Friday, November 30, 2012

Paint Party Friday Week 38 Year 2 Check In Featured Artist: Amy McDonald

image courtesy of Amy McDonald

Welcome to Week 38 of Paint Party Friday (Year 2) and to the next edition of our Featured Artist Series! (Would you like to be a PPF Featured Artist? Please click here for details!) This week's featured artist is a creative force to be reckoned with... Her prolific portrait painting and fearless experimentation never cease to amaze.  Please welcome Amy McDonald!
image courtesy of Amy McDonald

1.Please tell us a bit about your personal history with painting. (When did you start painting? How has your painting evolved since you first started?)
I think before maybe last year I was definitely more of a crafter - I just played around and made a lot of mixed media art - um, whimsical art - stylized, shit like that.  I got more serious about it and started spending more and more time painting each day and the more time I spent at it, the more I felt that my work was becoming more representational of my own vision rather than someone else's idea of art.  

image courtesy of Amy McDonald
This past year I've sort of started painting all of the time, like most of the day every day (unless I have an appointment or I am really sick - but like, I'd have to be pretty sick not to paint, and frankly that appointment better be very important).  
I really put in a lot of studio time, approximately 6-8 hours a day.  
Putting in the time, really putting in the time - even when I don't feel like it - has been the best thing for my art.  I had to figure out how to do things, how to go about things.  I used to always look for easy answers or for someone to tell me how to do something, but you really can't learn that way.  You learn to create by looking and working.  There is no other way.  Sit down and work.
image courtesy of Amy McDonald
2.What are your favorite techniques, media, and tools to use in creating your paintings?
Oil paint is my favorite favorite favorite, no question. I'll paint on pretty much any surface - except gesso board.  I hate gesso board.

I'm starting to learn to make portraits in encaustic wax, but so far they are looking so dreadful that I haven't shown any yet. I hope that after a few weeks I'll have gotten to a point where I am feeling better about them.  The media is tricky for me after becoming so used to the workability of oils.

Also, I'm over the  moon excited because iIm starting to learn tattooing.  I can hardly think of something more fun than painting on someone, but you know, also hurting them at the same time.
image courtesy of Amy McDonald

3.What is your favorite thing to paint? Why?
I love painting portraits - there are so many ways to reflect a subject's personality, just by color or style.

image courtesy of Amy McDonald

4.What is your proudest painting moment and/or greatest painting achievement so far?
I think my greatest achievement so far has been developing the 'I don't give a crap' section of my brain when it comes to followers or fans - that has really really helped me stay fresh and keep experimenting, even when  my experiments look like garbage.  That's my big achievement for this year, I think - learning to keep growing as an artist and keep experimenting despite what people think of the results.

image courtesy of Amy McDonald
5.What's next in your painting future?
Hopefully realistic encaustic portraits and some bad ass tattooing, but we'll see where art takes me...
um, so here are some links to stuff of mine:
Tumblr art (process photos of my work) http://www.tumblr.com/blog/amymcdonaldxo

so, okay  (:  enjoy your weekend.



***

Thank you for inspiring us all to paint, paint, paint, (and paint some more), Amy - we'll be interested to see your encaustic portraits (and tattoos)!


**Would you like to be a PPF Featured Artist? (Of course you do!)
Click here for more details!**

As always, please make sure to use your post URL address NOT your blog home page URL address as there are many late visitors who get confused as to which post is for PPF when they arrive (after Friday) at your website. If you are unfamiliar with Mr. Linky, an explanation of how this tool works can be found on Week 1 and Week 2 Check-Ins.


Have a wonderfully creative week everyone!

42 comments:

  1. Excellent interview. Awesome work Amy. Love your style. Thanks for hosting Eva and Kristin. Have a great weekend everyone.

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  2. I don't see a way to leave a comment on Amy's blog, but I think her portraits are wonderful!

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  3. Really great to meet Amy and get to know her more. I love this interview. I couldn't agree with her more-- to keep practicing and working to find your artistic voice. Beautiful work Amy and keep it coming! :)

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  4. Wonderful interview! Amazing portraiture!
    Thanks so much for hosting, Kristin and Eva!

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  5. Beautiful art! Oh I agree in the encaustics, they are great fun but so different from oils!

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  6. What a great interview! I've seen such a growth in Amy's art since I first started participating in PPF. She is so amazingly talented, but as her interview reveals, she also works very hard and it shows. Beautiful work!! Keep painting, Amy!

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  7. I always enjoyed reading Amy's streams of consciousnes style blog entries when she used to link up with PPF although I hadn't seen her on here for a while. A great interview and I'm totally jealous that she's learning to tattoo - I think it must be amazing to be so confident in your ability to draw on someone's skin - if you get that wrong you can't just erase it!!

