Interview with Amanda Lynch

q)Introduce yourself first please?

a)My name is Amanda Michelle Smith and I’m an artist in the San Francisco Bay Area.

q)How did you get into art?

a)I’ve just always done it. Going to college I had to choose a career and couldn’t think about doing anything else.

q) Who has been the biggest influence on you?

a)My husband Casey Jex Smith, also Indian and Persian Miniature painting.

q) Do you rule by any tendency in your creative work, or you only follow what comes in your mind?

a)I try to be true to myself, so usually I’ll get an idea and think it over for weeks before actually executing it in painting.

q) Do you have a preferred medium to work on? Why?

a)Yes. I prefer ceramics. My work is all painted on ceramic slabs with glazes, underglazes and lusters. It’s taken me years to become efficient at this medium, but I think it gives my work more dimension. I can build up my painting surfaces with 3D details. I also like the unique palette that glaze offers.

q) How much does your environment have an effect on your pictures?

a)Surprisingly, I don’t think my environment has much to do with my aesthetic, but more to do with my subject matter. My pieces are metaphors for life experiences.

q) Tell us about your studio space. Where do you work? Do you listen to certain types of music while working?

a)I have a studio at San Jose State University. It’s big and wonderful with a whole wall of windows. I love music. I listen to music most of the time in my studio. Sometimes, I also watch movies.

q) Who are your favorite artists?

a)Casey Jex Smith, The Atlas Group, Clare Rojas, Jeff Eisenberg, Amy Cutler, Chris Duncan, Misako Inaoka, Kathryn Spence, Marcel Dzama, Henry Darger, Margaret Kilgallen, and Indian and Persian Miniature Paintings.

q )When have you started using the internet and what role does this form of communication play for you, personally, for your art, and for your business?

a)I think the internet is great for my work. I pull visual material off the web all the time to use as source material. My website, which is about a year old, has been incredibly helpful in networking and making my work visible to the rest of the world.

q) What books are on your nightstand?

a)The Glass Castle, Harry Potter, and the Book of Mormon

q) What's playing on your stereo?

a)Sigur Ros

q) Any interesting "rituals" before you start creating?

a)I like to have a coke in hand when I start a piece.

q) What is your favourite colour?

a)I wish I could narrow it down to one. I have a million favorite colors.

q) What is the best time in the day for you to work on a project? Is there one, or is it more about the environment -- maybe the right mood?

a)Well, I love working at night. It’s my favorite time to work, but it’s just not practical anymore now that I have to get up early every morning.

q) What projects mean a lot to you at the moment?

a)I guess the one I’m working on. I think with every new piece I try to excite myself with it, so it’s always the most interesting.

q)Your contacts…

a) amandamichellesmith.com