1. Amanda, do you follow any certain theme with your art or do you just follow wherever the muse takes you?
For me Kelly the muse is a very real entity, not just a concept or a nice way of saying ‘I’ve been inspired’. On her own she does not live and breathe as we do. I believe she is a literal free spirit, she comes and goes from person to person and yet she is always with each and every one of us. She watches and observes silently from within us tying our experiences together with her own. In my opinion this is why two artists who have never met or even heard of each other and live half a world away from one another can make two pieces that are extremely similar to one another in color, form and symbolism. Some people (Jungian Psychologists) call this the collective unconsciousness, and to a degree I believe it is, but I also know the muse is very real. To answer your question more directly, I do both, but she is always there. I can definitely choose what theme I want to follow, in fact when doing commissions for individuals or companies this is a must. There is, of course, always a certain degree of freedom of expression. You have to strike a balance between pleasing the client, and pleasing yourself. However, when I paint solely for myself, as I have been lately, I like to follow the muse. When I say ‘follow the muse’ what I mean is I just let things flow, I don’t worry about expectations or pleasing anyone at all.
2. Share with me your earliest memories of creating art.
Wow! Instant flashback! My very first memories of creating art would have to be around the age of three give or take. My older brother Micah was 11 years old when I was born, he is also an artist and right around the time I was three and could be trusted to wield a drawing instrument without tasting it, sticking it up my nose or stabbing someone with it he started to show me how to draw. I can still remember my then 14 year old brother teaching me something he had learned in his middle school art class, something he called ‘learning to see’, I had no idea what he was teaching me at the time but I’m pretty sure his art teacher had them reading a book called ‘Drawing on the right side of the brain”, a book I wouldn’t rediscover until I was in my late teens. I also remember right around that same time, sitting at church with my mother and father. My parents attended a church where there was a different speaker almost every Sunday, which gave me an excellent opportunity to draw someone new every week and put my ’seeing’ skills to good use. They gave me a composition book and some pens and I sat there quietly for the 45 minute sermon, drawing whoever was on the podium. Of course the result of my drawing was less than wonderful but I’ve still got a few of those little sketches and its funny how I exaggerated the features of people, giant ears, huge noses, it’s so fun to remember all this! The other people at church hated that my parents let me draw during the services but I was quiet and not running up and down the aisles like the other kids my age!
3. I’m sure you struggle with feelings of “Is my art good enough” as we all do. How do you move past these feelings and get out of a slump?
Oh those are the worst! Yes I surely do get those feelings Kelly! An artists’ worst enemy AND critic is themselves! To understand how to move past these feelings of self doubt you first have to understand WHY you are feeling them in the first place! You can’t fix a problem if you don’t understand what exactly IS the problem. You know what the effect of the problem is but you haven’t identified the true underlying dilemma. For me, (and several other fantasy artists I have spoken with) the problem usually lies in me looking at other artists work and wishing I could ‘be like that’ or wishing I could ‘be that good’. For me Kelly, my art is so deeply a part of me that it is extremely difficult to separate myself from it, and when I see an artists work I admire it is very difficult not to have feelings of inferiority. At this point I get in a major slump, artistically paralyzed. Happily this doesn’t happen much anymore! I figured out the best way for ME to get over this. Instead of looking at a beautiful piece of art and having overwhelming mixed emotions of awe and self doubt (The whole, “I could never do that” thought process) I instead try to analyze the piece objectively. I ask myself questions like, ‘What makes this work?’, ‘How did they do this?’. Then I go sit at my art table and experiment until I get the desired effect. The trick is not to stop! Just keep swimming, just keep swimming! And work on improving yourself and your work instead!
4. Do you paint what you enjoy or do you attempt to paint what you think your customers will buy?
For a long time I frustrated myself to pieces by trying to paint what I imagined my customers would like to purchase. The fact is, my art AND my art business has improved and grown by leaps and bounds since I have started painting more for myself. If you love what you do, it shows. If you have forced a piece, its shows! Yes of course I love fairies, but darn it Kelly I don’t want to have to tack wings on every single female I draw!
