Amanda Morrison
Roanoke, VA USA
Mediums: oil paint, acrylic paint, sharpie paint markers
Style: post impressionist pre-apocalyptic painter
Favorite Quotes: “Creativity is just intelligence having fun” – Einstein
“Remember: It costs nothing to encourage an artist, and the potential benefits are staggering. A pat on the back to an artist now could one day result in your favorite film, or the cartoon you love to get stoned watching, or the song that saves your life. Discourage an artist, you get absolutely nothing in return, ever.” – Kevin Smith
Favorite Books: The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker, Abarat series by Clive Barker
Right: Haunting 16x20 oil on canvas
Favorite Movies: My old school favorites are Pet Semetary & The Beastmaster, Favorites now are Insidious, Pitch Perfect and anything scary or hilarious or even better BOTH
Can you tell us about your earliest artistic memory?
The earliest artistic memory I have is sitting at the kitchen table with my dad and he would squiggle a line on paper and ask me to make him a picture using that squiggle, I honestly don’t remember a single thing that I drew for him but I do remember him drawing me a dog in a suit wearing a bowler hat from a squiggle I gave him.
What music do you like to have playing while creating art?
Scars on Broadway and System of a Down, Sometimes I get in a My Chemical Romance Mood or Queen
If you have a job besides being an artist, can you tell us about it?
I work full time at a medical manufacturing company creating prototypes and parts to help speed up the production process. Pretty scary for some people I know knowing that I am partially responsible for the needles they stick you with at the hospital.
What are you trying to convey to viewers through your art?
Passion, my pieces vary in subject matter but everything I paint I am passionate about… except commissions I do those so I can afford to do what I am passionate about.
A Knight in Shining Unicorn 24x30 oil on gallery wrapped canvas
Tell us about your creative process
The process begins with a blank canvas and a jar of turpentine, then comes the loud music I don’t always know what I’m going to paint before I paint it. It is rare that a painting takes more than a day to complete I have a very hard time walking away from a piece. I always paint alone, if someone comes around I will stop it is a stress relief and therapy to me I cannot have an audience. That’s pretty much it, I finish when it looks done to me, I would like for other people to enjoy my art but it is not necessary.
What inspires you to create art?
Oddly enough other peoples fetishes intrigue me, I am curious what makes other peoples juices flow. Nudes and animals (I have 3 rescue dogs and have always loved animals) are also areas of inspiration.
Exhibitions
I had a bunch of exhibitions for photography from 2000-2002 in the Tidewater region in VA but I don’t do photography anymore so as far as painting goes I have participated in:
Gang of Lost Souls Exhibit at The Jefferson Center Roanoke, VA it was an annual show I did from 2008-2010
Chiaroscuro Exhibit at the Jacksonville Center for the Arts in Floyd, VA 2013
JAX Juried Exhibition at the Jacksonville Center for the Arts in Floyd, VA 2013
Leopard – Amanda Morrison
Have you sold any of your artworks?
Yes. I have had people commission pieces, my least favorite thing to do since people look at a piece I worked really hard on and am really proud of and say “that’s great! But can you paint me tinkerbell?” :-/ that is frustrating. I have also sold pieces that I have posted on my Facebook and Twitter accounts
Boop Boop be Whoops 20x20 oil on canvas
How do you promote your art online?
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Etsy, Deviant art
Influences
I love Clive Barker art. I also saw a Van Gogh piece in a museum in DC, I loved it, I love to use brush strokes and texture in my pieces and it was amazing to see a Van Gogh in person since he was the 1st artist I knew of that did the same.
Please recommend another artist you admire
I admire tattoo artist Tommy Helm, weird I guess but I wish I had the talent to draw on people and he does, not only to draw on them but to fix the things that someone else messed up.
And of course Clive Barker because he not only paints he creates a whole world for the characters he paints, I don’t know how his process works if he makes the story first or the pictures but I love both the story’s and the pictures so I guess it doesn’t matter which came first same as I enjoy both the chicken and the egg.
Sugar Skull Marilyn Monroe – Amanda Morrison
Do you have an embarrassing moment in your life?
Plenty. But the thing is they are embarrassing so I don’t want to tell you.
If you could live your life over again, would there be anything you would do differently?
Absolutely I would want to do it all different and then live it again and do it all different again and so on and so forth.
Stargazer Lily 24x24 oil on canvas
What plans do you have for the future of your art?
I am interested in starting both an adult and a children’s clothing line and paint until I die.
Do you have any good advice for emerging artists?
I myself am still trying to emerge so I suppose just do what makes you happy or your inner demons happy, that’s all you can do.
Amanda Morrison - Post Impressionist Pre-apocalyptic Painter - NOT a Pop Artist
Roanoke, VA USA
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