Rebecca Fay Davison

Gouache, bible pages, flowers, wax, cake, oil, chicken bones, rabbits feet, confetti, found objects, 144”x104”, 2012

I utilize installation, painting, and written narrative to investigate family heritage, faith, and personal loss. My writing - drawn from dreams and memories - forms a structure of visual imagery which is incorporated into gouache paintings and mixed media installations. In these wall-mounted installations, I use objects from my ancestral home, symbols of Pentecostal faith, nature, and death to transform my paintings into devotional spaces exploring the tactile connections between past and present and the gray area of once held truths.

Gouache, 19”x24”, 2015

Bobby D Designs, gouache, repeat pattern, 17”x17”, 2021

Bobby D Designs is a series of home products and patterns where I incorporate original drawings done by my father in elementary school. 10,000 MPH uses a series of spaceships he drew in pencil.

Fabric, hand painted paper, mixed media, 11’x21’, Holiday 2020

Repurposed a beautiful Anthropologie zebra in a winter wonderland with a hand painted wall in winter blues. Each present was individually painted and wrapped. A hand dyed ribbon topped it all off.

Mixed Media, family quilt, gouache, nails, dirt, ash, 4.5’x7’, 2015

Within the circle of each quilt square sewn by my ancestor is an image of a dream or a location from my childhood home. The ash comes from the fireplaces of this home and the dirt from the back field.

Gouache, 15”x19”, 2019

Bobby D Designs, gouache, repeat pattern 17”x17”, 2022

Bobby D Designs is a series of home products and patterns where I incorporate original drawings done by my father in elementary school. Javelin Thrower uses a drawing of a boy throwing a javelin done in pencil.

Chipboard, paint, tulle, cellophane, window screen, dry wall spray, twine, paillettes, hand dyed beads, 11’x21’, Summer 2020

A hand painted wall and floor in summer greens set off a handcrafted pineapple, kiwi, orange, and lemon slices.

Mixed Media, human hair, candy, nails, & wallpaper, 4’x7’, 2016

Each hair strand is made with human hair and chewed up candy.

Gouche, 15”x19”, 2019

Gouache, 19”x19”, 2020

Chipboard, papier-mâché, metal electrical conduit, latex paint, hand painted clay potting pebbles, 11’x21’, Summer 2019

A hand painted ombre wall showcases two handcrafted travelers palm trees and flamingoes. Mannequin stands were hand built for this window concept.

Gouache, nails, family quilts, rabbits feet, roses, mixed media 6’ x 7’, 2014

I woke up at the bottom of the ocean tangled in an afghan as the White Whale silhouetted by a noonday sun fell through the deep swell of blue intent on crushing me. Unable to move, my hair swirled upward, like seaweed freed from a summer storm. The whale upside down fell faster the sun striking long bands of gold around its enormous body like a hallow. I closed my eyes as my teeth fell out one by one and floated upward towards the light.

Gouache, 19”x24”, 2014

Gouache, 19”x19”, 2020

Watercolor paper, chipboard, dye, latex paint, metal electrical conduit, 11’x21’, Spring 2020

Hand painted wall and floor frames handcrafted dyed paper flowers.

Gouache, handwoven upholstery fabric, 19”x20”, 2022

My ancestral home and land were sold. Exploring memory and loss of place, the consequence of letting go of the work of our hands I question how one can find home cut off from the lineage of land. What happens when the small details that make home part of you are forgotten - cracks in a ceiling, the cool touch of a door knob, scars in the bathroom door, the rigid curve of a floor board, the deep irregular hole of the nail that held it all in place?

I once shown a flashlight down into a gap between the floor boards of my childhood bedroom. There in the hollow space between the floor and the downstairs ceiling lay over 200 years of debris; pebbles, bits of newspaper, dirt, and dust. I too was in those floor boards.

Gouche, 12”x17” 2018

Gouache, 19”x19”, 2020

1) Twiggy & Andie Front Entry, plywood, chipboard, insulation foam board, jute, corn bristles, latex paint, Twiggy 15’ & Andie 11’, Holiday 2020

Handcrafted life-sized giraffes, Twiggy & Andie, greeted customers at the front of store.

2) Art of Anthropologie Wax Shop, hand dyed paper, handmade flowers & grass, original artwork, acrylic & latex paint, dowels, natural materials, plywood, 2”x2” Spring 2020

Highlighting the artists talent of Anthropologie employees Art of Anthropologie feathered original artwork in fields of hand dyed and constructed paper flowers and grass.

3) Sculptural Shapes Second Entry, plywood, patch-n-paint, latex paint, 8’x14’, Spring 2020

4) Fall Leaves Front Entry, plywood, dye, bleach, twine, 12’x15’, Fall 2020

Oak leaves cut from plywood treated with dye and bleach and embellished with gold thread.

5) Garden Vines Wax Shop, hand dyed paper, wire, plywood, 2”x4”, Fall 2019

Hand made dyed paper leaves and tables built too look like old stumps.

6) Away We Float Kid’s Shop, fabric, canvas, patch-n-paint, papier-mâché, 2”x2”, Summer 2019

Papier-mâché balloons floating above a plaster buck with painted details, and wooden antlers.

7) By The Sea Wax Shop, cardboard, patch-n-paint, latex paint, sand, hand dyed fishing nets, electrical spools, Spring 2017

Handmade cardboard chain and dyed net.

8) Tropical Collection Front Entry, chipboard, papier-mâché, metal electrical conduit, latex paint, hand painted clay potting pebbles, plywood, Summer 2019

Hand built mannequin platforms and paper and hand crafted papier-mâché tropical plants.

9) Sheep Stack Up Second Entry, sweaters, blankets, felt, yarn, plywood, Holiday 2019

Handmade sheep constructed from blankets, sweaters, and handmade yarn balls with embroidered details.