10 Questions with Amanda Dolly

Amanda Dolly is a native of the East Coast and learned to paint and draw at the age of 14 from her high school art teacher, Ms. Fischer. After dabbling through college, she studied Criminal Justice. Only soon after did she realize that was not her true passion. She rediscovered her love for painting in 2012 while pursuing gallery representation. Her day-to-day work focuses on portraits and bringing how we see people to the surface.

amandadolly.art | @Oceanblues32

ARTIST STATEMENT

“I paint and draw to ground myself. It is said that these techniques, used over hundreds of years, have become embedded in our DNA. So through the process of painting on a canvas, I connect with my ancestors along with legions of women and men who have been painting to memorialize their lives since the Stone Age, using techniques that endure to this day. My art is my voice, a powerful interpretation of my deepest thoughts, hidden emotions, and strongest desires. The images I create are coined from personal experiences, fears, and interests. These ideas and experiences are better perceived through drawings and paintings rather than spoken. The images that I paint are everyday snapshots that I personally choose because of their simple appearance and deep complexity. I like the challenge of trying to capture the definition of an object and accurately translating lines, shapes, light, tint, and proper value levels onto a material.” - Amanda Dolly

INTERVIEW

First of all, introduce yourself to our readers. Who are you, and how did you start experimenting with images?  

My name is Amanda Dolly (1992, Elk Grove Village, Illinois, United States), and I am currently a New Jersey-based artist who is known for her contemporary yet abstract paintings that have recently captured the world through the lens of portraits. My complex, manic mindset is complemented by the way I douse my subjects for the world to see. My paintings summon a quizzical, even intriguing, emotional response. The personal edge that I bring to each painting alters and enhances raw subject matter that will leave a mark on your soul forever.   
It would be nice if my paintings could do all the talking, but occasionally I need to find the willpower to use my words. As an artist specializing in painting, I want the images I paint to be the headliner that stands out and shines. I recognized it when I painted my first portrait, "Unearth." Capturing an individual's appearance and personality through a painting is raw and magical. It is that ability to depict not only the physical but also psychological characteristics. There is something satisfactory in that process of observation (maybe even masturbatory – of course, in the symbolic sense of this word). Nevertheless, I chose to paint these images because they speak to me on levels that dig so deeply into me that they have become part of me. 

You went into Criminal Justice before returning to painting. What inspired you to reconnect with painting? 

Why do Americans go to college? First and foremost, do they want better jobs, or is it programmed into us at a young age that this is the norm? I chose the college route because I knew then that higher education would allow me to pursue the careers I thought I was expected to do. Even with a bachelor's degree, you are most likely better off being hired than someone who has had less education than you because of qualifications. For someone that doesn't believe in regrets, I regret it every day, pushing my insanely intense passion for the arts away in pandora's box. 
It's emotionally intense to return to something you love after years away from it. When life gets in the way of artmaking, you must figure out how to reconnect with your creativity, almost as if you're coming to it brand new. Now you asked, "What inspired me to reconnect with painting?" the colors and the way all my demons tend to pour out onto the canvas as it meets my paintbrush.  

How would you define yourself as an artist today? 

I consider myself an artist of unique stature, without the label of a specific genre. I have come a long way to think of myself that way. Art is a representation of the mind of the artist and their overall perception of reality. When you glimpse at my pieces, I want them to consume you and make you feel something, whether it's shocking, disturbing, or even just fascinating. Several artists have told me that I should do only one style and get known for that style so that my work is instantly recognizable. But I am an eclectic person with diverse interests, so my paintings reflect that. 

Can you tell us about the process of creating your work? What is your artistic routine when working? 

