Meet Dana Wayne | Artist, Traveler, and Life-Long Learner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dana Wayne and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dana, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I grew up in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. I spent my time surrounded by the natural world, whether that was sailing on the bay, turning over rocks at low tide to find crabs and limpets, playing in the woods, or skiing down the mountains. Even in public school, nature was a common theme in our lessons. I was raised to care about the world around us and to be endlessly curious about everything I encounter.
I’ve now lived in LA longer than I have lived anywhere else, but I still consider myself a Pacific Northwest kid at heart. Nature is still a huge part of my life, and it is regularly reflected in my art. It is my happy place, and I am always calmer and more centered when I find myself surrounded by the natural world. Even more, my curiosity and drive to learn has been the root of every choice that I have made, and it has led me on so many incredible adventures.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
The idea of being a professional visual artist is new to me. I’ve studied art in some form or another for most of my life, but it has always been a side hobby. I went to film school to pursue a more standardized (from the business side) field of art, though I quickly learned that film was not my path. I worked professionally in theatre as a stage manager and educator for many years, but I wasn’t creating my own vision.
I’ve studied and practiced photography for 30 years, but only in the last few have I considered monetizing my work. My goal in 2020 was to get my photos exhibited somewhere – but then the pandemic hit and the world changed. Instead, I created my own exhibit on social media: I shared a photo a day for a year, each time providing a window into somewhere beautiful and interesting from my travels around the world. So many people shared with me how much they looked forward to my photos as a way to brighten their days at home, and to remember how much amazing world is still out there to discover, which meant so much to me. However, I still have that goal for an in-person exhibition, and I am exploring ways to get there.
Many people think that an artist can only focus on one media or idea, but I’ve never found that to be true. I’ve discovered my second artistic love in pottery. I took my first class a little over nine years ago, and was hooked from the first time I sunk my fingers into the clay. Pottery is a wonderful art form for a control freak like me because it forces me to let go of that need for perfection. Instead, I have learned to embrace my mistakes and find beauty in the vagaries of handmade work. Pottery was the first art I sold, starting at a very small craft fair run by a friend. It was the first time I realized that what I made was worth something to others, and not just to me. I still only sell my work on a small scale at occasional craft fairs and my studio’s annual holiday sale, plus some sales off my Instagram, but it makes me happy every time to feel that I piece I have put love and time into is going to a good home.
For all of this, the biggest struggle is always the one inside. Am I good enough? Do people really want the art I produce? Am I charging too much? Too little? What if no one cares? My counter argument to myself is the reminder that I have never made my art for other people – every photo I take, every bowl I throw, everything I do is to create things that bring me joy. I am lucky that others seem to want to share a piece of that.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
After 25 years in LA, I have so many favorite places. I can spend an entire day wandering the Huntington Gardens and never get bored. Every time I visit, I find a new flower, a quiet green corner, or a lot of adorable frogs. My favorite locations are the Desert Garden for the unworldly shapes and the Chinese Garden for a chance to meditate (and spot the aforementioned frogs). If I was already out in San Marino, a visit to the area wouldn’t be complete without a stop at Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena to browse the amazing selection.
I love to bring people downtown (always with my camera in tow). Visitors often only see the dirt and the unhoused, but there is so much beauty in our city. We’d visit Olvera Street and Union Station, swing by The Last Bookstore and the Central Library to get lost in the stacks, have lunch at Grand Central Market (Ramen Hood is my favorite stall), take Angel’s Flight up the hill, wander around admiring the architecture, find some peace in the upper gardens of Disney Hall and experience as much of the public art as possible. Dinner that evening would be at Au Lac, followed by a show at the Ahmanson or the Mark Taper Forum or a concert at Disney Hall.
For more time in the Valley (where I live), I would take someone to brunch at EAT in North Hollywood, then spend a few hours exploring the LA Zoo. In the summer we would run home to shower and pick up a homemade picnic, then see either a concert at the Hollywood Bowl (I especially love Tuesday/Thursday classical nights) or a play with Independent Shakespeare Company at Griffith Park.
Other highlights are the La Brea Tar Pits (it always amazes me that they’re right in the middle of the city), Leo Carillo State Park for tidepooling, and all of our amazing museums. There are also so many amazing events that aren’t always available: art walks at the Brewery, amazing craft fairs, checking out the over-the-top decorations in Toluca Lake at Halloween time, or hearing a podcast record at the Griffith Observatory.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
So much of who I am comes from my amazing parents. They modeled love and kindness every day. They showed me how to lead a life filled with empathy and passion. They nurtured my creativity and curiosity, even when it got a little out of hand.
My parents have supported every choice I have made, even if they didn’t agree with it. When I wanted to go to film school, they said, “Great, just also get a good general education,” When I decided to quit my steady (with benefits) job after 13 years and jump off a cliff of uncertainty, they said, “Go ahead and jump. We’ll hold your hands on the way down.” They are proud of everything I do, and they tell me that all the time, which gives me the confidence to continue to follow my unique path.

Instagram: Instagram.com/danamakesbowls AND Instagram.com/adventureswithdana

Image Credits
Elizabeth Brooke
Dana Wayne