5. Besides art, what are your great passions in life?
Psychology, Anthropology and Mythological studies in particular. I love to understand what makes people ‘tick’ so to speak, and oftentimes to do this you need a good understanding of not only the culture they were raised in but also the myths and history that helped to shape that society. Books, I love books, new books, antique books, short books, long books, just BOOKS! In fact, I’m kind of a book hog; I have shelves of books and boxes of books, hardbacks, paperbacks, leather bound and slip cased….lots and lots of books. Funny thing is, I don’t have a lot of novels or ’story’ books, I have lots of reference books. I have books on religions, spirituality, art, cultures, history, mythology, and many other topics. I love cooking! I had to learn to take care of myself at an early age and cooking was one of those things I had to learn to do. I was a ten year old kid who cooked gourmet meals with whatever was available. Now I find joy in cooking assorted dishes from different cultures and inventing dishes of my own. I particularly enjoy Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine for the exotic flavors and textures you can produce with the ingredients, there are so many possibilities with Asian cuisine and I really like the fact that a big part of preparing the food is making it visually appealing as well as tasty. Secondary cooking styles I like would probably be French and Greek, for similar reasons to why I like Asian cooking. Another big reason I like cooking is it allows me to nourish myself and the people around me in ways I wouldn’t normally be able to. I practice a form of ‘kitchen magick’, when I cook I make a conscious effort to be in a good mood and always channel positive nourishing energy into the food itself. If I am extremely depressed or even mildly angry or irritated, I will not cook, that’s the rules! I also enjoy writing but I don’t do much of that anymore, I’m too busy painting. 
6. You’ve really gotten an early start in your art career. Has your young age been an advantage to you or a stumbling block?
Both actually! I always knew I was an artist Kelly; there was never any getting around the fact. I tried lots of different things as teenagers often do, but I ended up feeling empty and greatly dissatisfied with almost everything I tried. I was around 14 when I realized I could make extra cash by actually selling my art to people. At first it was family and friends, and then friends of friends. I discovered fantasy art around the same time; my older brother took me to a renaissance faire in Norman Oklahoma, not far from where I live. Nene Thomas’ artworks and prints were for sale there, Nene wasn’t there but her little sister was tending the booth and playing a harp, my brother bought a matted and framed set of Nene’s seasonal series, women in beautiful dresses in beautiful places with fantastical elements. After he paid for them we sat there and talked with Nene’s sister before we carried them back to the car, I remember standing jaw open and awestruck as I looked through Nene Thomas’ artwork. I knew at that moment I wanted to be a fantasy artist, I didn’t care if I was only 14, I didn’t care if I was poor, I was going to bring images as beautiful as that into the world someday. Well, I’m still working on making images as beautiful as Nene’s work! (I mentioned earlier how you shouldn’t compare your work to other artists; well Nene Thomas’ fantasy art is my ONE weakness!) I’ve found many wonderful and supportive souls among this journey so far; regardless of my age many people have been more than willing to help me in many ways. That’s what fantasy and fairy art is built on. It’s not about big money; it’s not about pretentiousness and snooty attitudes. Its about loving what you do, making art, showing the world the visions in your mind and heart and being kind and understanding of others, it is also about all the good and magick inside us. For young artists starting out I would give this advice: Just because you are a teenager doesn’t give you an excuse to be irresponsible and unscrupulous. This is business. You want to play with the big boys, you have to live up to your word, be respectable, mature and professional.
7. What are your thoughts on the stereotype “moody artist”? Do you think that artists do tend to be more moody than other people?
