in the studio with :: amy boone-mccreesh

i fell in love with amy's work ages ago [i collected it in my pretend art collection on poppytalk in 2012. you should read this post for more of what i adore about amy's work]. she currently has work up at mixed greens in ny [go amy]. and she was kind enough to interview christine and i about our chroma exhibition for baltimore's premier art blog. 

her studio was across the street from city arts and so she graciously let us pop in for a visit. it's in this super duper cool old brick building and her studio is so full of interesting tidbits. i literally could have spent all day in there. just like her work, her studio is layered, FULL of hidden tidbits, and completely overwhelming in the best possible way. 

please name 5 artists/creatives/makers that you know personally who you find inspiring

and influencing ? 

Carolyn Case, Sara Barnes, Milana Braslavsky, Kyle Bauer, and my husband Adam Boone-McCreesh, he's not an artist but works very hard and influences my artistic life often

And 5 artists/creatives/makers that you don't know but love from afar? 

Currently: David Hockney, Ruth Root, Manish Arora, Hope Gangloff, Kelly Wearstler 

the last thing or two you read that had you marking or dog earring pages? 

Honestly, Elle Decor magazine. I am very into interior design right now. I like finding parallels in composing a room vs. composing a 2D picture plane and all of the overlaps in formal sensitivities, like repetition and unity. Maximal interior design, pattern on pattern, a variety of colors and shapes is what has me the most interested. I also just saw the Ruth Root show at Andrew Kreps gallery in New York, so I have been really into the catalog for that show. Art is so all-encompassing in my life that I find it hard to invest in reading books. When I do it's mostly World War I and II related fiction. All quiet on the Western Front and Farewell to Arms are the most recent. I think this period in history changed everything and everyone and meant a lot for art and creativity. 

your top 5 tools/supplies

Rives BFK paper, prismacolor markers, xacto knife, Ink, felt 

a material or idea you most want to try but haven't yet

I'd like to do more with plastics and larger scale work in general

name a song or album you will grow old with

What a tough question..... The album The Warning by Hot Chip always sounds good to me but I feel like music is so tied to time of life that different music will remind me of different points in my life as I grow old. This album by Hot Chip came out around the time I met my husband so it's tied to a really happy and exciting time! 

favorite beverage? 

Seltzer water!

how many studio spaces have you had ? is this current one your fav ? why or why not ?

I am on my third since graduate school, this is one is pretty great because I have my own window, so I feel like I am moving up in the world! 

what is crucial for you to have in order for your studio day to be productive?

The least amount of distractions the better, I try to keep everything in my studio related to work and not leisure 

do you have a studio routine? if so will you share it with us?

I tend to bounce around a lot between projects so there are few constants other than working. I'd say something that is more of a ritual and less routine is every time I finish putting up an exhibition I do a full-sweep studio clean. Everything from that body of work or that show gets put away so that I can start fresh. This allows me to not fall in a rut with materials, colors, etc. just because they are out and visible. It forces me to "start over" every time I start "new" work. This happens a few times a year. 

is there a place that you've been that really resonates with you?

My husband and I visited Scandinavia a few years ago and it was very beautiful and clean. The sensitivity and awareness to design and aesthetics there is pretty amazing. 

where have you felt the most "at home"

Other than at home, I think in a small village in England, Ely. My mother is from here and her family is still there. I visited often as a child and still do (though less than I'd like). It feels very nostalgic and safe, I think a lot of people feel this way about their grandparents home. 

dancing? pro or con?

PRO

thanks SO much amy. i hope our paths cross again soon !
you can find more about amy on her website. and her instagram.