#sparkchamber 013023 — Amber Vittoria
Just about a year ago, #sparkchamber hosted artist and poet Amber Vittoria who mentioned that her first published book of poetry and art was set to release in 2023. Well here we are! “With vibrant ribbons of color and joyous words, These Are My Big Girl Pants depicts the complexities and nuances of being a woman in this world. [This] collection of poetry and artwork embraces womanhood and all its inherent intricacies. Overarching themes of enlightenment, analysis, and independence speak to young adulthood, and adulthood in all its many forms, as each poem and accompanying piece of art helps women face these emotional and physical changes. A celebration of femininity and the female body, These Are My Big Girl Pants leverages naïve artistic approaches — simple line and brush strokes — against deep and meaningful poetry and prose, creating a true exploration of individuality, female empowerment, and emotion.”
Congratulations, Amber!
Originally posted March 28, 2022, we again share Amber’s thoughts on the creative process.
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On the last Monday of Women’s History Month, #sparkchamber completes its four Monday’s of remarkable, amazing women with artist and poet Amber Vittoria https://ambervittoria.com . Through her artwork — ribbons of color and joyous words — Amber aims to represent the nuances of womanhood. [Excerpted from this article from It’s Nice That ] “[H]er work is focused on non-traditional, or non-idealized, representations of the female form. Her characters appear in elaborate poses, with jiggly limbs, big thighs and prickly body hair; as exaggerated but essentially more accurate portrayals of women’s bodies.”
Taking advantage of the fluidity of her ink, color pencil, and acrylic paints, Amber creates aqueous rainbow gradients that dominate her compositions. Punctuated by simple graphite line drawings and impactful words, her work draws on her relationship to femininity, emotion, and societal expectations. To best display her use of form and color, her final pieces balance a digital and analog process — blocking in shapes digitally before printing out the forms and working with brush pens; intentionally balancing a vivid, inviting color palette with more serious, challenging subject matter.
Amber’s poetry takes snapshots of womanhood, as she grows into herself as a woman within our society. Her first published book of poetry and art, These Are My Big Girl Pants, is set to release with Andrews McMeel in 2023.
Until then … check out her gift shop.
1.] Where do ideas come from?
My work is inspired by the loved experience of women, and my palettes are inspired by nature [as we ourselves are too nature].
2.] What is the itch you are scratching?
Painting and poetry are both how I express myself most accurately, which is why I love to create so often; it’s my form of communication.
3.] Early bird or night owl? Tortoise or hare?
It depends on the day; some blocks of time I like to paint in the morning, other times at night. Very gemini of me, I know.
4.] How do you know when you are done?
When a stroke I’ve added weakens the piece.
