Creative Profile: Interview with Amanda Makepeace – Artist

Today’s Creative Profile features a favorite artist of mine, Amanda Makepeace. I first fell in love with her work when I found out she drew skulls. Of course she draws and paints much more than skulls and all of her work is stunning. I must admit I own a few of her piece ( a skull included) and her Daydreams and Wandering Sketchbook Volume 1. Thank you, Amanda for sharing with us!

When did you begin creating art?

I grew up watching my mother draw my favorite toys. To my young eyes, what she did was magic. It wasn’t till I was about 9 years old that I began drawing regularly. My first art models were my Breyer horses. I set them up on my desk and tried to draw what I saw. From there I went on to draw anything and everything.

Where do you draw inspiration from?

The easy answer to this question is the world around me. I’ve always been inspired by nature. I grew up during a time when it was okay for my friends and I to disappear into the woods for the day. The world didn’t seem so dangerous a place. Instead it was a a place for adventure, discovery and our imaginations. I still love nature and now more than ever, as we destroy our planet, I need it in my art. The fantastical elements in my art are a product of my imagination run amok. I have a lot of crazy ideas I never share and I honestly can’t say where they come from–maybe some magical place.

Which mediums are your favorite?

Watercolors were my first love when it came to painting, and they are still my favorite. I also love working in graphite, acrylics and digital mediums. Much of my larger work is digital these days because of an autoimmune arthritis attacking my joints (including my hands). Working in traditional media is more difficult than it use to be, but I still try to create small works when I can.

Aside from your art, what are you passionate about?

When I’m not in the studio, you might find me at the local comic shop or out photographing nature. You can see some of my nature photography on Flickr.  I’m also quite passionate about a good latte and searching for hidden treasures at the local used bookstore. Every few months I gather with other geeky folk and play several rounds of Magic the Gathering for their Pre-Release events. I also love playing video games when I have the time, but I don’t know that I’d say I’m passionate about gaming.

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Amanda Makepeace is an artist and illustrator inspired by nature, myth and the fantastic. Through her art, she explores our connection to the earth and its creatures. She works in both digital and traditional mediums, sometimes combining the two. When she’s not in the studio, she’s usually reconnecting with nature and the woods that inspired her as a child.