Dreaming of Art
“It takes work. And I worked at it very hard.”
Amy Myers is known for her diligent work as an artist in the Arts Access Program. Her work, which includes digital art, drama, dance, and writing, frequently represent her dreams or are reflections on personal experiences. Amy has stated that her artwork is the best way for her to show people what is in her head.
Amy’s digital art typically consists of a limited palette, featuring just 1 to 4 colors. Her paintings feature overlapping brushstrokes, with a few different types of brushes or media that the digital painting program can manipulate. Amy likes to apply the brushstrokes herself using a Wacom tablet screen and stylus. She will generally have the facilitator reposition the canvas on the Wacom screen so she can access the areas needed to make sure they are filled with the colors she chooses.
When it comes to naming her art, Amy frequently uses the words “Dream” or “Mixed Up” in the titles, such as Amy’s Happy Dream, Mixed Up and Bad Dreams, or Amy’s Dream. These themes and motifs are also seen in Amy’s drama and writing projects.
Last summer, Amy participated in a special collaboration with RVCC, in which she and fellow Arts Access artist, Paul Santo, studied theatre production at Raritan Valley Community College. The course was a great learning experience, in which Amy and Paul learned and practiced new techniques alongside other theatre students. The course culminated in an intimate performance by the entire class. Just a couple months later, Amy was able to put those new skills to work when her play “The Monsters Go Away” was selected to be part of the Full Circle 2019 stage show.
At Arts Access, our priority is to facilitate the creative process and remain neutral while our artists create their work. We generally refrain from sharing our own thoughts towards the work, since we are merely tools in that process. But as a viewer, and after hearing Amy’s own thoughts on her art, we can see how Amy’s artwork captures the uncertainty and hope that comes along with the ups and downs of daily life. The frantic nature of her brushstrokes reveal the ever-changing moments and challenges we must face, in reality or the subconscious. Her dramatic and written works directly discuss challenges in life and outline methods by which those challenges might be overcome.
Amy has a truly introspective and methodical style when it comes to her art. We are inspired by her participation in our program and look forward to seeing what she creates next. To stay up to date with what Amy and all of our other artists are achieving, be sure to join our email list and follow us on social media.