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  8. Those are gorgeous. some great talent here as always. thanks for sharing this amazing artwork with us.

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  9. Hi, this is my first time doing Paint Party Friday but I've been a follower for a while now. I'm a little nervous but excited to join in! (tabithalenox)

    Great article on Amy and her art, she's a huge talent and I am always in love with how she reinvents herself.

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  10. Wonderful pieces of art here! So great to visit here again!

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  11. Happy PPF everyone! Amy - AWESOME artwork!!! Love 'em all!

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  12. I love Amy, the way she act and the way she paint. I think she one of our best portrett painter, love to dig deep into her work. The way she is using all kind of matrial to paint on like used teabags, money, books, wood just everything she has around her. Happy PPF.

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  13. thank you so much for hosting again sweet ladies, great interview!

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  14. very good interview from Amy and lovely portraits, thank you!

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  15. I too adore Amy's art. It is so original and fabulously awesome. Great interview too. Happy PPF to Eva and Kristin and everyone.

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  16. Wonderful interview! I love that developing the "I don't give a crap" mentality is her greatest accomplishment. That is so important to our growth as individuals and artists. Thank you!

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  17. These portraits have so much depth and feeling-awesome art and interview!! I am learning so much by visiting Paint Party Friday-thanks so much Eva and Kristin!

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  18. Beautiful..such talent..fab interview..all of these pieces carry wonderful power and strength and deep soulfulness.
    Brilliant work.
    Victoria

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  19. Encaustic painting? OK, you're my hero, Amy. I can't wait to see what you do with it.

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  20. Awesome interview, very distinctive and compelling style. I love the dollar bill painting. Thanks for sharing!

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  21. WOW....blown away with your art but mostly of the beauty that is inside you. You tell it like it is....you speak from your heart without holding back. I hope someday, I find that voice. Thank you for sharing.

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  22. I really like your style Amy. you have a very interesting story. you are really dedicated and driven for your art. Good inspiration to us lazy artist that exist here too. I am lazy compared to you. but I like to experiment just like you too. makes life interesting and rewarding sometimes
    good luck to you in the future endeavors
    -KAT- #61

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  23. Already a fan of your art Amy!! So cool to learn more about you and your process!! Very cool!
    Happy PPF!!

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  24. You have a real gift for painting expressive portraits, Amy. Keep painting from your heart - your portraits are honest and open. I'm with you: we learn only when we keep working, whether we feel like it or not. -Terri

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  25. YAY! LOVE Amy! Congrats and thank you, xo

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  26. I've been following Amy's work for about a year now and she is an amazing talent!! Great interview!

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  27. Amy is a natural! Her faces are amazing!

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  28. Please remove #76. It's my wrong link.

    And I love this great interview of Amy. Her works are stunning! Just love them... :)

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  29. Sorry please could you remove my link #78!

    Amy's interview was great.... love how she works on anything (well almost anything!) and has such a strong individual style.

    Karenx

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  30. Very nice work. Liking the use of different canvases. Keep thinking out-side the box. or just doing. Good luck

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  31. Amy's work is captivating and original, and I admire her fresh, honest approach to painting. How inspiring!

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  32. Thank you for the great interview and wonderfully expressive art Amy!

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  33. have always been a fan of Amy's work when I have caught it. got to love her straight talk. I agree when you let go of worrying about people hitting the like button & you create to create & post to share your journey it is all good!
    cheers, dana

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  34. I first saw Amy's work on instagram and became an instafan. I love her attitude about not looking for fans and how she paints on everything. I've always painted on everything, so I can relate. She takes it to the very edge and I love that.

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  35. Oh, Sorry Kristin and Eva I put my link up twice because someone told me it wasn't working.

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  36. Hi there! I really LOVE LOVE LOVE Amys art. Thanks for presenting her art :) Its a nice inspiration to start with faces one day... :)

    <3 Mandel

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  37. I love the intensity of Amy's portraits. Blessings!

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  38. Interesting paintings like the angles used for the portraits. I seem to have cats and dogs on the brain:)

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  39. Really strong, expressive portraits. Interesting reading about the change from craft like work to expressive painting.

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  40. Loved it Amy...all your wonderful portraits, experimentations and your narration. I love what you said about painting everyday...I do that too but not to your extent, I believe. I would like to reach there soon! It's inspiring to read your story.
    Best Wishes & Good Day Amy:)

    Thanks Eva & Kristin :)
    ps: Sorry I couldn't join this week.

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