Artist: Amie Gibson

Source: Amie's Instagram

Amie Gibson's love for art, people and love has attracted many to her talented ceramic making. If you're interested in buying any of her work for adorable prices, check out her etsy account. Check out what she had to say about her inspiration.

Tell us a bit about yourself?

I am 19 years old about to turn 20, from Melbourne [Australia]. Studying fine arts at RMIT University, specialising in ceramics.

Where are you and what are you doing today?

I am on holidays from UNI at the moment so I am at home making more pot heads and just chilling really.

by Amie Gibson

How did you find an interest in art?

I don't really know actually I have always just been drawing and painting for as long as I can remember, I don't remember not doing it. It is all I have ever been good at. I have been into ceramics since primary-school, then I did a little throughout high-school and then in year 12 one day, I just made a little clay head in class because I had nothing else to do and then liked it so much I decided to make 5 in total for my finals. I won my schools 'high award' in year 12 for them and they're on permanent display there. As a matter of fact, those little heads are what got me accepted into UNI. In my second semester of UNI for my core class we had to make 'a vessel for the future' so I was like "Yes I can finally be working on my little heads again", but they had to be functional, so I made them into pot plants and 'poof' there we go. A few people convinced me to start selling them and as a result I have had over 1000 people message me about desperately wanting them. It is crazy and so overwhelming. It is kind of amazing.

For those who don't know, what is the process from beginning to end for your art?

Well first you buy the clay (laughs), then you have to knead it a little so that it workable, but the clay I use now is a more porcelaneous clay, so it is more pure and very sticky so doesn't need much kneading, only to get air bubble outs. Then I mould it into the shape I want for the head and I have to leave it for 1-2 hours so it can dry out enough that I can work with it. Then I just make a little face which usually takes about 2-3 hours. Once that is done I have to leave it for a day to dry so that it is firm enough that when I hollow out the head the face doesn't warp, then after that is done it gets left to dry for anywhere from 1-4 weeks depending on size and the weather, until it is bone dry. Then if there are any marks I want to get rid I just do some smoothing over with a wet sponge. Then once that is dry it is ready to go into the kiln for a bisque fire, which usually takes a week if the line isn't too big at UNI. After the bisque I make the glaze from scratch from one of my favourite recipes and then it goes in for it's last high fire, which is the glaze fire and that takes about a week as well. And I just keep my fingers crossed that nothing explodes... ever.

by Amie Gibson

What are your inspirations for you work?

People. I love looking at people and the character in their faces. I also like hands as well, hands are really beautiful they are pretty much the first thing I look at when I meet someone new. All I ever paint, draw, sculpt is people. I really love looking at portraiture and documentary photography. I spend hours upon hours just going through so many pictures. I like it more when there is a story to the picture (like humansofnewyork).

What are your future goals?

I want to be an art teacher/art therapist/aid worker/adventurer. I would love to teach overseas in like Vietnam, Cambodia and/or Laos. I just want to do a lot of everything. I also maybe want to own my own little crafty shop full of my art, other peoples art, books, music and good food. That is just a nice thought though, I don't think I could be bothered with all the accounts and finance side of things (laughs).

by Amie Gibson

What is your definition of beauty?

I don't think it is something that can really be defined ever because as they say, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder". It is different for everyone. For me beauty is more about the person on the inside. That sounds corny, but I think it is so much more beautiful when you find people who are more beautiful on the inside and it just shines out, they just have a glowing spirit. I find people like that very very inspiring. There is just beauty in everything I feel, you just have to open up your mind to see it. I think that is kind of why I make more 'ugly' and 'weird' looking characters. Because of that sort of stigma we all have about people before we really get to know them, judging a book by its cover even if we don't mean to.

What type of person are you more:

• Loud or Quiet? I can be very quiet when you first meet me, but I am very loud always singing and dancing very badly. And laughing too loudly.
• Late or Early? Early.
• Active or Lazy? Fairly active but I have lazy days.
• Clean or Dirty? Both (laughs).
• Social or Independent? I am very independent. I am not really afraid to go out by myself like a lot of people I know, but I am quite social, I like making new friends. 

by Amie Gibson

Most/least favorite song of all time?

I love myself some Spice Girls, but my favorite songs are probably:

- Home by Edward Sharpe

- I Wanna Be Like You by Kind Louie from the Jungle book

- I thought about you by The beautiful Girls

- Stubborn Love by The Lumineers

- Riptide by Vance Joy

- Anything by Jake Bugg, Matt Corby, Mumford and Sons

I f*cking hate Justin Bieber and One Direction, I just cannot warm to them at all ever... ever.

Most/least favorite film of all time?

I love:

- The Jungle Book

- Almost Famous

- Away We Go

- Amelie

- The Color Purple

I don't really hate any movies but I did not enjoy the movie Gummo.

Follow Amie:

Instagram

Tumblr

Etsy