At The Rust Belt Market: All Things Grow

The offers a unique experience for patrons as well as vendors. The new art market is host to more than 60 artists every weekend. Each week, Patch will feature one artist and get a closer view of what the heck they do.

Ferndale Patch: Who are you and what do you do?

Marcy Davy: My name is Marcy Davy and I am a Ypsilanti based printmaker.  I screen print on wood, paper, canvas and home goods, like pillows or towels.   

Ferndale Patch: How did you get your start?

Davy: A lot of things sort of fell into place at the right time.  I studied design and printmaking at Central Michigan University and had been working as a commercial artist for a few years in Ann Arbor.  Screen printing was a natural extension of the graphic approach I had come to understand really well, and I made a small group of prints one summer under an incredible amount of encouragement from the people around me.  I tried out a few indie craft shows that winter with a lot of success and I have been making and selling prints on a regular basis since.  

Ferndale Patch: What inspires you?

Davy: My work is inspired by a combination of images from the natural world mixed with concepts pulled from modern and vintage design.  I typically start with something I would like to make an image of, and then pour through a lot of contemporary and vintage design work until I find a color, shape or composition that create a spark and form an idea. Then I work it out in drawings until I'm happy with how I have depicted it and I know it will make a successful print. 

I constantly take photos and collect images so when I'm ready to print I can saturate my mind in visual information and work in reverse from there.  It is a great way to avoid creative block-- I usually have many more ideas than I do time to make prints of them all.  

Ferndale Patch: What is it about the Rust Belt that attracted you to it?

Davy: My first interactions with Rust Belt were in emails with Tiffany and Chris Best-- their approach was incredibly collaborative from the start and I got the impression that they not only wanted to serve artists and connect them with opportunities to sell their work, but also facilitate a creative community.  I feel like we, shoppers and artists alike, are incredibly lucky to have Rust Belt. I am amazed that Detroit not only can support working artists, but also those who seek to provide real opportunities for artists.  There are plenty of cities with a lot more money and influence who can't manage that.  

Ferndale Patch: Tell us one thing about your work that would surprise us.

Davy: I burn through approximately 15,000 staples a year stretching canvas prints.  

Marcy Davy will be at Rust Belt Market November 25-27. Check out her portfolio and show schedule by visiting her website: www.marcydavy.com. Her etsy shop is opened a few times a year, with special pricing available near the holidays. Marcy Davy also helps organize D.I.Ypsi.