Meet Amy Bumpus | Visual Commentator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Amy Bumpus and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amy, how do you think about risk?
In my view, life is about balance in all aspects; business, relationships, decisions, health, etc. I wholeheartedly believe in risk to move forward but there has to be a realistic view of it. Taking chances creates opportunity and experiences that would not have happened if not for moving out of comfort zones. But, I believe we need to make our choices based on a reality of life: meaning that taking chances doesn’t automatically mean that success is inevitable. Or, it may not be the definition of success that was the motivation ends up completely different.

I have taken many risks in my life. I have made choices and followed those choices down some interesting roads. I regret nothing. But, following my voice has not brought wealth or prestige; trappings of our culture. What it has given me is a life of adventure….which was always my point anyway.

I believe in living life with both feet; all in. As far as we know, we only get one shot at life on this planet. I want to end my time with very little regret.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My current medium of choice is paper. I call it drawing with paper. It defies description because it does not exactly fall under the collage heading. I use pieces of paper to create my images. I have been an artist for a long time and have produced quite a bit of work over the years. These days, I want to have my say in the many, many issues that we face as humans. My work speaks to environmental issues (climate crises), human nature, politics, women’s rights and reminders that we are part of the evolution of this planet not separate from it. I figure that at this point in my life, I want to have my say through my art so that is what I do. There are so many layers to the many issues we face and my medium (paper) lends itself to those layers because, to create my images, I layer the paper. What a person sees on the surface of my pieces is what brings them closer. But, once they really start looking at the images, they will see images and messages underneath as well.

I don’t think the life of an artist is ever easy. It is hard financially as well as emotionally. Putting yourself on display is always a vulnerable place. But, it is part of that balance of life. As an artist, I have to get what is in my head out of my head. Otherwise, it gets too crowded in there.

I have learned along this journey to do what I do. No matter what. In my younger days, I had a tendency to compare my work to others. I don’t do that anymore.

My Instagram page says it all for me in a few words:

I draw with paper
I say what I wanna say
Live life with both feet
Believe life is our greates masterpiece.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I have lived in Arizona for about 3 years having moved from Colorado. I have always been an active person. The desert is a different terrain for me to say the least.

One of my favorite parts of this state is the availability of national parks. The landscape here is stunning! I want to be in it and would want to show friends the absolute beauty of the terrain here. I would take them to the Grand Canyon but also to the many and varied hikes around where I live (Tucson); I live quite close to Saguaro National Park. Downtown Tucson is starting to open up and new businesses are moving in. There is alot to explore there. We also have a trolley, Tucson Trolley Tours, that takes people to various locations and explains the history of Tucson. Its a great way to spend an afternoon. Congress Cafe is always a favorite.

My husband and I lived in Austin, Texas for a few years; land of the taco. We are always on the look-out for the best taco ever.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
First, my parents and family have always been supportive of my approach to life and my decision to be an artist. Art school for me was very difficult. I was not supported and did not fit in to their particular program. So, I learned resilience and developed a tough skin. If it had not been for my parents support it would have made that time much harder for me. They gave me the room to run with my ideas and supported my way of expressing myself.

My husband, Ben, is also a current support for me. He has been very encouraging in helping me use my voice and do what I do; in other words, get what is in my head onto a canvas. I could not be creating without his absolute belief in me.

Website: amybumpus.com

Instagram: @amybumpusart

Facebook: just type in my name

Image Credits
Ben Blankenburg