mannmadeartwork
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/MannMadeArtwork
