Arts in Focus on PBS Fort Wayne is funded in part by the Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne.

Coming up, we'll talk with abstract painter Maisie Husman and musician Jana DeBusk.

It's all next on Arts in Focus.

Welcome to Arts in Focus.

I'm Emily Henry.

Abstract artist Maisie Huffman hasn't been painting for very long, but she's already found success showing and selling her work.

Despite her young age, she doesn't shy away from difficult subjects like anxiety and depression.

But she also balances out those themes with a dose of hope and self-empowerment.

Maisie, thank you so much for sitting down with me today.

I was reading about you and looking at your work and a little taken aback because you are a new artist.

Yes.

Yes.

Okay.

When did you start creating?

So I started creating in January of 2021, so just last year.

And I fell in love with art immediately.

Were you always creative?

Did you have a creative outlet before you really started working with paints and canvas?

So looking back, I realized that there were times where I always kind of fell back on art, but it was never something that I took seriously or something that I practice consistently.

So when you started on this kind of artistic journey, what made you decide to start unleashing your creativity in that way?

In January, I kind of had a falling out with my career at the time, and so I kind of needed a mental break and it just started pouring out of me.

So did you start immediately, kind of in the same vein of of style or did you try different things?

What was the beginning like?

John Beckley is an artist that I really admire and you can see that a lot in my geometric abstract work.

And so I learned a lot of my tricks from him and I just began painting.

And neon colors were something that really attracted me in the beginning.

And over time, my styles gradually changed and I started incorporating different things in my work.

So tell me about those tricks.

Like what can people expect to see when they look at your work?

A lot of color and a lot of texture.

I use different types of tools for texturing and there's a lot out there that I'm still learning.

So my work is going to change and I notice that you use different mediums too.

You use spray paint, acrylic.

What all do you like to throw at the canvas?

So yeah, spray paint.

Acrylic paint are my go to pastels, chalk, marker, anything I can get my hands on.

Being a self-taught artist is really exciting for me because I'm very experimental when it comes to my work.

So tell me about how you approach a piece.

Do you have an idea in mind of what you want the end result to look like?

Or do you just sort of start and see what happens?

A lot of times it's start and see what happens, but a lot of times there's inspiration, but a lot of changes happen throughout the painting process.

Something doesn't work.

Or maybe I changed my mind.

So usually inspiration.

And where does that inspiration come from?

That inspiration comes from a lot of times my anxiety or depression.

I think that's something that a lot of people are kind of scared to talk about.

But I appreciate my art so much more because of that.

It's a way for me to get it out.

So I think you're absolutely right.

A lot of people don't want to go there and talk about anxiety and depression and how they use that to fuel their creativity.

When did it occur to you that you were having these feelings and that maybe a way to channel them was through art?

I It didn't really occur to me to start using my art to kind of channel that.

When I took a step back and looked at my art, I realized after time, okay, this is what I'm doing and this is where this is coming from.

I view my art more as a journal.

And to be able to get that out and express that is really relieving.

And I feel like anxiety and depression is something that people feel uncomfortable talking about.

But mental health is very important.

So I have to wonder, does it give you anxiety to know that you are putting yourself out there in in this way?

It's very vulnerable to to express yourself in any way, but to put it on canvas and then know that people are going to have a reaction to it.

Does that create anxiety?

No, maybe sometimes.

Actually, I mean, yeah, but I do like inspiring others and I like helping other people that struggle with anxiety or depression.

Tell me about.

Is there a specific time when when creating when painting has really kind of pulled you out of a place of a low spot, if you will?

When I first began creating, I believe that I pulled me out of kind of a dark place, and I started painting and expressing these feelings on canvas.

And it's really helped me heal.

When you when you finish a piece, do you feel like the piece is finished or do you have a hard time kind of discerning when when it's done?

My work hangs on my wall for a very long time before I decide that it's finished.

And a lot of times I'll get it down and add something and change something.

But there is that aha moment and it's the best feeling when you know that your work is complete.

Yeah.

So this, so it's not just a creative expression, it's kind of cathartic in terms of, of mental health.

Is that fair to say?

Yes, most definitely.

Most definitely.

So when you look at your different pieces, can you sort of tell what frame of mind you were in or do they do your colors reflect that or this style?

Yes.

Yes.

And that's one thing that's really exciting about it is to hear what other people think of my work and how they see it, because I know for me where it came from and how I felt about that piece when I was creating that piece.

So you are now venturing into selling your art.

I mean, you are incredibly successful considering you just started.

So what do you see happening next?

What do you envision for your future?

I really want to be a well-known artist and I want to see how far I can take this.

I'm not sure what's going to be next, but I'm very excited.

Do you ever revisit a piece when you're kind of in a different mental space and and want to rework it because you feel different?

No, I haven't had that happen.

But as I'm learning more about art, there are times where I look at my work and I'm like, This could be better.

Let me use color theory or different things that I've learned over the course of several months.

And I go back in and I rework it.

What sort of lessons like that, like color theory are you learning that you find yourself really incorporating now in in every piece?

