Interview with Amy from Pikaland!

I am so thrilled to share an interview with Amy from the fabulous Pikaland today! I asked her a few questions and her answers are below. Pop over to her Flickr -- it is full of images from the artists packages she puts together and her own world: Pikaland. I participated in her July package, and was thrilled to get my very own version of that month's. So now, sit back, enjoy and do visit her site right here for a wonderful view of some of her lovely packages...

1. Tell us a little bit about your first fond memories of creating something - how old were you and where did it happen?

I remembered drawing all the time when I was young, so I can't really remember the exact moment when I created art. I mostly drew pretty girls on scraps of paper, on my schoolbooks, and sometimes even my desk. My teachers were having quite the headache because I'd rather draw than hear them speak.

2. What experience as an adult was the most significant person or turning point for your creative endeavors?

For the longest time I immersed myself into the online craft world. But I felt something was missing, and I couldn't quite figure out what it was. I just went along with it for 4 years, and during this time, I stopped drawing, mainly because I was working full-time and although I did the usual doodling, I didn't take it all too seriously.

All this changed when I entered Illustration Friday last year. The response to one of my pieces was hugely uplifting, and it stirred something in me. So much that when I came back from work, I only wanted to complete my next IF challenge, even if it took me well into the next morning. And then I discovered Keri Smith, and everything else started to reveal itself to me.

3. What materials are your favorite to work with and why?

I love charcoal and pencils. I also love the irregularities of a brush dipped into ink.

4. How did you come to the idea for creating Pickapackage and why?

It all started with Pikaland. I wanted to gather the things I find that's made by illustrators and artists into a place where I can read up on for inspiration. I find that because I am also learning to mould my style, I look to a lot of people's work to see what makes them tick, and I find that hugely cathartic. So after the site was born, I found that there were a lot of them selling their art, and because of this reason, it's so hard for people to keep up with artists and their work, and it's difficult to decide which to get. I'm starting a small shop of my own to sell my work, and I do realize that it's hard to get your things out there sometimes.

So that's how the PikaPackage Project was born. The idea behind it was a simple premise of encouraging participation into the world of affordable art. It's also a small gallery in way, where select artists get the spotlight for a month. I started it as a small endeavor, and I still can't believe the following it has right now. It's hugely encouraging when I receive notes and emails from readers, participants and buyers about how they loved their packages, and how their shops have benefitted from the exposure.

There's more things to be done, and this is just the beginning. The benefit of being small is that I can easily change and make it better for everyone easily. I am indebted by the support given to me by the participants, who believed in the project and continue to support me by giving me valuable feedback in every step of the way.

5. Are there things specific to where you live which inspire your own work?

For the moment, I would have to say no. My ideas are derived through a lot of reading done when I was young, and thus I didn't have boundaries to creating because was conjuring up images from my imagination. I was also exposed to a lot of artists online for the past few years, and that helped me shape my belief that art is universal. And because right now I don't have an inclination to be more site specific, I find that my mind works harder to create new possibilities.

6. What is your favorite desert?

Oooh. A hot-from-the-oven brownie plus a scoop of vanilla ice-cream. Mmmm.

7. What does a really great day look like to you?

A great day would be one that starts off early. I like to clear my work early so that I can have a long lunch, and some time off with a book (I'm now reading The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp). I run in the evenings, and play with my dogs after.

P/S--about my studio:
I have a very small space at the moment (as you can see from my pictures!), but I'm going to move into my own space by the end of the year, so I'm really excited about that.