Interview with Anne Marie Baugh
Published by Whopple, September 2010
How long have you been an artist?
Would you believe since my first breath? I was an extra inquisitive and imaginative child that enjoyed converting things into something else. The back pages of my school notebooks were jammed with drawings. But my favorite was playing with mud! I would build shapes, then drip or pour water on them and watch hypnotized to see what happened, it was so much fun. Absolutely loved the feel of mud squishing trough my fingers and toes!
I was 47 by the time I realized that as my graphic design studio grew, more of my time had to go into the business side, and I was delegating and supervising what I loved to do myself. So, I decided to close that chapter, simplify my life and embrace the creative spirit in me.
Tell us about your first attempts to be creative.
This is a hard one! Is skinning a teddy bear to make a fur coat for my Barbie count as creative? If you mean drawing and painting, I got a “Drawing Cats” book at age 9 or so, got busy drawing and I do not remember such a concentration of compliments for any previous efforts. At 14, I did my first oil painting (also my last, not too fond of that smell), it was a reasonably large landscape, in a sort of Constable style, which my grandma proudly hung in her dinning room.
Do you make a living with your art?
Was selling reasonably well when the recession went shazam! I rely on other creative endeavors to round things up.
How many hours a day do you create?
I am unpredictable, need a nice sunny day and an up mood. When I paint, time seems to dissolve, the hours become minutes, I can go on all day and not feel the least bit tired although I paint on the floor, either squatting or cross-legged. I usually paint several days straight and then leave it for a while. When I catch myself painting all night long, in my dreams, I know it is time to start a new one.
How did you pick your creative medium?
I think it picks me. I find I get so much out of acrylic paint, water it down into transparencies, pour it, splash it, scratch it or paste it on for textured effects. It dries quickly and I like this, I can work over areas without having to wait too long. I tend to be impatient when working and as messy as a three year old, I end up with paint everywhere, so cleaning easily is a plus for me. Just for fun, I also do silk painting, ink and charcoal drawings, and digital art (being experimenting with fractals lately). I used to do sculpture too, and I love it, but this requires more space than what I have right now.
What are your inspirations?
I make a point of allowing instead of planning. I start a painting with no previous sketches or ideas. Sometimes I pour watery paints over a whole bunch of canvases and watch the colors mix, add objects that leave a texture or pour more color when they are almost dry. Then I paint over that, working on a small area at a time, I have to fall in love with it before moving on. If I am not happy with it, I pick another canvas and return to it later. The whole just takes care of itself. The process in a way resembles an active meditation, no thinking, just feeling, and listening… colors ask to be chosen.
What is your favorite art book?
I used to be an avid reader, from metaphysics, psychology, philosophy and art, to religions, history, sociology, and so on. The world around interests me just as much as it did, but instead of trying to understand it with my head I now try to do so with my heart. I can not say I have a single favorite book, but if I was to pick one art book that made me feel “Aha! I am not alone!” it would be Concerning the Spiritual in Art by Wassily Kandinsky.
How do you recharge when your creativity hits the wall?
Relaxing with the right music or a walk in the park will do the trick and help me unwind when I have a dateline to meet, say an upcoming exhibit. If I am not under pressure, I let it be, the tide will roll back in due time.
What was your first job?
While I was attending art school in Australia, I worked in an art supply store during the summer vacations, my earnings went to cover materials, while a scholarship took care of the tuition.
What are your favorite snacks when you are creating?
In the same way as time seems to slow down, when I am painting my body asks for nothing but water, lots of it. At times when the air is very hot and dry I may drink some five liters of icy-cold water in a session. I usually start to remember I have a stomach just before sunset and then what I crave for is fruit or salad.
What gives you hope in the world?
I am an optimist, totally utopian in my outlook. Even when faced with news of chaos and destruction I believe that the changes the world is going through are needed, so a much more balanced, compassionate, and just way of doing things can emerge. So many young children today seem to have an uncanny wisdom, I hope that when they get to be middle aged, war will be a thing of the past, and everyone will be able to meet their needs with dignity for the huge differences between the haves and have-nots will have diminished, and all humanity will learn to nurture its spirit through art and the celebration of natural beauty.
What do you wish you could do?
Fly.
What are your artistic goals?
I am a dreamer, would like to be international as an artist, to show my work in different cities and meet people from around the world. If I allow my imagination to go even further, I picture myself as some sort of goodwill advocate, contributing a grain of sand towards peace, integration and understanding. Sometimes I think the power of art is underestimated, it can move and change people.
What has been your most exciting moment as an artist?
It was in 1986, the year my youngest son was born, as I was painting I realized for the first time my hand was being moved by something beyond my understanding. I felt a mixture of contradictory emotions: familiarity, curiosity, surrender, acceptance, pleasure, disbelief… and fear. It took me a long time to come to grips with it, and recognize the playful joy it can bring.
Would you like to add something about your studio?
I have lived and worked in many different spaces. Forty? Fifty? Have lost count. For the past six years I call Madrid home. Here I paint by a large window that seems to bring nature indoors, the view outside is tall trees that change with the seasons. The sun shines on this window in the early morning and the light is glorious. Wherever I go, I have always filled my space with lots of greenery, and my workplace here is no exception. I love plants, it seems to me that they neutralize any imbalance in the surroundings. One of my favorite varieties are ferns, besides looking lush and exuberant, they are grateful, uncomplicated and adaptable, so much so that they have survived 300 million years. I want to be a fern when I grow up.
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