We recently connected with Amy Cuneo and have shared our conversation below.

Amy , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you recount a story of an unexpected problem you’ve faced along the way?

Life will happen to you even if you aren’t asking or looking. When I became pregnant with our third child I found out early on he was going to have Down’s Syndrome and along with that would need open heart surgery to correct a defect. The questions in terms of my art practice were, how can I make beautiful things when we are suffering pain? How much time will be taken away from my practice if I am dealing with weekly appointments to do with his disability?

These fears however were swallowed up in a new perspective on life as I found myself seeing the world anew through his eyes. The very real struggles of time management have only enhanced my productivity when I am in the studio and my work has strengthened as I have grappled with more of life’s essential questions. I have changed my mindset to see everything I do as feeding my painting and writing, even if it’s doing playdough therapy with my son.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a painter and poet making works that honour the everyday and rhythms of family life. I pay attention to the ways we care for one another and the natural world. Layering vibrant colours, the clutter and movement of daily life is elevated. Women as artists have long been silenced so I enjoy freely representing my role as a painter, mother, carer, gardener and more as I move about the world. Plates of sausages and peas, little hands and glasses of wine marry parenting and fine dining as each of us fill many roles in our everyday lives.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Connection. I enjoy the challenge of connecting us back to nature, to our families and to ourselves. When I am painting I want the works to feel familiar, alive and warm. The privilege of getting to paint for work is never lost on me.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

In 2020 just before COVID hit, while pregnant, we found out our 3rd son was going to have Down Syndrome. Alongside that he had a heart defect that would require open heart surgery. This was a shock and felt like a blow to the career and future I thought was ahead. Already being a Mother felt like a strike against me as an artist, let alone now taking on a carer role as well. Artists get told to live and breathe their work and to forsake all else. I had to choose a different path to creative work. Instead of creating despite my conditions I learned to create with them. What I was given through a child who was utterly different was an enhanced insight into everything I made. My time and energy limitations are real as I prioritise my children yet my work is freshly infused with immediacy, richness of experience, and humour. Everything we set our minds and hands to are creative acts.

Contact Info:

• Website: amycuneo.com
• Instagram: @amycuneoist

Image Credits
Alice McConell Jennifer Leahy