ALTON - As a local artist, Darla Cavins is looking to grow.
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Cavins always loved art. When she became an empty-nester, she decided to devote her time to painting and mixed media. Now, as the Milton Schoolhouse Artist of the Month, Cavins couldn’t be more excited to see how her art will continue to develop.
“I think I’m at the point where I’ve decided or found what is really me,” she said. “I love bold colors, shapes and abstract work. My goal is for people to pause and say, ‘Wow.’ That is what I like in my art. Then I just start playing.”
Cavins always enjoyed art, but she took a renewed interest in it when her son, Patrick, became old enough to enjoy it, too. Nowadays, Patrick is a prolific watercolorist in his own right, and Cavins has devoted her retirement to finding her niche in the art world.
She shared that she mostly works with acrylic paint, but considers herself a mixed-media artist because “nothing is out of bounds.” From plaster mud to string to real twigs, she loves adding a certain “crunchiness” to her paintings.
“There’s nothing I won’t try,” she said. “For me, it is about playing. That’s where I find enjoyment, stepping back and just playing with what I am working on and then moving it forward to a finished product.”
While the Milton Schoolhouse gallery is Cavins’s first show, it’s not the first time she has put herself out there. She also took a big leap when she and her husband, Dave, started their nonprofit Here’s to Reading eight years ago.
This organization has founded little libraries in Eldred, Grafton, Otterville and Delhi, where people from these rural communities can come in, access the internet, check out books and more at no cost. The nonprofit also works closely with the Jersey County CASA program to provide free books to children impacted by the foster care system.
Cavins said the work is “very worthwhile,” and she’s thankful for the employees and volunteers who operate the libraries during their open hours. As the nonprofit grows, she is excited to see what they take on next.
In her art, she is also looking to the future, with goals to take more classes and transition to bigger canvases. She shared that she is currently studying with an artist and has found it to be challenging in some ways, but she is thankful for the learning process.
“It is exciting and it’s also very painful,” she laughed. “I think when you close your mind to what you can learn, you’re never going to grow.”
She added that she tries not to compare her work to that of others, though it can be tempting to do so. Instead, she focuses on “self-faith” and supporting other artists whenever she can. She is pleased to be a part of the Riverbend’s art community, and she loves working with local artists to build up the art scene in the region.
“Just getting my art out there to the public that when they look at it and they say, ‘Oh my gosh, I really like that,’” she explained. “You have to just tell yourself the art that you create is the art that you create for yourself, and if it brings somebody else to it, that’s wonderful.”
Whether it’s her art or her nonprofit, Cavins’s passion guides her. She encourages other aspiring artists to focus on their love for the work rather than outside noise. She also believes in the value of learning, and she can’t wait to continue improving and creating as both a nonprofit director and an artist.
“I really think one thing that we all have to remember as a person or as an artist: don’t beat yourself up. Other people do it, and they do it very well. So I try not to be very critical of myself,” she added. “You attract what you put out, so be positive, thankful and giving. That’s something I like to live by.”
You can check out Cavins’s art at her official Facebook page. Visit the official Here’s to Reading website at HeresToReading.com for more information about the nonprofit and how you can help.
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