Daneisha Davis-Harger makes hilarious and wonderfully creative pieces of art in the heart of the south, more specifically Lousiana. She takes her art on the road to various fairs all around the state. Her company Pixel & Ink was founded two years ago and it's been a wild ride ever since.
Who are you and what do you do?
Daneisha Davis-Harger
My name is Daneisha. I’m an illustrator/graphic artist/maker of things from Louisiana.
How did #terrible adult get started?
This is always my favorite story to tell! On one super hot, summer day, I was very tired and overworked. Trying to prepare for an art market + do housework and other not fun things, I forced myself to take a break. I had neither the energy nor motivation to do much other than to sit on my couch. It also happened to be lunch time but I had nothing to cook.
So I sat on my couch eating shredded cheese straight from the bag.
I thought to myself, laughing, "This is not a thing normal adults do. You are not very good at this. You're a terrible adult!"
Thus, the Terrible Adult shirt was born!
It is my favorite thing because everyone likes to pretend they have it all together, but no one does! We all have our couch & cheese moments! So it's almost a way of showing solidarity! Letting everyone know that I'm sometimes a mess and that's OK!
Daneisha's Famous "Terrible Adult" design on a t-shirt
How did you come up with your style?
I don’t tend to stick with one style for too long. My style kind of evolves by learning. When I learn a new technique that I love, I just go with it until I feel like a piece or series is finished then I’m on to learning something else.
What inspires you as an artist?
I like lots of color! I get a lot of inspiration from vintage things: design, illustrations, housewares, etc. I draw animals almost exclusively, so of course I’m inspired by nature.
Do you use a sketchbook? If not what's your process like?
I do use a sketchbook. If I don’t, I get frustrated and I would never finish anything. I start out with a very rough sketch. I write notes on the page about colors and textures that I want to try out. I have to be able to see everything where it should be before I start working on it digitally.
What does your desk look like?
My desk is a mess. I have 3 different containers for pens, but there’s always pens and markers all over the place. There’s 2 empty LaCroix cans, a sketchbook, and my drawing tablet. I should probably clean it? Maybe. My desk almost always has a cat on it. He sleeps on piles of papers and for the most part, I just let him be.
How did you start creating art?
I used to draw a lot when I was a kid, but I stopped doing that regularly for about 10 or so years. I went back to school in 2010 for graphic art. Once I graduated I had the free time to work on what I wanted to do. I would draw things and post them on Facebook and people seemed to like it, so I kept doing it!
What has been one of your favorite pieces to create?
I don’t know if I could pick a favorite, but I’m really proud of my Louisiana series. I really didn’t think I could do it! I didn’t plan on doing 12 illustrations and it was really frustrating at times. Everything turned out just as I had imagined and I’m glad that I was able to make everything look cohesive. It’s not what I like to call “cliché Louisiana” so I’m super proud of that.
What is the story behind Murderino and your art about it?
Murderino is a term coined by one of the fans of the AMAZING podcast ‘My Favorite Murder’. A Murderino is a person who is a fan of true crime and in particular, murders. A person who will watch the ID Channel and Forensic Files all day. I tend to stick with true crime podcasts and the occasional documentary. We’re not crazy, I promise!
Fun Questions
If you were stranded on an abandoned island what five items would you have with you?
I have so many questions! How did I get on this island? Am I alone? Did I arrive with 5 things or can I just manifest things with my brain?! I’ve never liked this question, but I’ll try.
- Shelter with electricity.
- A ton of food
- A phone
- Bunch of books.
- Something to write with.
So basically a store. I just described a store.
If you could collaborate with anyone who would you choose?
I would have to say my BFF Morgan. I’m not sure why we haven’t done that yet, but we definitely need to!
If you could have a super power what would you be?
Is being super rich a super power? I mean, Batman doesn’t have super powers but he has all the cool stuff. So my super power would be Bruce Wayne wealth.
If you could travel to a planet where would you go?
I would like to stay on Earth, please.
