Amanda Blunden

Amanda Blunden is a painter living in London. She studied Fine Art at Leeds University.

What inspires your work as an artist?
Memory, mood, light and space are the driving forces that guide me and the intangible qualities they offer. I look for contrasts in everything and believe it’s the balance of those differences that help a painting breathe its own life and connect emotionally with the viewer.  Often those elements are centred around my own experience of places I have visited and the lasting impact they have had on me.

Who are your biggest influences?
My influences change all the time. When I was at art school, I was very inspired by the organic forms of Antonio Gaudi, the colours of Paul Klee and the human forms by Modigliani. I think those influences never really disappear but now with the world of instagram I can connect to so many contemporary artists – I love the work of Sam Locke, Richard Whadcock and Ele Pack. They inspire me to embrace the process of painting to achieve the idea I’m striving for.

What does your work mean to you?
Painting is a solace . It gives voice to emotions and ideas that I don’t have to or am unable to  articulate and helps me to connect to people around me in a different way. So much of what I love is visual and so there is nothing better than when I can translate that onto the canvas or paper.

What techniques do you use?
I start with a strong feeling of form and colour usually and then apply the paint with a variety of tools to get those onto the surface. Initially, its very intuitive and I enjoy the inter-play of brushing, scraping, rolling, wiping until I start to get a sense of what I’m trying to convey. I use acrylics, gesso, pastels and a variety of media to show contrasts in mark-making and gesture. I love the journey of the process and the idea that someone might look and wonder so it’s good to keep some mystery there too!