Color theory is definitely a big one.

And then also you'll look at a lot of my work and some of it is I'm covering all of the canvas, but it's okay to leave blank space.

Now, when you you mentioned that your work is is like a journal to you, when you are journaling, it's always you've sort of let it flow, right?

You just word vomit, for lack of a better expression.

Is it hard when you're painting to have to keep in mind your technique and and the look of it when you kind of just want to get it out?

When I first began painting, yes, I took so much longer to finish a piece, but now it just feels so natural start to finish.

How long does a typical piece take?

Some of my pieces are quite large and it takes quite a bit of time to finish those pieces.

But I finish pieces at times in 3 hours, one session.

Sometimes I'll hold on to it for a while and rework it a couple of times.

So it varies.

Tell me about your technique.

Did you seek out knowledge about how to paint or did you just get materials and go for it?

I am a strong believer in that anyone and everyone can and should create.

John Beckley, like I said, is an artist that I really admire and a lot of my technique I have learned from him and just kind of adapted on that.

But yeah, it was just go out, get paint, get supplies and go for it.

Now, you mentioned that sometimes when you're in the midst of of a piece, you it changes course a little bit.

Do you ever have that moment where you're like, this is terrible.

I just need to abandon it?

Or do you always sort of see light at the end of the tunnel?

I have had those moments in the middle of projects and at that point I just paint it white and start over.

That should be a philosophy for life, right?

Just start over.

So what is the hardest part of really putting yourself out there in terms of your art?

I would say that the hardest part is just doing the work and being present and continuing.

Do you ever have those days when you're like, I don't want to paint.

I don't want to, you know, I have nothing to express.

Yeah, I have those days all of the time.

I think that my creative, my creativity comes, comes and goes.

And when it comes, I'll finish five or six paintings in one week and I become very obsessive.

And then there's times where I won't pick up a brush for a whole month.

So does that scare you when you have a whole month where you don't really feel inspired, you go, Oh geez, what's happening?

You just know you trust that it's going to come back.

What's the best part of expressing yourself in this way?

Inspiring others.

Inspiring others?

I have a lot of people that say that I inspire them, and that's honestly one of the coolest things.

Yeah, so do you.

What advice would you give to your younger self and or other young artists?

It's okay to take up space and go for it.

I love you have a painting that says yes, take up space.

That's so brilliant.

Do you see that your growth is is kind of linear or did you did you get better fast?

I think I immediately started making progress and that's what really excited me about it was taking a step back and the reaction I got from the public and family members and friends was overwhelming.

And yeah, you are new to art, but I wonder if you weren't an artist, what would you be?

I'm not sure actually.

I've worked in construction.

I've worked in the restaurant industry.

I've been all over the place with my occupation.

If I wasn't an artist, I wouldn't be happy.

That's then you know what you should be doing.

Do you think that all of those experiences have lent themselves to your work?

Do you see bits and pieces of that in your work?

Absolutely.

I believe that everything happens for a reason and I appreciate all of my experiences, good and bad.

But yeah, I'm really happy to be an artist.

Maisie, I can't believe that you are so new to art.

You're so young and have so much promise.

It's really exciting and it is inspiring even to someone like me who doesn't want to go out and paint, but just kind of in life.

So please keep creating.

And thank you so much for taking the time today.

Thank you so much.

I appreciate it.

For more information, visit Mae Z Gallery, dot com.

I'm joined now by singer songwriter Jana DeBusk.

Jana, thank you so much for being here.

I am really excited because not only do I love your music, but we just found out we have, like, this weird connection from way back when.

Anyway, nobody cares about that, but I do because it's cool.

Tell me when you first recognized a real love of music?

I watched I remember watching Les Mis when I was like five and I was mesmerized.

And I said, That's what I want to do.

Another time, we were on a family vacation in Tennessee, I think, and there was a singer on a piano in a bar, and I said, Mom, I'm going to be a singer in a bar one day.

And she said, Please don't.

And then I did, and I was and I love it.

So I went to a performing arts institute in the summers in Pennsylvania.

So I would go train basically kind of.

It was kind of like an Interlochen Field.

Yeah.

But in Pennsylvania, that's where my dad was working.

And so I got my bachelor's of fine arts from Western in musical theater, and then I moved to New York and stayed there for six years and did cabarets and off-Broadway and singer at Ellen Stardust Diner, which is like the singing waitstaff in Times Square.

I did all the things.

I was a music teacher, and within that I started traveling.

And then I got into songwriting and rock music.

So, okay, that's interesting because going from musical theater, did you always kind of have a feeling that there was a different sound you wanted to pursue?

At what point did that happen?

Yeah, I was definitely I mean, I started, like I said, with this kind of classical Les Mis, but I was drawn to the belters.

Yeah.

And then once I figured out what rock musicals were, I was drawn to the rock musicals because they're just so full of passion.

And they have a lot of, you know, obviously blues influences.

Right.

And so, I don't know, I just kind of felt that I was never going to be the Aunjanue in Brigadoon.

Right?

But I could be that rock singer in the wild party.

