Amy Mathews

Amy Mathews is a linocut printmaker based just outside of Minneapolis, Minnesota. She earned degrees in Graphic Design and Advertising Journalism from Drake University, which is also where she studied printmaking under Phillip Chen (of Brooklyn Museum, New York Public Library, Carnegie Institute Museum of Art, Art Institute of Chicago, and San Francisco Museum of Fine Arts fame). Amy’s work is inspired by the quiet and often unnoticed details of nature, movement, bold contrast, and historical illustration. After taking a few years off from printmaking and jumping between art forms, she realised her true passion was in printmaking after all; “I kept trying different art forms and they all felt so forced. I was frustrated that nothing felt like ‘my’ medium. I’d focused on intaglio in school, but wanted to be able to create in a home studio without acids or solvents. After carving that first linocut block, I knew I was hooked.”

Amy is primarily influenced by elements of her Swedish heritage and botanical and zoological illustrations from centuries past. She grew up reading books illustrated by Elsa Beskow and Sibylle von Olfers, and credits them with her deep love of nature and the hidden worlds therein. She comments; “Growing up reading books about woodland flower festivals and personified elements of nature really made me look for the tiniest details and wonder if there was some magic happening underfoot.” Amy also has a fondness for medieval illustration and Renaissance etchings.

An intaglio artist originally, she often draws black backgrounds in her work before carving out the positive image, emulating an etching technique. Most recently, Amy has been working on prints that combine natural elements with sweeping brush strokes; “I literally paint the background on the block, and leave in all the little brush details and imperfections when carving. I try to stay away from the computer as much as possible since printmaking is my reprieve from staring at screens all day. I very rarely even transfer a reverse image onto the block; I just know that what I draw will be reversed in the final print. It’s all very organic and intuitive and I love that the block design comes directly from my hands.”

@amym.art
www.amymathewsart.com

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