please tell us who you are, and a bit about your business/art.
My name is Amanda Kindregan and I’m a painter and printmaker with a BFA in Painting from the University of Washington. I sell my work on Etsy and at a few galleries and shops, as well as at the occasional arts and crafts show (such as Seattle’s I Heart Rummage). I live in Duvall, Washington (a darling little town about an hour from Seattle) with my husband and two daughters.
describe your creative/creating process.
I am inspired by the people in my life especially my kids and husband, music, nature, books I am reading, decorating magazines, pop culture, and other artists’ work past and present. I work at home in a little corner studio off of our kitchen; because I paint in the house I use only waterbased, non-toxic paints and inks. I used to use oils but in trying out different waterbased mediums, I happily discovered gouache which I love. It’s got a lovely creamy consistency and matte finish, dries very quickly, and no nasty fumes! I also make block prints and screen prints; both are processes that I really enjoy. Carving a block is very satisfying..like sculpture and drawing and painting all at the same time. And screen printing is just plain fun…plus I love the inherent graphic quality of a screen printed image.
what are your favorite places to shop (both on and off etsy)?
Thrift stores, Utrecht, Daniel Smith, and of course Etsy
Some of my favorite Etsy shops are YeeHaw, mattestephens, vivstrauss, ifop, apak, and heidiburton.
how do you describe your personal style?
The style of my artwork? It is hard to describe my own style! I guess it’s a mix of 1950’s-60’s-70’s children’s book illustration-type images; sweet and with a sense of humor, and a bit dark sometimes. If the question was pertaining to my personal decorating or shopping style, I suppose the same answer could apply.
what is your top piece of advice for someone trying to run their own business?
Be original in your ideas and/or designs, while paying attention to basic trends that are popular and selling well. It’s a joy to make work that compliments things that have inspired you, but not so nice to outright copy another artist’s work. And be very organized-keep careful records of all sales, purchases, business-related mileage, etc.
name five things that are a constant in your daily routine.
emailing, reading, cooking, cleaning, thinking about artwork if not making it
what is your ideal day?
A day with no appointments or rushing about for anything…it’s amazing how quickly a day goes by and I often find I haven’t done half of the things I’ve wanted to do! A perfect day for me would include checking my email to find one or more Etsy sales, spending a couple of hours painting or making prints, a walk around town or yoga in my living room, plenty of time reading or playing or doing arts and crafts with my kids (or all of the above), and watching a movie with my husband after the girls are asleep.
tell us something about yourself that we might find surprising.
I can be a bit of a neat-freak. I often feel a pressing need to organize my papers, art supplies, daughters’ toys, closets, pantry, etc.
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