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Today’s Artist Interview Is With Amy Wise-Bacis From San Diego, California.

Whopple:  How long have you been an artist?
Amy: Well, I have been shooting professionally since 2003. As a serious hobby, since high school.

Whopple:  Tell us about your first attempts to be creative.
Amy: I guess I’d have to go all the way back to my first art class when I was about six years old. The idea was to bring in an object (or picture of an object) to paint during class. Unlike my sister who would perfect every image, I would fly through each assignment. It got to the point where the teacher had to ask my parents to bring in more challenging subject matter. Unfortunately, I sailed through those assignments as well. In my young mind, I thought I was doing so well to create five drawings in the same amount of time it took others to create just one!

Whopple:  Do you make a living with your art?
Amy: Yes, although at times it doesn’t feel like much! I’m looking forward to removing ‘starving’ from ‘starving artist’.

Whopple:  How many hours a day do you create?
Amy: It’s difficult to break it down daily but I do 2-3 photo shoots (for myself)  per week.  It’s definitely a balancing act because I have to run my business, yet I need to be creating new images all the time. At the beginning of each week I try to designate specific mornings/evenings for my shoots so I don’t let time slip away.

Whopple:  How did you pick your creative medium?
Amy: I don’t think I picked it. As silly as it sounds, it picked me. Photography has always felt natural. I can look at a door knob and see an image – it’s just how my mind works.

Whopple:  What are your inspirations?
Amy: The unknown, untraveled, and unseen. I love traveling to remote locations, mostly third-world countries. There’s such a pureness to these locations.

Whopple:  How do you recharge when your creativity hits the wall?
Amy: I look at other artists and what they’re doing. Seeing other’s passion gives me the jolt I need to get excited again.

Whopple:  What was your first job?
Amy: It was at Farr’s Stationers in Fountain Valley, CA. My first day of work landed on my 16th birthday! Not quite the birthday I had in mind but having a job through high school allowed me to do activities I otherwise would not have been able to do.

Whopple:  What are your favorite snacks when you are creating?
Amy: Wine! Obviously I don’t have a Pinot in-hand while making images, but as soon as I load them into my computer, I am also pouring a glass of wine. I also have to have music during editing. It’s so soothing and gets me in my zone.

Whopple:  What gives you hope in the world?
Amy: Kindness. Community. Coming together. When I see 10 people run to the aid of  people caught in a small fender-bender, it gives me hope.  When I see my community come together to save local architectural treasures, it gives me hope.  When family, friends, and acquaintances come out to my gallery nights to support me, it gives me hope. Life is a beautiful thing, we just need the little moments in life to remind us.

Whopple:  What do you wish you could do?
Amy: Photograph the world and have a manager run my business for me!

Whopple:  What are your artistic goals?
Amy: Discover new styles. I have been working with an amazing mentor over the last four months to improve my craft. He gives me assignments that force me to push the envelope and use techniques that I have not employed in the past. It’s a powerful experience.

Whopple:  What has been your most exciting moment as an artist?
Amy: Leaving the corporate world behind and becoming a full-time photographer. I should note that this was also the scariest moment as well!

To See More Of Amy Wise-Bacis’s Artwork Please Visit The Following:

http://www.amywisebacis.com
http://www.etsy.com/shop/amywisebacis
http://www.awbphoto.com/blog
http://www.flickr.com/photos/awbphoto/
http://www.facebook.com/amywisebacisphotography
http://twitter.com/awbphotography

These Interviews With Artists Are Copyrighted To Whopple.com.
Classifications:  Photography Artists