ART
Amanda Gorman – Bringing Pop Art to the Coast
WORDS: Sam Beau Patrick PHOTOGRAPHY Supplied
A few years back wandering through a market at Currumbin Creek I stumbled into the path of innovative, fun and creative Amanda.
She wowed me with her individual brand and art.
This is a candid catch up with a beautiful woman and artist…
1: Why did you start doing art?
I have always done one form of art or the other for my whole life. I spent a good chunk of my career as an entertainment make-up artist and loved transforming faces or bodies to different briefs. I particularly loved special FX and monster make up .
It’s been over the past 6 or so years that I have really delved into my art as a career and it emerged from a surprising demand.
I had been in a really mentally troubling time in my life and I became desperate to try to turns things around. Sometimes life dishes up things that you have to just run with but I needed to find joy . I turned to one of the things I knew made me happy. Drawing!
I drew a face and within days of it being complete I had orders from friends and family to buy a copy and then requests to draw them this and that started to come in.
It was then that I started entering and being accepted into portrait prize competitions and my work evolved from there. It has always been a part of me but it’s not until this time that it became my work.
2: What has been your greatest challenge as an artist?
I am always torn with finding a style specifically for me. Those who know me well know I am consistently inconsistent so sticking to one thing is just not me.
I love things passionately and love to explore different mediums and styles.
I tackle this by doing different collections or bodies of work. I don’t want to be only known for my contemporary large scale ink works which I love so much or for my children’s illustrations or for my sketches. I would love to be able to blend and sway from this to that and continue to work as I do now but I do feel it’s a challenge as most successful artists you meet do have one very distinctive style. I’ve never been one to run with the herd though. I have always done things my way regardless of what is the so called ‘right’ way to do it.
3: Your Fave pieces and why?
I absolutely love my large scale ink pieces as they are so billowy and soft like clouds of colour on the canvas. They are really calming and create such a beautiful dynamic feel to a space. Then my Amy Winehouse sketch would have to be my favourite of the sketches. Amy was such an incredible talent and her life was over way too soon. Hers is the face I sketched out all those years ago that started it all so I have such a soft spot for this drawing.
4: Current Direction
I am working mostly on my illustration work at present and have been busy doing a host of both drawing and ink commissions. I am working on 2 children’s books of my own around ADHD and am towards the end of the year going to be completing the second book in the ‘Tilly’ Series.
5: Aspirations in art?
These are my blue sky aspirations
I have 2 different goals on this front:
i: I would love to be a best selling book illustrator with my books being known throughout generations.
ii: To have my sketch work and Ink Pieces be featured in large hotel chains, on display in national galleries and to be featured in magazines like this one with all designers knowing them and seeking them for their clients. I would love to be a household name Australian artist.
(ED: We all wish you the best and hope you achieve these worthy goals) x
6: Where people can find your art.
My art is on display in several places throughout the Gold Coast and Brisbane but the best place to see my art is via my website or the Art Lovers Australia Website along with my Instagram and Face book pages.
@amandagormanartist
Article written by Samantha Beau, Gold Coast based artist. Upcoming exhibition 1-10th April 2021. The exhibition will be held at 2 Bay St, Tweed Heads. More info here.