There is this fear of letting my mind drift off when I paint and almost take the shape of complete oblivion that is just rotting me away little by little. Sharing the process of creating artwork scares the fuck out of me because I am letting you into this dark room in my mind that is only lit by a candle that holds every little thing that makes me tick as an artist.  
The first step is choosing the subject matter. I will spend weeks from sunrise to sunset going through everyday images of people and things to see if they engage me or almost stab me like a knife. This has far more complexity to it than it seems. I choose images that will make an impact, like a meteor crashing into the earth, causing a massive tidal wave.  
Now the next few steps, I will summarize all together to make it simpler and not so long that you get tired of reading. I will spend the next few days drawing out every single little detail, and when I say detail, it must be perfectly straight down to whether I got the perfect line or not. See, the thing is that I am a perfectionist. My artistic personality strives for flawlessness or what I believe is perfect through my eyes. This part is crucial, all the way down to sitting for hours upon hours critiquing every phase I finish. Some people believe I may be a control freak when it comes to my art, but there has always been a part of me that believes I need to be perfect because, in recent years, I thought I had to be. So, you can say that my art and that do correlate. But the only thin solid blue line is that I am not critical of others, just myself. 
Now the most important step of all is, of course, the painting. The hardest part I think of this phase has been knowing where to start. Do I start in the corners and work my way in, or do I start with the face? The answer is, is that I start with the eyes, then I move to the nose, and finally finish with the mouth. Everything else left after that is a piece of cake to finish. Why the eyes? For humans, the eyes are more than just windows to the outside world. They are also portals inward, providing others with glimpses into our inner thoughts and feelings. On that note, I want the eyes to consume every second of my time to make sure they are perfect. 
Art tends to consume my life; I'm obsessed with every aspect of it. One thing that I did leave out of my routine was drinking. At times I am not sure why I choose to pour myself a glass of whiskey when I paint, but the more I think about it, it is because I feel like I am on cloud nine. It is like I almost don't feel anything, and I am just being consumed by my art. It is crazy to think I fear this part of me at times. Which is why I don't drink every time I paint, and, I would be an alcoholic by now.

In your statement, you say you paint to connect with your "ancestors along with legions of women and men who have been painting to memorialize their lives since the Stone Age". How did you come up with this concept?  

Everyone comes from somewhere. Everyone has a past. Everyone is somewhere first. These are the thoughts that circle my mind constantly. We are not the first ones to create something beautiful out of nothing. Our ancestors started to create art at least 30,000 years ago. Among the oldest known examples of art are the prehistoric paintings on the walls of caves in Europe and Asia, depicting human and animal figures. Since those days, art and mankind have evolved together. I crave to learn about every aspect of history. It helps us develop a better understanding of the world and a better understanding of ourselves. Learning about the history of certain areas in art has helped me reconnect in a whole different way with my work.  

What messages do you want to convey with your paintings?

Honestly, emotion is the only one. A strong portrait captivates viewers, draws them into the painting, and engages their attention. Such a portrait painting causes the viewer to wonder about the person depicted. In this way, it can function as a biography - telling the story of that person's life. So, in other words, you can say I am an author, using my work to crawl inside you and make you feel something that you have never felt before. 

How do you differentiate your work from the rest? In other words, what do you feel makes it unique and truly your own? 

I feel trying to capture that person's soul, or the likeliness of that person that you are painting, is truly one of the hardest things that you must tackle. So right off the bat, I feel that sets me apart because I don't let that fear take hold of me and keep me from choosing something as big as painting a portrait of someone. Next, I believe my choice of colors has such a raw statement that it just draws you in. Black is visually heavy. Its message is, therefore, very strong. Black's most common association is power, authority, and strength. White is considered safe and open. As a positive, clear, and open color, white can direct communication in a powerful way. Besides the colors, at the very end, I always put my signature touch and one little thing that makes it just go full throttle at your face. So, tell me, what makes my paintings stand out?  

Do you find that the shift to digital exhibitions and art fairs has helped you promote your work? 

To be honest, I have never thought of doing digital exhibitions, and they don't intrigue me like being at the gallery does. I am always trying new things, which leads me to enter a digital exhibition, and honestly, I did find it different in a good way, but it's not for me. Now when it comes to showing in a regular open-call art show that is private, nothing beats that. You could say I am an extremely outgoing social person, but my only issue is my attention span. You're lucky if you can get me to talk to someone in the gallery for more than 10 minutes. It's not like I'm trying to be rude, but I don't like talking about myself, especially my art. This year I have really stepped out of my comfort zone and have met some amazing people and fellow artists that have impacted me in many ways. So, you can say trying these new things has really opened me up and taught me there is an amazing art community out there that can help me grow as an artist.  

What do you think about the art community and market? 

When I first decided to pursue art in high school, I never thought the art community would be this massive and welcoming. As I've gotten older, I find people so damn intriguing, especially in the art field. I don't know if I necessarily can connect with them on certain levels, but then again, I never have been able to connect with anyone on a deep level besides someone I met a few months ago. She allowed me to open my art side to her, and I am incredibly thankful to her because I am doing this interview that I would never do in a million years. I've learned that it is okay to be yourself and open yourself to people, especially people in my field of art that welcome me with open arms and just want to know more about me as an artist. I am truly excited to find out more about different art communities as each year passes.    

Finally, any projects you are looking forward to for this year?

Now, this aspect will always be a secret, but I do drop hints on my social media from time to time. Right now, I will tell you I am working on my biggest piece and have a few projects in store. I always love to end each year with a bang, and this year will be one.