Q&A with Amy Collins

Artists Incorporated Art Gallery, located in the “Little Red Barn” on Morgan Drive in Vestavia Hills, displays work from more than 50 local artists. On the first Friday of each month, the public is invited to a Featured Artist reception to enjoy refreshments and meet the artists. For more, visit artistsincorporated.com.

This month’s featured artist is Amy Collins.

Tell us a little bit about yourself. 

I’m originally from Savannah, Georgia, but have lived in the Birmingham area for 32 years. My husband, Sam, and I moved here after meeting in graduate school for medical illustration at the Medical College of Georgia. He took a job at the veterans’ hospital and I went to work at UAB. We’ve been self-employed for over 20 years, creating artwork for clients in the healthcare industry across the U.S. and abroad. We’re fortunate in that we both have time to work on our fine art at this point in our lives — Sam with mixed media, and me with painting.

We have two children. Matthew is 26 and finishing his master’s degree in education from Samford. And Sara is 23 and works for BBDO Advertising in Atlanta, after graduating from the Savannah College of Art and Design.

Describe what type of art you do.

Although I love to draw, do pen and ink, and water color, my favorite medium is oil painting. My work is fairly representational, but (hopefully) with a more interpretive style. After a career of creating very detailed illustrations, I have to push myself to be looser and more expressive with the paint. I love to see texture and brushstrokes in a painting! 

Where does your inspiration come from?

I like to paint a variety of subjects, so inspiration can come from almost anything. It can be something tangible like a cow standing in a field, or people sitting on a beach, but it almost always involves the way light and shadow affect the subject. I’m also inspired by the work of other artists and enjoy looking at their work.

What do you enjoy most about creating your art?

There’s obviously a lot of personal satisfaction from creating a piece of art, especially on the days when it’s going smoothly! But I like that art changes and evolves with each artist. You learn something every time you paint. It might be as simple as how to mix that perfect color of green, or what kind of brushes work best for you. But over time you learn things that only come with practice, like how to look at something and really see all the color that’s in a shadow, or how subtle color shifts imply a change in the planes of a face. I don’t think you ever stop learning when you’re a painter. 

What’s the greatest compliment you’ve ever received about your work?

I think having someone tell me my artwork makes them smile is probably the nicest compliment I could receive. My work isn’t humorous, it’s representational, so if a painting makes someone smile it must’ve “spoken” to them in some way. And it’s different for each individual, and often, very personal. A landscape might remind them of time spent with their grandparents; a still life might remind them of a food that they love to prepare; or maybe the colors just make them feel restful and compliment their home decor. I paint things that I like, so when someone else enjoys my paintings it’s especially rewarding.