We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Amy Winter. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Amy below.

Hi Amy, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

Art has always been the only career path I could have envisioned for myself. I’ve always loved art. I’ve always been fascinated by how it was made and how it made me feel. I wanted to DO THAT. My mom told me that I used to come home from kindergarten, rush to my room and grab my crayons. She said I would spend a half hour coloring furiously, as if I needed to get something out. Then I would sigh and put my crayons down. I still feel that way.
I was always provided with art supplies and encouraged to use them. My mom would read aloud, and I would color while she read, illustrating the stories. Art was the language I chose to communicate with.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

After studying art in college, I worked in art-related fields. I did custom framing and then sold art as a sales rep for an art publisher. I worked with galleries and art consultants. That helped me to learn about the art industry.

I tapered off of working for others gradually, as being an artist became more and more viable. Eventually I was able to work full time as an artist.

I’m fortunate to have a large studio space where I can paint larger-scale work. I love working on large canvases with big brushes. Three- four- and five-foot canvases are typical sizes for me.

I recently completed a fourteen foot long, site-specific commission for a boardroom. The subject was a bear that represented all of the core strengths that the company prides itself in. It was wonderful to work with the client and incorporate their vision into a work of art that they loved and that I was proud of.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I love wild animals. I love their expressive qualities. I want to use my work to increase appreciation for the creatures we share our world with and to give them a voice. Painting is my way of sharing what’s most important to me. This is the most rewarding aspect of what I do.
It’s also important to me to create something of value. I want to hopefully make the world a better, more colorful, more meaningful place.
To be able to transform a blank, white canvas into a visual work of art with depth, color and meaning is the ultimate reward. When someone chooses to purchase it is the best feeling ever!
I also appreciate getting to connect with people and talk about art and the creative process. I work solo, so making connections is very important to me. I also love being my own boss and setting my own hours.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

I hear about Artificial Intelligence taking over and making creative artists obsolete. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but I hope that handmade and hand created work will only become more valuable. I believe people will choose authenticity over artificial.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://amywinterfineart.com
• Instagram: amywinterart