Amanda Lynn is a highly passionate and skilled artist, earning her BFA from the Academy of Art in San Francisco, she applies her arsenal of techniques to the street, fine and conservationist art forms. She is best known for her elegant and seductive female characters and makes sure that she highlights their natural beauty. Amanda began her mural painting in San Francisco with The Seventh Letter Crew back in 2001 and since then has not been only working solo but with them as well and has been actively collaborating with graffiti artist Lady Mags. The duo goes by the name "Alynn-Mags" and have been exhibiting many of their work in art galleries this past year. Amanda has not only spoken to Sapere about her art but her See Life collection will be featured in Sapere Magazine's second issue as well. Here's what Amanda has to say about her art and natural beauty:
Firstly, let me start off by saying that
it is such a joy to speak to
you about your art. It seems like all of
your street and fine art comes from a very deep and down-to-earth appreciation
for nature and the beauty within women from different cultures. What can you
tell us about your love for natural beauty and why it plays such a big role in
your art?
Natural
beauty is something that I was raised to appreciate. I was very fortunate to
grow up in a small town surrounded by nature. My grandparents played a key role
in my upbringing and were extremely adamant about taking my sister and I on
many exploring adventures, where they would help us to identify all the
different flora and fauna around us. I gained a real understanding of how
nature plays a key role in all of our lives.
My love and
inspiration of the female energy and form comes from a lifetime of experiences
and observations of women all around the world. Whether she be a model, mother,
grandmother, friend, or all of the above, a true woman will always light up the
world around her. I am simply drawn to the glowing female energy and am
constantly inspired to capture one moment of that feeling within my art.
How do your pieces develop into its final product? Do you feel
that technique or theme plays a bigger role, or do they work simultaneously
throughout the process?
I spend a
lot of time looking through different forms of reference on the internet,
books, magazines, on the streets, etc. Sometimes one image grabs me and I focus
right away, other times I just gather ideas in my head, then find a place for
them when the time is right.
My
technique is somewhat of a ritual to me, I do a very detailed drawing before
every painting. I can usually figure out within the drawing stages whether the
idea is going to work or not. Sometimes the theme and idea seem strong in my
head, but once put down on paper, not all of them work out. The process of
technique plays a big role in the final product.
You paint and showcase a lot of art
pieces with writer and street artist, Lady Mags. What initially drew you to one
another and how has your partnership influenced both of your artistic
processes?
I often wonder sometimes how I was so
lucky to be given the opportunity to not only create work with Lady Mags, but
also have the fortunate pleasure of gaining another life long friend at the
same time. It’s very rare to find a person that so symbiotically flows into
your life, enhancing all the important and needed areas of life.
We both have been able to push each other
to expand our works. I feel a sense of freedom when creating with Mags, because
there are no hard feelings, ultimately we are just trying to create a great
image. I think that coming from two very different approaches to painting has
given each of us a new understanding to one another’s process.
Being a street
artist must inspire a sense of wandering. Do you have any favorite cities to
paint, and have any of them played an influential role in your art?
I definitely love to travel, and truly wish to do more. Every
time I go to a new place and paint, it’s such an amazing experience. I don’t
know if I have a favorite city to paint yet, but especially loved painting in
Cambodia and Tijuana!! I really hope to do more painting internationally, for
me it feels like the best thing in the world.
As
a skilled and trained artist earning your BFA from the Academy of Art in SF,
how do you feel about street artists facing illegal charges for creative
expression, whether is for the fine arts that some artists get paid to do
publically or graffiti and murals for fun?
I am a huge advocate
for education, and am so glad that I took the time to learn from the Academy, I
met some really influential teachers there. However, I learned more about the
importance of artistic expression on the streets, from graffiti writers and muralists. These insanely talented and devoted artists
have shown me the key to happiness. Obviously I don’t ever want my friends to
have to face charges or deal with the legal system, but it some ways it’s all
part of the game. If there were no consequences to some peoples work, then
their work might not get created with such passion! Jail time for painting on
walls is just ridiculous though!!
What do you consider to be the true heart of
your work, and what do you want it to inspire in its viewers?
I guess the true intention of my work is
to make people feel good, be inspired and hopefully walk away taking a slightly
different view on the world around them.
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