Artist Spotlight: Amanda Moody

Amanda Moody is a Charlotte artist whose work is making a big impact nationwide. We love how artwork can bring emotion to interior design and Amanda’s work does this in incredibly bold ways. Recently, we sat down to talk with her about inspiration and her color sense.

As an artist, tell us about your brand.

It’s hard for me to think of my work as a BRAND per-say since right now I am a one-woman show but it definitely has been taking on a life of its own lately! The name Bombshelves came about several years ago when my best friend and I owned a vintage furniture-slinging business. We would scour flea markets, estate sales, and thrift stores and then stage them at places like Slate Interiors and Sleepy Poet Antique Mall. Occasionally for Bombshelves, I would whip up an acrylic or oil painting for staging purposes, and over time, they started to sell. My partner Amy told me…”Girl, you don’t need to be painting dressers for a living! You have something else here.” And she was right. My art is now evolving and expanding into realms that I had only dreamed about in the past. I have kept the name for sentimental reasons…it may not make sense to some, but then again I have never really cared about who I make sense to or not!

Your wallpaper and art is so beautiful, tell us what inspires you?

Thank you! My inspiration can come from literally anywhere. Obviously I love color and movement. I tend to lean toward organic forms such as what you can see in nature. Sometimes while I am painting I can envision cloud formations, patterns in the sand, waves, or a coral reef. And sometimes it’s tree lines and the linear movement of a mountain range against the sky, or the macro details of a flower’s structure. The geometry, symmetry, and asymmetry that occurs literally everywhere in nature just blows my mind sometimes. On the other hand, my personal energy at the other end of the paintbrush can be inspired by rock ‘n roll, unique fashion, eclectic interior design, and, of course, traveling. Getting out of my comfort zone almost always guarantees some fresh inspiration. Right now I am at a moment in my career where I feel as if my brain is constantly downloading new ideas, I can barely keep up with it! It seems as if the more I create, the more that ideas keep showing up. I know it may not always feel this way, so I’m just riding the wave and enjoying it every second I can for now.

What is your current favorite color trend?

I adore a good 80s combo of mauve, peach and dusty blue, as well as 70s harvest gold, or a perfect Wedgwood Blue…shall I continue? I am crazy for color and if it’s a color combo done right, then I think anything can be timeless.

What inspires you when you’re creating your wallpaper designs?

To make my wallpaper and textile patterns, I have two methods. I either take a photograph of a section of a completed original painting and then alter it into a pattern, or I blow up the entire image large scale into a macro wall mural. I have always had favorite sections of each of my paintings, and I get totally juiced when I am able to create something completely different as an extension of a single painting. Even after I have to say goodbye to a piece as I ship it off to its new owner, I know that I can still enjoy a part of it “immortalized” in print. To see my work completely changing an environment is always a full-circle kind of moment for me.

What is the most challenging thing about what you do or any color challenges you run into?

The day I am not challenged is the day I need to go find something else to do! I definitely have challenges with technology, especially. I am a 98% right brain person through and through, so teaching myself how to use a camera, Photoshop, web design, and all the techie stuff has been a major personal accomplishment for me. Overcoming fear of failure is another challenge. I will often create paintings that need to go immediately in the trash bin! I used to freak out at that stage and question my self-worth. But over time, I have realized that right after one goes in the clinker, something REALLY great is manifested. That motivates me to have faith, keep pushing through and let the art tell me where it wants to go. My art may not be for the faint of heart, but I am more than ok with it not appealing to everyone. I do what I do to contribute some joy to the universe, and if my work generates any kind of reaction from someone, that’s the life force and I feel that my job is done.

Thinking about bringing emotion to interior design: what has been your favorite project so far?

It may be impossible to answer that question! Every one of my “successful” paintings has a story behind it, from the title, to where I was personally in my life while creating it, to any technical challenges that came up in the process. I can even still tell you what music I was listening to while painting each one; They are all so personal to me! That being said, I am currently REALLY enjoying creating custom murals out of paintings, specifically site-designed for space. I have several that are going to be unveiled very soon that will be able to be enjoyed by way more people than I ever thought would be possible. It’s a really good feeling for me to see that my work has extended that far to uplift people whom I will never even meet!

What are your favorite colors to work with or around as an artist?

Any and all! Of course, I get a little extra jazzed if a client says they want gold leaf plus every color in the rainbow, plus resin and glitter. But even monochromatic matte blues or grays can have spectacular depth and movement. My work will never be boring, I can tell you that!