Yes, yes.

Yeah.

Okay.

So you are in New York.

You're you're doing your thing and then you decide to get your masters, actually.

Yeah, I decided to travel first, so I would go by myself to a different country every year.

And that inspired a bunch of songwriting.

And so I did Europe a couple of times, and then I did South America and my last trip like this was in my late twenties, and I went to Columbia and I decided to just stay there.

So I sold all my stuff in New York and I moved to Columbia.

And from there I started singing jazz and Latin jazz, like Colombian folk music mixed with jazz.

And what kind of process can you walk me through that process?

Because I think a lot of people don't really understand that, that a lot goes into tailoring your sound to fit a certain genre.

Did you did you take steps specifically toward that?

I think that I struggled with that a lot at the beginning, especially.

So I took when I when I started my master's study, I was taking private voice lessons every week.

And I had I had this issue of wanting to sound jazzy, and that puts like the smooth cover on everything in my mind.

And then I found out that jazz is not smooth for me.

Yeah, it's not like I am not smooth.

Yeah.

So my jazz should not be smooth.

Yeah.

So.

So I felt a little bit more comfortable bringing in this, like, messy, rocky edge to the music that I loved.

And so I sing with jazz fans, and then I also sing with cover bands, and I sing my own music, which is more rock feel.

Yeah.

And I'm, I'm sort of incorporating the looper a little bit bit by bit, because I love the looper pedal.

It allows me to improvise a little bit.

And I don't know, it just it's fun.

What do you think is the most important lesson you could impart to a young musician?

I think that a lot of my students, especially when I was teaching at Purdue, really struggled with, first of all, confidence, just building confidence.

So.

So singing is a very vulnerable act.

It's very open.

And it's it's something that only you have and only you can control.

And so I think that my my biggest advice would be to just sit in your body and sit in your sound and and listen to what's happening.

Listen to what's happening.

And and let it come out.

What is the best part of your job?

I would say as a performer, connecting with the audience.

Yeah.

Being able to tell a story that's very intimate to me, perhaps, but having that story resonate with hopefully lots of people in the audience and having them connect to it in a way that's completely different than perhaps how I wrote it.

But it's still it still does the job.

It still makes, makes you feel something, makes you excited, makes you connect.

Yeah.

How do you describe your style, your means of communication?

Oh, varied.

No, I would say that I try to write music that's very authentic, and sometimes it may not be the most complicated version of what.

I don't know what I could do, but it's the most honest to what I am.

So it's it's my personal stories.

It's my hopefully authentic voice coming through to connect with the audience.

Well, I think we are going to be lucky enough to get to hear some of that authenticity.

So thank you so much for sitting down with me.

Thank you for the gift of music and I hope to speak again soon.

Thanks a lot.

Forgive me father, I won't glorify your name today Forgive me father, I don't like the way your children play Forgive me father, when you giveth I taketh away.

Forgive me father, but that's all I gotta say.

Cuz I'm a sinner, baby, I'm a bad girl with a bad name.

But when you're raised with God & the Devil who you gonna blame?

Whoa I'm a sinner, baby, I'm a bad girl with a bad name.

But when the last day comes whatcha gonna choose?

A cold book or the flame?

Forgive me mother, cuz I'm never coming back.

Forgive me mother, while I watch your surface crack.

Forgive me mother while I paint my town the darkest shade of black Forgive me mother for the good deeds that I lack.

Cuz I'm a sinner, baby, I'm a bad girl with a bad name.

But when you're raised with God and the Devil who you gonna blame?

Whoa I'm a sinner, baby, I'm a bad girl with a bad name.

When the last day comes whatcha gonna choose?

A cold book or the flame?

(vocal improv) Cuz I'm a sinner, baby, I'm a bad girl with a bad name.

But when you're raised with God and the Devil who you gonna blame?

Whoa I'm a sinner, baby, I'm a bad girl with a bad name.

But when the last day comes whatcha gonna choose?

A cold book or the flame?

Oh, brother, do you feel my pain?

Oh brother it's a family stain.

Oh, brother, how do you remain?

Close to God and the Devil and the angels and the cherubs and the witches and the riches that wanna pull you north and south and up and over and don't you ever wanna just come back home?

Whoa I'm a sinner, baby, I'm a bad girl with a bad name.

But when you're raised with God & the Devil who you gonna blame?

Whoa I'm a sinner, baby, I'm a bad girl with a bad name.

When the last day comes watcha gonna choose?

A cold book or the flame?

Cuz I'm a sinner, baby, I'm a bad girl with a bad name.

But when you're raised with God & the Devil who you gonna blame?

Whoa I'm a sinner, baby, I'm a bad girl with a bad name.

When the last day comes whatcha gonna choose?

A cold book a cold, cold, book or the flame?

For more information, visit Jana DeBusk, dot org.

Our thanks to Maisie Husman and Jana DeBusk.

Be sure to join us next week for Arts in Focus.

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In the meantime, enjoy something beautiful Arts in Focus on PBS Fort Wayne is funded in part by the Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne.