Underwater Paintings, New Zealand... and 3,000 Photos
- Jordan Brinkworth
- Nov 15, 2024
- 5 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
‘I felt a real pull towards creating art from about the age of 13 I guess, once the horse-riding fever had calmed down a bit, and was super enthusiastic about doing it at High School even though I initially had very little skill to back it up,’ says Amy.
‘I was incredibly lucky to end up at a High School that nurtured that enthusiasm brilliantly. I launched myself into Oil Painting pretty much from the start, I loved the way you could move the paint around so much. It felt much more satisfying after the pencils, pastels and poster paints of earlier school art classes,’ she adds.
As you can imagine, what drew me to Amy’s works were how colourful they were and how unique they were in terms of catching glimpses of people as they were swimming and moving in the water. I thought that such vibrant summertime colours and activities would contrast well against this time of year, when things become increasingly darker and indoor focused.
‘Were there any hobbies, such as swimming, that inspired you to create?’ I ask.
‘Growing up in the Bay Of Islands in New Zealand meant water was a huge part of my life, but it is also a strong part of the culture in New Zealand,’ Amy informs me – yet another artist whose experiences and works have been shaped as a result of living in different parts of the world.
‘Amazingly we lived right by the sea in my teenage years, which I’m sure cemented my love of the water. Swimming, being out on the water, going to the beach, rivers, water holes and swimming pools were a constant during summer but most importantly meant I got to know water in lots of different forms, and I use that in my work all the time. My parents were incredibly supportive of any creative endeavours and remained my biggest fans, even keeping some truly horrendous early works - mostly against my advice,’ Amy humorously replies.
‘I was always up for making something and I guess that has not changed. In the last few years, I have really been noticing how New Zealand has such a strong artistic voice; something that is genuine and identifiable; and it is an influence that I feel comes out in my use of colour,’ Amy adds.