Forming a Mentorship super team
Branding, style development, and gallery pieces- when you’re an early career visual artist, where do you start? Mentor Danita Stallard and her mentees Scarlett Gunn and Sean Chadwick put their heads together to form a motivated arts mentorship super team!
Sean Chadwick
Sean Chadwick (he/him) draws mostly in anime and cartoon styles with a mix of animals and other artistic forms. His main mediums are pencils and ink.
Scarlett Gunn
Scarlett Gunn (It/she) is hoping to use this mentorship as a guide to improving their art journey. Scarlett has dabbled in many different mediums including drawing, painting, and is learning new techniques to make their art bit more stylized.
Danita Stallard
Danita Stallard (she/her) is the peculiar personality behind FlitterMouseArt’s collection of snack-sized art and quirky comics. An indiscriminate tree-hugger, Stallard finds her inspiration in the rugged forests of Northern Manitoba. Her creativity is fuelled by copious amounts of Earl Grey Tea, a fascination with folklore, and the occasional infusion of pure silliness.
To learn more about Danita, visit her arts directory profile here >
Mentor Danita (as illustrated in center) with mentees Scarlett (on left) and Sean (on right). Illustration by Danita Stallard.
How long have you been a practicing artist?
I’ve been creating artwork since the moment I could pick up a pencil, but my “professional” artsy adventure began in 2009. I dabbled into signage, advertising, graphic design, and publication before I realized I could combine my passion of storytelling with my artwork to create graphic novels. Nowadays, I get to spend my days creating tiny artwork and quirky comics!
- Danita
I’ve been practicing art for just over 10 years. I’m 20 now, but a few years ago I branched out into different ways to do art- experimenting with ink and pen nibs, using white paint markers, using different brands of colour markers and pencils. We only grow if we step out of our comfort zones- then and only then we see what we can improve on.
- Sean
I have been drawing and painting since I was very young, about 15-17 years now.
- Scarlett
“...Having the opportunity to share my passion with young artists is a special honour.”
- Danita, on what brings her joy
What have you been working on together?
Sean and Scarlett have both been working on finishing larger projects, and I can’t wait to see them on display in the gallery! While they’re working, I like to have them try out a new technique (or practice a skill that needs some fine-tuning). I’m a big believer in “finishing what you start,” so these larger art pieces will be our focus this month.
Sean has finished his new business card design (with plans on upgrading his branding!) as well as made moves towards diversifying his internet presence. He’s also planning some exciting “non-art” opportunities for next year, so we’ve had a few “non-art” soundboard discussions alongside our artsy tips.
Scarlett’s super excited to be graduating, so in addition to her artwork goals, we’ve had a few chats about what her future dreams are. I’m so proud of both these young artsy folks, and can’t wait to see where they go in the future!
- Danita
At first, I could barely draw animal fur, or even animals in general. With Danita’s help, I was able to understand the fundamentals of drawing hair and also fur. I’m now able to break down animals into simple shapes so I can better draw them. She also has gotten me to redraw my business cards for selling art, and encouraged me to start a Linktree for better promoting my socials accounts to people.
- Sean
I have been improving my art style, getting that sense of satisfaction from a completed piece, and have been getting comfortable with incomplete pieces as well. I hope it will translate into my next artworks in the future. My mentor has taught me well, strengthening my confidence when I feel like giving up on a drawing or painting. It has been good fun the past few months and I hope to keep it up in the future, even after the program is over.
- Scarlett
“I feel as an artist I've grown so much- in skill and also confidence. I feel I can take more daring chances on how I draw or finish a drawing now.”
- Sean, on his experience as a mentee
What aspect of your work brings you joy?
I sincerely love what I do. If my artwork brings a smile to someone’s face, I feel like I’ve done my job! Having the opportunity to share my passion with young artists is a special honour. Through workshops and artist talks, I get to meet a lot of young and aspiring artists — it’s always such a joy to have the opportunity to work more closely with these creative kiddos, and watch them sprint their way to success!
- Danita
Starting a drawing then seeing it over a span of 6 – 12 hours coming along. I like to use timelapse videos just so I can see a drawing progess from start to finish.
- Sean
Showing off my work and seeing people smile at it.
- Scarlett
What have been your most positive takeaways from this mentorship session? Any favourite results or moments?
One of the joys of working with younger artists is watching their confidence blossom. Both of my mentees were already talented artists with strong creative streaks, so much of our focus together has been working towards their specific goals while practicing techniques and honing their skillsets. They’re both very open to trying new styles and always rise to whatever “challenge” I set before them. It’s an honour to help them sharpen their skills and nudge them towards some opportunities I think they’ll enjoy.
Sean is so keen to dive into his artistic side, I’m super proud of how he’s learning to juggle adult responsibilities (like his new work schedule) while keeping true to his dream of building his art career — it’s so hard to find a balance, but I know this kid’ll go far.
I’ve worked with Scarlett before, and I’m so impressed with her growth as an artsy individual. I’m particularly proud of Scarlett for putting one of her paintings on display in our local gallery (she wouldn’t have considered it a few years ago!)
Working with both these young artists is a joy. We’re all really grateful for the opportunity! 🙂
- Danita
I feel as an artist I’ve grown so much- in skill and also confidence. I feel I can take more daring chances on how I draw or finish a drawing now. I feel like without the support of this program that I wouldn’t be where I am now.
- Sean
I have really enjoyed our talks about how to manage and incorporate our personalities into our art. I feel like my art has been more of myself since the program began.
