Meet Amy Gabriel

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Gabriel.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I realized I loved art from a young age. I was too young to stay home alone during my brothers sporting events, so my parents bought me a coloring kit to bring along to keep me entertained while I was at his basketball games. As the years went on through elementary school, I was most excited for my school’s annual art show. In third grade, my drawing went to a state art show after winning within my own school’s cultural art show. I always loved drawing in my notebook while I was supposed to be taking notes during class. My art teacher in middle school commented on my work with something I’ll never forget. “You’ll be an art teacher one day.” I loved to cover my hands in paint during my homeroom and stick them all over pieces of paper while the other students were reading or socializing. In high school, I went on to take an introduction to art class during my freshman year. This is where I learned the important fundamentals of drawing and painting. I learned what it took to draw portraits and still life pieces, realizing my work was getting great attention during our critiques. Each year I continued to take art classes eventually landing me in an AP studio art course my senior year. As my work got better, I started posting them to my Instagram page and selling them to my friends that liked them. My portfolio was turned away from a board of judges which influenced my confidence as an artist. I was sure that I needed to prove my talent and continued to paint and draw after high school ended. My work changed over time as I found my love for bright colors and painting with acrylic. I went from drawing realistic portraits to finding my creative niche with colorful animals and more abstract ideas. I eventually applied to be a part of the first Friday art walks in downtown Phoenix where I set up a tent to showcase my pieces. My first art walk was extremely successful as I sold more than half of the pieces I set up with. This night some of my paintings sold for several hundred dollars, so exciting! This was the first time I really started taking myself seriously as an artist. While still keeping school as a priority, I was accepted to Northern Arizona University. I chose to go to NAU because it had such an opportunity in the art community. Upon moving to Flagstaff for school, I was accepted into the Artists Coalition of Flagstaff and sold my work in a gallery with other artists. I also was able to show my art during First Friday art walks in Flagstaff which were also very successful! I love being able to share my art with others. It makes me so proud that others actually want to hang my work in their home. People’s reactions to my work are what keep me so motivated to keep creating.t

Please tell us about your art.
My art is ever-changing. With each piece I find myself growing as an artist with new skills and ideas. I make large acrylic paintings on canvas that use bright, neon colors. My paintings sometimes have glitter details or gold flake that make them unique. My work resonates heavily with the idea of the “Yin Yang,” The ancient symbol of harmony that reminds us that life is a balancing act. Life is most fulfilling when we learn to embrace its dualities: the ups and downs, good times and bad, and joys and challenges. My paintings represent this as I find balance to be the most important feature of my work, with my use of colors and messages. In all of my pieces, you’ll notice that I use bright colors (positives) and dark aspects (negatives) to create balance, just like the Yin Yang. My neon colors are often offset by dark blacks, creepy things like drips or creatures with no eyeballs. One of my favorite pieces that resonate with my inspiration is a painting of a cute, colorful giraffe. The giraffe has dark, sparkling eyeballs that make it look kind of dark and scary. The giraffe is dripping and gives off all kinds of different energy. I hope people see my work in a way that pushes their comfort zone. I strive to have badass art that is far from the ordinary. I hope people find my work as a challenge for them to hang comfortably in their home because it stands out so much. I want people to see themselves in my work in ways that they never imagined! People should know that my artwork isn’t for everyone. I often find that my work is most popular among younger audiences. I have even had parents want me to paint on the walls of their children’s rooms and on the walls of a tattoo shop! My audience is for people who like to see things differently.

What do you think about the conditions for artists today? Has life become easier or harder for artists in recent years? What can cities like ours do to encourage and help art and artists thrive?
Conditions for artists today are different than they ever have been. Artists of our generation are breaking through barriers of social norms through their work in ways that have never been done before. I have found that artists that are most popular in today’s society making bold statements with their messages that people might even find inappropriate. I think it might be easier to be an artist now compared to in the past because viewers are more accepting than ever. Cities like ours should be supporting local artists to help artists thrive. Purchasing the work that you enjoy; posting it on their social media platforms, and sharing the love is the best way to encourage artists to keep creating! Even as an artist myself, I always keep my eyes open to pieces that I would purchase from other artists to support them. If you love someone’s work, let them know!

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
People can find my work on my social media platforms. I post all of my work and updates on my projects on my instagram page https://www.instagram.com/amygabrielart/?hl=en . Support me by following my page or buying my work! I also sell prints of my most popular paintings for a lower price for those who aren’t able to pay full price for my originals. All of my work is for sale as long as the price is right!

Contact Info:

• Phone: 6023204471
• Email: amy.gabriel@yahoo.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amygabrielart/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amy.gabriel.1232

  Image Credit:
Personal image- Chase Warren

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