I think it’s an unfair assumption that all artists are “moody”, some artists are very balanced and cool headed about their art and life in general. Yes, a lot of artists are moody, men and women alike. It is sort of like the chicken vs. egg question though, which came first the moodiness or the art. I think being moody can promote creativity, but I also feel that creativity can promote moodiness! I think artists as a whole DO tend to be a little unstable emotionally when compared to people of other professions. It’s a very emotional career! What would art be without human emotion? Of course I have to mention the words bi-polar just to clarify some things. Oftentimes when we think of someone as ‘moody’ we think of manic depressive illness or bi-polar disorder, but I must stress that not all people with this mental illness are of the creative persuasion. All in all, I do believe that artists on average and as a group are more moody than people of other professions.
8. You are licensed with HAED. What are your thoughts on licensing…did you feel you needed to be at a certain level of skill with your art before attempting to get licensed or did you just jump right in and start trying right away?
Yes, Heaven and Earth Designs is a fantastic company. My art was licensed with them in 2005 and I enjoy a wonderful relationship both professionally and personally with the owners. I will admit, I jumped right in and started looking for licensing contracts when I was about 17 or 18, but for all the wrong reasons. My technical ability was very lacking, as were my business skills and I made some mistakes along the way. It doesn’t hurt to send out samples to licensing companies, but you have to remember that they are looking for imagery for use on their products and aimed at their particular target market, and just because they don’t sign you right then and there doesn’t mean they won’t in the future. I think a lot of people think licensing is the holy grail of the art world or something, and I can certainly understand why some artists feel this way. The thought of seeing your art in stores on products that many people will purchase is an exciting thought. So is the often dreamed of ‘royalty check’. However, at this point in my career I am more interested in the exposure than the money from licensing. I am more interested in learning, growing, and perfecting my craft before I begin serious attempts at getting my artwork licensed for use on mass marketable products. I think it is unfair to measure success of an artist on how many products have their art on it. I know some amazing artists who have none or little of their art licensed to companies either because they don’t like the idea or because they don’t have a very good business sense. You have to draw the line between business and creative expression somewhere.
9. Choose only 1 of your most favored art supplies and tell me why you would never sway from using this particular one.
Well, I was going to be a smart aleck and say my right hand or my brain or my eyes but I will be serious. I would have to say I would never use any other type of hair in my brushes than male kolinsky sable. It has excellent spring, fantastic control and holds LOTS of liquid. (Sounds sort of like a pad huh?) No, seriously Kelly, I could never use any other kind of brush, I love my brushes, especially my old size 2. There are only two brands of brushes I would recommend for serious watercolorists, one of them is the Windsor and Newton Series 7 and the other is Dick Blick art supplies male kolinsky sable line. I would love to own some of the Windsor and Newton brushes but I am quite satisfied with the Blick brushes.
10. Describe your dream art studio to me. What equipment and art supplies would it hold? How would it be specifically tailored to suit you?
My dream art studio would be in the middle of a large and lush garden with mountains in the distance, it would be a freestanding tower like structure with a large room at the top, windows for walls and a glass ceiling. The windows would be able to open and I would have planters with herbs in them sitting on the ledges outside the windows. It would have a small wood burning stove with a glass door on it so I could watch the fire in the winter time. I would have bookcases built in to the area between the floor and the windows, recessed into the wall and have them full of inspirational art books. I would have a good sound system installed in there as well because I find it very hard to create without music, either in the background playing softly or blaring. As far as supplies go, I would keep all the art supplies I have now, I love what I am working with right now, my tastes might very well change over the years but for the moment, I am happy with what I have. Okay, so yes that is my ‘dream of dreams’ art studio, the one that couldn’t be beat. If I couldn’t have that one, I would love to have a sea side cottage for a studio or a log cabin in the Colorado Rocky Mountains.
