Davita

Jamie McCoy, Artist

PCC: Tell us a little about yourself.

Cupcake Topper with Plantable Seed Heart

JM: I'm from Iowa originally, but have moved a lot over the past decade or so, living also in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and now Missouri. I have Bachelor's Degrees in Neuroscience and Psychology, with a minor in Biology. I have a cat named Mike Gordon (Gordy for short) and feed two stray cats that I've named Lenin and Theobromine. 
PCC: What do you create?
JM: I am an artist and love to do many different types of art, but my favorite and most sustaining art form is papermaking. 

PCC: What made you want to become an artist?
JM: I've always considered myself a pretty creative person, but it wasn't until I was working at a very stressful job, specializing in social work, that I decided to sell the work that I did. I was really at the suggestion of my best friend, Amy, that I opened an Etsy shop for my papermaking. 

PCC: Tell us about your process. What materials do you use? 

Seed Bomb Pea Pods

JM: I used 100% post consumer waste paper scraps, such as junk mail and scraps from other artists' work to make paper. I also use beautiful wildflower seeds to make the paper plantable and for my seed bombs. 
I am the first Etsy seller to design the seed bomb pea pod favors. When you search now, many other sellers have tried to copy my work, but none has quite equaled to the quality that I've been able to offer. These are one of my favorite pieces of work. 


It's my custom orders for brides that I enjoy probably the most. Especially my plantable seed paper place cards. I take a lot of pride in creating work for customers' big day. 

Plantable Wedding Place Cards

I like the brightly colored seed bombs that you receive when you purchase my rainbow assorted seed bomb sets. 

Heart Seed Bomb in Cobalt Blue

This year I designed a wall sculpture out of my handmade paper in an attempt to demonstrate that not all fine art is paint to canvas, but can be made of many different other types of media. 

I made this for myself, but I just love this painting that I did a couple of years ago. Its spray paint on canvas and has my favorite Neil Young lyric, "Its better to burn out than fade away..." It turned out great and is one of my prized possessions. 


PCC: What Advice would you give to someone who wanted to make a living as 

Sprouted Seed Bomb

JM: I honestly believe that if you are passionate and if you treat something as your full time job (often more than full time), really focusing not just on the part of the job that you love, but also on the necessary evils like marketing and taxes (which are personally my least favorite tasks), with a little bit of luck, your hard work will pay off. It takes a lot of sacrifice, but in the end nothing in my life has been more worth the work. 

PCC: Tell us what you’re passionate about outside of your art?
JM: I am a huge live music fan. I travel a lot for music festivals and life rock concerts. Some of my favorite bands are Phish, Big Head Todd & the Monsters, and Trampled by Turtles. When I can, I go to music festivals like Wakarusa, Summer Camp Music Festival, and my favorite, the Great Blue Heron Music Festival. These are my sanctuaries, and really help me offset all of the hard work I do throughout the rest of the year. I'm also an avid animal lover and have been a vegetarian for 6 years. I have volunteered with animal rescue groups that transport animals across country and try to make visits to Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, NY as often as possible. 

PCC: How do we find you? 
Etsy: www.davita.etsy.com
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/davitarecycledgoddess
Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/DavitaRG
Twitter: www.twitter.com/DavitaRG
Instagram: www.instagram.com/davitaisart
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/davitaphotoart
Newsletter: www.tinyurl.com/davitanewsletter

Check out some of Davita's other cool items, beautiful ideas for Valentines, Mothers Day, Baby Showers, Earth Day, Birthdays, Weddings and any other time. I love these.

Plantable Butterfly Seed Favors

Plantable Favor Box

Plantable Peapods

Twins Plantable Peapods

Plantable Peapods

Wedding Placecards with Plantable Heart

Heart Confetti

Plantable Seed Paper Earth

Spourted Seed Bomb

Davita's Wildflowers in Bloom