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Amanda Hone

Artist's Interview

How long have you been creating?: Well, I did try my hand at a spot of cave painting whilst in the womb but soon realised that short of a great many younger siblings there wasn't going to be much of an audience to admire them. Thus I saved my creative energies for the day when I was first able to undo those pesky diapers. Sadly my mother did not appreciate my early works, especially having fed me stewed apricots the day before so creativity was held in abeyance until chunky crayons appeared. I've been scribbling like mad ever since although it's only been in recent times that I've dedicated most of my waking hours to it.

What is your medium of choice?: At the moment it's acrylics. I love the strong vibrant colours and the speedy drying time. I would very much like to work with oils but lack of space to leave canvases drying dictates otherwise. I also spend a fair bit of time making felt and I have 50 kilos of raw fleece sitting in my garden shed, waiting for me to get around to scouring it. On a hot day the aroma rises like a mushroom cloud and is the despair of my neighbours!

What are your motivations for creating?: For too long I was stuck in a very tedious office job with little or no time for creation of any sort. Like a pressure cooker I eventually reached explosion point and with precious little regard for my financial outlook I quit the job. Since then I have worked almost feverishly pouring out all that pent-up emotion onto canvas after canvas. It would seem to be a necessary part of my life being able to express myself through colour, be it painting or feltwork.

What other artists and movements inform your work?: I recently discovered Hundertwasser, who apart from having the most gloriously unlikely name, produced art that I admire enormously. Ton Schulten has the most astonishing sense of colour and Beryl Cook for her quirky and so well observed sense of humour. But on a more everyday basis I am probably most influenced by the artists on EBSQ. If inspiration begins to flag I spend time looking through the galleries and am constantly astounded at the fantastic range of talent here.

What do you find stimulating right now? How does this influence your creative process?: My studio. It is a feast for the eyes. It's a tiny room but packed from the floor to the ceiling with books, paint, canvases and untold bits and pieces. I have a section that I call my inspiration wall. On it I pin anything that I find that appeals to my sense of colour and design. Postcards, magazine clippings, cards... even bus tickets and postage stamps. I've always found the designs on stamps to be inspirational and it has long been my ambition to see some of my own work gracing one - somewhat unlikely but a worthy pursuit.

Read anything good lately?: The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. I love escaping into a book and read prolifically. Several years ago I decided that I was reading too much pulp fiction so I made my New Year's resolution to read ten classics in that year. A strange sort of masochism came over me because I started off with War and Peace. 1200 pages of tiny type and it took me the better part of 6 months to wade through it. After that I chose the thinnest classics I could find. Once I'd read the ten proscribed books, I swore to myself that there was nothing whatsoever wrong with popular fiction and I should stick to what entertains me from then on. Dan Brown is a new discovery and The Da Vinci code was superb, not least of which because it has more than a smattering of interesting info (truth or fiction?) about Leonardo.

You work in a lot of different media; is there one that is more "you" than others?: I wouldn't say that one medium or the other was 'me' particularly. Everything I do involves strong, vibrant colours because that is what I am passionate about. I have tried water-colour in the past but find myself adding less and less water just because I like the colour as it is when it comes out of the tube. Pastel washes and delicate colours are just not 'me' although I admire very much those who are able to paint well in water-colour.

What would you like your fellow EBSQ artists and collectors to know about you and or your work?: To all the artists here on EBSQ I have to send big hugs. I would not have believed how much impact an on-line community could have had on my life and yet I have made some wonderful friends, shared emotional moments and laughed long and hard at many of the conversations on the forum. For collectors out there you have my respect. It is all too easy to go out and buy a mass produced print from a store, I admire you for taking the time and trouble to find original art instead. Now go check out my store... heh heh!