11. If you were a fairy, what would you be like? Would you be a creature of the light or of the dark? Describe yourself.
Oh wow, what a cool question! That is a tough one because I have always been in love with the night and yet I love the vibrancy of the colors in the daytime. I would have to say I would be a night time fairy though, when I was in Washington state I saw some very interesting things on a secluded beach one night, the friend I was with was had wandered down the beach a ways and I was just sitting there watching the moon disappear over the islands in the distance, the waves were crashing on the shore and it was just really a peaceful and magickal moment. I had closed my eyes and was giving thanks for the beauty and serenity around me, when I opened my eyes I saw what I believe were fairies about 20 feet away from me. They didn’t LOOK like anything I had ever seen illustrated as ‘fae folk’, they were more like wispy swirling streamers of pale lavender light, every now and then I could see a little hand or a hint of a face. I felt a special kinship to them whatever they were and I watched them for several minutes until they disappeared into the ocean. So in a nutshell, that would be me that would be the kind of fairy I would be, a free spirited fairy made entirely of light and energy, able to traverse land, air and water at will. A bit of enchanting light in a dark night. I believe fairies are made of light and energy, in the book by Brian Froud and Alan Lee titled ‘Faeries’ they briefly discuss what faeries are, they use the term ‘prana’ and I believe the description is apt.
12. I never knew you studied jewelry design. Did any of what you learned in that field bleed over to influence your art creations?
I really don’t talk about my history with jewelry design much Kelly because I loved it so, so much and am physically unable to actually manufacture or craft it. I have a muscular disorder, I won’t elaborate on what is specifically wrong with me, but it causes me to have random muscle twitches, nothing serious or life threatening. Obviously it is not safe to handle oxy-acetylene torches, extremely valuable pieces of jewelry, molten metal and sharp instruments on a regular basis if you have uncontrollable muscle spasms. I still LOVE to design jewelry, and when I get the chance I take commissions for jewelry designs, passing on the manufacturing side of it to a jeweler who is in my clients’ locale whom I trust to faithfully reproduce my design. When I studied jewelry design I had the chance to handle pieces of jewelry and precious stones that I would never have believed existed, the energy coming off of a piece of antique jewelry, or a freshly cut diamond or ruby is amazing to say the least! I think jewelry is something people hold very dear to their hearts; it is a piece of art that is most likely to pass down from one generation to the next, not only as an heirloom but as a family treasure. Something I learned from my instructor that has definitely influenced my art is the values that go into forming a jewelers personality, (a good one anyways) first and foremost there is honesty and ethics. I have always been what I would call an ethical and honest person but working with Steven (my instructor) really instilled a deeper responsibility in me. I was trusted on a daily basis to handle repairs and cleaning of extremely valuable and irreplaceable jewelry and also to design and assemble new pieces from raw materials. It’s about the trust factor, if someone gives you their trust you do your best to live up to or exceed their expectations of you and/or your work. That has definitely filtered over into my art. The people who collect and buy my work expect a certain level of care, if they commission a piece from me it is my responsibility to make sure that they not only get what they paid for but that I treated them fairly, with kindness and met or exceeded their expectations with the finished product. Also with jewelry design a lot of the time you are working with a very rough concept when designing a commissioned piece. As the designer it is your job to make sure the client gets what they want. Often times the client doesn’t know what they want! They have a general idea but you really have to be sure both of you are clear on what the finished piece should look like and how much time should go into making it before work begins. The same is true when working with art clients, be it a company or an individual. You have to make sure you are both on the same page, a lot of time and money goes into making jewelry. A lot of time, care and love go into making a piece of art. In my mind they are equally valuable. I wouldn’t skimp on a piece of quality jewelry and I wouldn’t waste mine or my clients’ time on making a piece of art neither one of us was sure about.
13. Describe your perfect day to me.
Hmmm….Good one Kelly, good one. My perfect day start in a quiet fishing village in Japan, watching the sun come up over the ocean and then having breakfast with a local family, really taking in the everyday culture of the place. Travel around, see some historic sites, and get a chance to rejuvenate in the hot springs, do some plein air painting of the landscapes, sushi for lunch, travel to a larger city and visit some of the old temples. Sit and talk with some of the older people about their lives and ask them questions about life in general. Get to Osaka around night time, do some shopping, see a show, eat the evening meal at an upscale restaurant and then go to a nice hotel room with a view and get some rest!
http://www.amandarobisondesigns.com/