Amy Brown
Updated July 2005
"Sometimes I get frustrated because I have so many ideas fighting to come out. Every painting has so many possibilities."
Hailing from the Pacific Northwest, Amy Brown was born in Bellingham, Washington in 1972. Like most talented artists, she began drawing at a young age.
"I was never one of those children who daydreamed of growing up to become an artist. I just ASSUMED that was what I would be. It was never a question of do I want to be an artist? Often there are days when I really don't want to paint-I HAVE to paint. The urge to create is almost a wild, living entity trapped inside me, clawing to escape."
"My greatest influences have been Brian Froud and Michael Parkes, which is evident in my paintings. I have also been greatly inspired by the urban fantasy stories of Charles deLint and the lovely, haunting music of Loreena McKennitt."
"When I begin a piece, I usually have a good idea as to what I want the finished image to look like. However, by the time I actually complete the painting it has often evolved into something completely different. I start with a blank piece of paper and begin drawing. I rarely do preliminary sketches unless there is a troublesome area that needs special attention or I can't decide on the layout of the overall piece. The initial drawing can take anywhere from fifteen minutes to hours, days, months, and sometimes years."
"After the pencil drawing is completed, I break out my Daniel Smith Extra Fine Watercolors and Windsor and Newton brushes and begin laying down the background colors. I prefer to work with 140lb or 300lb Arches cold press watercolor paper. The texture of Arches seems the most conducive to the mix of textures I like to use when painting. Normally I complete the background first and then concentrate on the characters. Having never received any formal art training, I begin each painting with a bit of trepidation.praying it turns out well. Over the years I have developed my own techniques by trial and error as well as studying the work of other artists."
