Amanda Pearson is a wonderful mixed media artist who has shown art with us at the Studio tour for five years. She uses embroidery floss and other materials to delicately weave together paintings. Her keen eye for how the individual parts make the whole piece is breathtaking. The amount of time she puts into each piece also demonstrates her patience, persistence, and eye for capturing the world around her.
How did you get started in art?
Amanda: I have always made things. For as long as I can remember. In elementary school I took every opportunity to present a book report as a diorama or poster rather than writing it. I knew the Sunday night closing hours of the art supply stores because most weekends I had some project that I needed to get done before school on Monday (and of course I was always working on it until the last possible minute). I took every art class I could in junior high and high school, and majored in art education in college. When I graduated, I enrolled in community education art classes to try to figure out the transition to making art as an adult without assignments, critiques, and deadlines. And now I make art by gluing embroidery floss. Whiile it is unusual, looking back I can see how this has been slowly building throughout my life.
What have you been working on recently?
Lately I have been working on as many minis as I can! These are 2” x 3” small original pieces made with glued embroidery floss, and are perfect for an office desk, side table, or bookshelf. They give me the opportunity to experiment, try out a new technique or a color I don’t often use, or even just to get something accomplished in hours rather than months (which is how long my larger pieces take).
Why are you excited about showing your art at the studio tour this year?
Events such as the Camano studio tour and art festivals are so much work and can be stressful to prepare for, but are incredibly exhilarating. It means a lot to artists to interact with others who love the work that we have poured ourselves into creating. I have travelled out to the Camano studio tour for the last couple of years. The area is an oasis for creativity and you can tell that everyone involved delights in this very special event. I am so excited to be able to join everyone again this year!
Join us at Galler #3 on the Camano Island Studio Tour to see Amanda’s beautiful work.
