Faces behind Made on the Left - Part 1 - Dara Art

You are all probably wondering who we are and what Made on the Left is all about, so we've decided to reveal all! There are five of us behind the scenes, we all met through Etsy and have found that it is hard being an aspiring artist/designer in the almost forgotten state of Western Australia. We want to help others in the same situation and provide the resources to make it happen for you.

Now...who are we, and what do we do?!

First up is Dara Clemens, the face behind Dara Art.

Tell us a bit about yourself & your art.
Hi, I’m Dara.
30 years old. 1 partner. 2 children. 1 cat. 1 small part time job as an Administrator. 1 Etsy shop. 1 Bachelor of Arts, majoring in both Fine Arts and Classics/Ancient History. 1 Certificate IV in Furniture Design. 1 house that needs a vegetable patch. 0 love for house cleaning (but I do it). 1 studio. 1000+ bits of art stuff. Excellent sense of direction. Really don’t like flies.
I have always drawn and painted. But I have gradually come to realise that even when I am using the medium of paint, I still draw with it. The plastic qualities are amazing and I actually get very interested in what happens when paint gets old. It gives a great texture.
My subjects tend to be abstracted landscapes from urban to suburban to rural and beyond. And the main themes that always seem to return are time (age, decay, cycles), memory and mark making (as in signs, symbols, text and its precursors). My works tend to start from a personal story or memory and move towards a public consciousness.
The process and texture are important to me and how I create my works. I have been doing most of my drawings on recycled paper over the last year. At the moment I buy it, but aim to make my own very soon. It provides me with a roughly textured surface that I love. I work quite intuitively and for the moment so seeing what happens when the line I try to make is disturbed, hindered, changed by the surface I am working on excites me.
I am really interested in conserving and reusing materials. The amount of stuff that just gets thrown away concerns me. Yes, ultimately things have to be thrown away but I always try and reuse them a least once. I must admit this is something that really developed once I had my children. Over the years we have made so many box buildings and cars, toilet roll people, bottle shakers and bug catchers. I guess what I find fascinating is that very simple shapes and forms can be recognisable symbols for more complicated objects.
I resolved the question of how I was going to present my drawings at the Made On The Left market by using the reuse and recycle idea. Plastic sleeves, cardboard boxes and old franking machine labels, all otherwise being thrown out. The labels hold the plastic together and have the drawing’s title, year and price details as well as my name and Etsy shop printed onto them.
What inspires you?
Archaeological digs, philosophical discussions about time and mythological symbols, architecture – both the actual buildings and the way they intersect the sky, the writing of ancient civilisations, geometric shapes, mathematics and experimentation
What was the first thing you ever created and do you have a favourite?
My mum has this little ceramic pinch bowl with a luscious green and brown glaze that I did in grade 1 (I think). It’s amazing she still has it; actually she has quite a few things I created over the years. Some of them I look at and wonder why? But that little bowl is actually quite aesthetic.

An artwork that is very dear to me is the one I am standing in front of in this photo. At one point it was a Mondrian inspired painting that actually got into the Year 12 Perspectives exhibition at the Art Gallery. It is made up of 9 squarish canvases that were on a welded metal frame. The frame was ditched year ago and the canvases sat in a box for many years too, until we moved into our first house and needed art on the walls (I have to have art up in a house). So I got out them out and repainted the surfaces. Then I put them on the floor and let my 15 month old daughter have a paint brush. My input was a few marks and to pick her up in time so the works didn’t become mush! Many layers of memory at work on this piece.
Do you think being in Perth affects your craft in a negative way?
I feel I am at the very beginning of my craft journey in Perth. But I have travelled a bit over the years both within Australia and overseas and I really love living in Perth. In fact when I think about it I have a bit of a nomadic existence around Perth suburbs too, many different family houses over the years! I see my art as a reflection of growing up in the West Australian environment.
What do you think of Australian design?
Fabulous! I mainly rely on my subscription to belle magazine to find out what going on out there.
What is Made on the Left?
I envision it as a place where artists, crafters and designers can combine a physical presence and an online way to access and join the Western Australian creative community.
What made you want to get involved with organising a craft fair?
I felt there were a lot of people in my situation wanting to showcase their art and craft and not necessarily a lot of avenues in which to do so. What I mean are people who make and create as a hobby or are just beginning their career, who do not necessarily have heaps of money to pay high vendor fees, are just a bit hesitant about showing their work in the real world and just need a place to start. Also working in hospitality I have had a lot of exposure to function rooms and large areas with lots of tables and chairs. Basically my mind put 2 and 2 together. Luckily there is such a supportive group of Perth people on the Etsy forums so when I tentatively pitched the idea they didn’t laugh. In fact we are making it happen! I feel really lucky and privileged to have met such a wonderful group, each with different skills and information and all willing to come together to make it happen.
What can we expect to see there?
From me? Well I will be bringing a range of works. Bookmarks, drawings on paper and small to medium canvases and boards. Maybe even a few random sculptural efforts!
What do I want to see there? Amazing Perth people have a fun time. Heaps of sellers with their fabulous works, networking and nurturing a community environment. Also hundreds of those that want to come along buy a unique and handcrafted product and support local creative efforts.
What are your plans for the future?
Small and steady at the moment. My children are still young and I need to be around for them (i.e. I can’t go into my studio and shut the door for 8 straight hours), so my art will remain a part time venture for a little while. But I am committed to achieving a steady income from selling my works, so when opportunities arise I will give them my all and see where they lead. I would never knock back artistic work! I would also like to participate in more art markets and would definitely like to grow Made On The Left as a business. I could definitely see it as a biannual market day as well as a consultancy and collaboration business for other events.
My long term fantasy plans include holding my own exhibition (and every single one of the works selling), returning to TAFE and completing the diplomas in product/furniture design. At some point down the road do a higher level at university in the area of Drawing. And I would love to be involved in designing hospitality interiors and products.