Meet Ginger Danz, a full-time artist living in Fayetteville. She describes her current work as colorful and abstract, borrowing shapes from human figures, animals and nature. Ginger is originally from Indiana but her roots are now firmly planted in the soil of this rugged and beautiful place. She tells us the arts are thriving in West Virginia and she is excited to be part of that forward momentum. In 2010, she was juried into Tamarack thereby leaving her career as a mental health counselor to start her own art business.  Since this time, she has exhibited her work in many solo and group shows throughout West Virginia. Ginger serves on the board of the Fayetteville Arts Coalition and teaches middle school art at the New River Gorge Learning Cooperative. Meet Ginger this month! On Friday December 6th, 6-9p, she will have a booth at the Fayetteville Art Coalition’s annual Holiday Art Sampler and on Saturday, December 7th, 10-3p, she will be at the Vitality Building next to Pies n’ Pints in Fayetteville. Learn more about our WV Artist on Display with our Q&A:

How do you describe your palette?

I love saturated modern colors like turquoise and gold. I spend a lot of time experimenting with different color combinations and have started using a lot of warmer colors: red, yellow, coral and orange, and many variations of these.

What is your greatest accomplishment?

Making a living doing what I love!

What obstacles do you need to overcome to find your creative space/muse?

I have always had a very active and noisy inner-critic, although I have recently found myself less inclined to pay attention to it. My family and community are very important to me so I also tend to put my art on the back burner, which can be a serious obstacle. Staying in close contact with other practicing artists helps me stay focused and motivated.

How do you find your inspiration?

I live in the New River Gorge, one of the most beautiful places on earth, so my natural surroundings are a constant source of inspiration. I’m also inspired by the human form, things made by human hands (like pottery), and all kinds of animals.

What is your favorite piece(s) you’ve made and why?

I recently completed an art residency in Massachusetts, where I made a large and complex abstract. It is the largest painting I’ve ever made (6’x5’), has many layers and color mixtures, and represents huge personal and artistic growth.

What advice do you have for other artists?

I’ve spent too much time worrying about what art buyers might be looking for and have at times lost track of what is really meaningful to me, so my biggest piece of advice for other artists is to find what you really love and dig deep, really get to know those things you love, and make A LOT of work about those things!

How can our readers purchase your art?

My art can be found at Cathedral Cafe in Fayetteville, The French Goat in Lewisburg, TipTop Coffee in Thomas, Tamarack’s David L. Dickirson Gallery in Beckley, Apartment Earth and Art Emporium in Charleston, West Virginia Fine Artisans in Lewisburg, and at gingerdanz.com.

What is the best way for our readers to contact you?

Please find me at gingerdanz.com and @gingerdanzart on instagram.

– HashtagWV #120. December 2019.