**[Amy Smith](https://www.cohart.com/amysmithart/profile)** is a multidisciplinary mixed media artist based in Los Angeles. Self-taught and originally from New Jersey, her work explores the interplay between physical and metaphysical worlds through a feminist and Jungian lens. Using bold symbolism, she examines themes of life, death, nature, systems, control, and the pursuit of balance. Amy’s process layers abstract mixed media elements, hand-cut stencils, and illustrations to create compositions that blend analog and digital influences. Inspired by artists ranging from Van Gogh to contemporary street art, her work challenges societal ideals and examines our connection to each other and the planet.

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##### Can you describe your artistic process? What materials and techniques do you typically use?

I started creating by using photography and digital collage before translating that into hand cut stencils. Since I’m a self-taught artist, I really went into the exploration of tools to express myself creatively. Since then, I’ve been more focused on recycled or upcycled materials that I can use to create dynamic abstracts and mixed media pieces.

##### What emotions do you experience when creating your art, and how do they influence the final piece?

I always make work when I’m in a place of excitement or exploration. I am a big believer that what energy you put into a work will be translated in the piece itself, so I make sure to be in a good space when I create.

##### What is your approach to experimenting with new techniques or styles?

I usually get obsessed with something until I figure it out or have tried it out to a place where I want to continue with it or leave it behind. I like to try new things to see if it informs me about something different that I want to incorporate, or if it’s something that I want to leave out of the practice. I see it all as building blocks.

##### Can you describe a turning point in your artistic career that significantly impacted your work?

Most recently my mom passed away, and I think that took me into a place of exploration into deeper work that I have really appreciated.

##### Has your cultural background influenced your artistic practice?

I have focused a lot on feminist perspectives and creating with the intention of empowering women specifically. So, not so much cultural background, but my experience as a woman. That will always be important to me, but lately I’ve been moving towards a space about connecting back to nature.

##### Do you have any rituals or routines that help you get into a creative mindset?

Cleaning up my space after I destroy it helps me realign back into the creative mindset.

##### How do you perceive the relationship between art and mental health?

I believe art is essential to our mental wellbeing. It is linked to the use of our imaginations and our self-expression; without it we are not complete and therefore struggle. We use it as a tool to understand things we can’t verbalize or can’t understand. When we create something to explain or explore these feelings, we become more free, open, and connected. Collectors who collect art feel deeply when they see a work that connects with them and their own experience. It’s in the creation process and the viewing process. It’s our way of translating messages or energy to convey the most complex ideas and feelings, or just to feel joy. Without this, the world is confusing and lacks connection, which causes a lot of pain. 

##### Are there any symbols, colors, or motifs that recur in your work, and what significance do they hold for you?

I love using symbols from nature, florals, patterns, and handmade marks. I also use recycled papers, scraps, cardboard, or make my textures with paper and other discarded materials. I get into different moods with colors. I am drawn to bright and vibrant colors, but also just love color theory and finding combinations that make you feel differently.

##### How do you balance personal expression with audience expectations in your work?

The way I think of it is, my art is a journey of my own self realizations and expressions. The audience that likes my work likes something that I bring to it. My evolution will continue, and they will always find something they love in it because it’s unique to me.

##### What do you think is the most important quality for an artist to possess?

Persistence and Curiosity are tied.


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Amy Smith, a self-taught LA-based artist, blends mixed media and bold symbolism to explore themes of life, death, balance, and human connection.

Spotlight: Amy Smith on the Emotional Power of Color and Symbolism

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