Artist Interview – Amy Hetherington

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Who are you and what do you do?

I’m Amy, the colored pencil artist at the rear of Headspace Illustrations. I are living on the east coast of Canada, with my partner of 23 decades and our two beautiful young children.

Why do you do what you do?

I’m determined to keep on my journey in artwork for numerous good reasons. From a functional standpoint, it’s a way I can assistance my relatives fiscally although functioning from my own residence studio. Currently being just a hug away from my younger little ones has been the very best decision I could have created. Practising art has also had a favourable influence on my mental well being, it is an training in persistence, and a peaceful minute to replicate on the intricacies of our globe all around us.

You use so several lively hues, do you have any that you favor?

I’m most certainly drawn towards the normal vibrancy discovered in florals, birds, and gemstones, so it is tough to decide a preferred. But going on how shorter all my green coloured pencils are, I likely use them most commonly.

What inspires your art?

We’ve designed our home just outdoors the metropolis, on a roomy wooded great deal near the river. Currently being listed here is a slower tempo of life, where we get to end and notice in wonderment the flora and fauna around us. During the warmer months, for instance, we get up at the crack of dawn to check out underneath our outdoors light to discover hundreds of colorful moths. We maintain them in sheer astonishment, acquire photographs, and then launch them back again into the forest. I have illustrated a number of them, and hope to do more.

How and when did you get into art?

Following nearly 20 several years of no artwork, I stumbled across a coloured pencil portrait that sparked in me a strong motivation to attract yet again. Artwork was some thing I did in superior college, and didn’t select up a pencil once more until eventually 2015. I wasn’t extremely self-confident in my capabilities, but I determined to take a image of my little boy’s eye, and consider to draw it in graphite. It was exhilarating to see something arrive alive just before my eyes. I wished to test anything in color, and soon thereafter my husband amazed me with my 1st established of colored pencils. I have not stopped coloring since.

How has your observe changed in excess of time?

When I 1st started out, I illustrated additional singular items, but as my self confidence grew, I pushed my creativeness further more into far more involved compositions. Although I have sustained a equivalent aesthetic, I have improved in details and system.

What is your most loved piece of artwork that you’ve produced? Why?

Distinctive projects have particular parts of my heart in them, in such one of a kind means that I really don’t imagine I can favor 1 around the relaxation. Not long ago a buddy went out of his way to assistance our family members with finishing up a renovation job that was so out of our attain to do. I wished to demonstrate our immense gratitude by illustrating his hand-tied fishing lures. I when surprised my partner with a drawing of our sweet pug that died, which I cried by way of the complete illustration. Performing on commemorative items for others is a fragile course of action, and I experience honored to be requested. Remaining commissioned to do the job on a wide range of national brands, and observing that get the job done in shops have been unimaginable experiences. I attach my inner thoughts to each individual piece and I’m not positive it is probable to quality a single emotion more than one more.

What is the best piece of artwork assistance you’ve been supplied?

Art is not a competitiveness. You are exceptional, observe your uniqueness. Also, watch each individual piece as an experiment, if it does not flip out as you hoped, it’s all right, it was just an experiment.

What is one artwork tip/system you can share with us that you obtain actually beneficial?

Employing a marker foundation or Panpastels as your to start with layer beneath coloured pencil preserves the tooth of your paper so you can go wild with the rest of your levels.

Do you have any key ideas or techniques you use to salvage a piece when you make a mistake?

I’m very seasoned in owning to salvage pieces, all those faults, or even just a improve of coronary heart, have taught me it is probable to correct. In some cases the composition requirements a innovative adjustment. In the circumstance of my Coleman lantern, my marker foundation bled on to the white qualifications, so I added a piece of rope tied to the tackle. Getting open-minded and adaptable to the approach can final result in a more fulfilling art piece than you at first thought.

What is your favored Strathmore paper? Why?

So far, my absolute beloved is Strathmore Combined Media 400 Sequence. It checks all the boxes for me. The vellum surface area is the perfect amount of money of texture to grip my pigment, but smooth ample to retain my edges clear and crisp. The thickness can deal with heavy-handed coloring, and the web pages continue to be flat. The color is shiny white, it’s received easy, tear-absent web pages, and it’s readily available from my community, small enterprise, artwork store.

That remaining reported, I have but to do a complete illustration on the Strathmore Combined Media 500 Collection. I’ve also just began an illustration on Strathmore Bristol 500 Series, for the initial time, and it is DREAMY.

What artwork resources could you not stay without having?

A ought to-have for me is a folding desktop easel. Doing the job upright has corrected my posture and nearly eradicated neck and shoulder pain.

What types of hues are you drawn to for your art and why?

Pink and environmentally friendly, normally. Those are the colors I surround myself with in my very own house, it feels like home.

Who are your biggest influences (or who were being when you commenced carrying out art)?

MaryJo Hoffman is a qualified photographer who sees splendor in the compact and easy things she collects on walks. She arranges the pieces with vivid white backgrounds, captures them, and aptly calls them her Continue to collection. I adore her awareness to element and her generous spirit. She graciously provided her Bluejay wing image to me to use as a reference, and I could not refuse! She was an inspiration then and nevertheless is.