Inspired From Birth

Feb. 15, 2015

Amy Ferguson is a unique individual – artistic right from the cradle. "I’ve been creating art since I was a young child, so I can’t exactly remember how I first got started," says the 21-yearold. "I know I was drawing from observation as early as five years old."

While neither of Ferguson’s parents is particularly artistic, both Peggy and John Ferguson have been very supportive of their daughter’s creative works. "I guess I get some of my creative ability from my grandma who was a basket weaver," she says.

Though she’s dabbled in other mediums, Ferguson always comes back to drawing. Working at the family cottage on Little Traverse Lake, she creates exceptionally detailed intaglio etchings. Scenes of nature, fantasy and animals are all inspirations to Ferguson.

HOW I GOT STARTED

My mom is a teacher and always kept a large amount of white paper in the house so I could draw. My dad would take me on top of a hill overlooking Little Traverse Lake, Lake Michigan and the whole horizon. He would put a chair on top of the car and let me draw the nature around me. Art is always what I did for fun. My family always encouraged me and provided any art supplies I needed.

THE STORY BEHIND MY ART, MY INSPIRATION

I am inspired by the world around me. Sometimes I am inspired by what I am reading or how I am feeling. To me, the most inspiring things are all of nature, human emotions and the endless circle of life. Images from my childhood imagination are emerging, as well as my love for northern Michigan and, of course, all things magical or fantastical. My love for intricacy and ornamentation has also come to light in my work.

WORK I’M MOST PROUD OF

It’s my new intaglio etching pieces. As my style has developed, I have been searching for the perfect way to apply my obsessive detailing to different mediums. I do a lot with inked line work and then finish it in Photoshop. Now, after taking a printmaking class, I’ve found that etching is what I want to be doing. The process is very involved and precise. I get to create my images with a needle on copper plates that allows me to add even more detail. Then I can print multiple times from the copper plates. I am particularly proud of my newest Sleeping Bear piece with the two children because the subject matter really means a lot to me. I finally made a piece that looks like what I had imagined my work would look like in the future.

YOU WON’T BELIEVE

That I designed my very own Sleeping Bear tattoo. The mother bear and her two cubs will always be walking along my right forearm. It is a constant reminder of my favorite place. And I’m a twin. My brother Eric is not a drawer, but is very musical.

MY FAVORITE ARTIST

I love many different artists such as Arthur Rackham, Eugene Delacroix and Rosa Bonheur. My favorite illustrator, though, is Trina Schart Hyman, a children’s book illustrator whose artwork I have loved since I was a child. She won the Caldecott Medal for picture book illustration in 1985 for "St. George and the Dragon." It is my favorite illustrated book that I keep on my desk at all times"¦probably due to all the intricate borders and the dragon, which are some of my favorite things.

ADVICE FOR ASPIRING ARTISTS

My advice for aspiring artists is to remember where you came from. By that, I mean remember what you were making when you were younger and carefree and why you started creating art in the first place. It’s easy to study art and get caught up in the most current ways of creating and forget why you started. It’s easy to get burnt out. If you look at my current work and then what I was drawing when I was five, it is still much the same, many dragons and horses. I’ve just had a lot more formal training now. Just keep working. Make your art fun for you – something that embodies all of the things you love.

MY WORK CAN BE SEEN/PURCHASED

On my website: amyfergusonillustrations.com and at Sleeping Bear Gallery in Empire. After May, I will have an online store and plan to participate in art fairs all around Michigan. Some of my favorites are the Suttons Bay Art Fair, the Glen Arbor and Leland art fairs.