Artospective: Painted Drawings by Amaya Gurpide from Spain.

An Interview with Amaya Gurpide.

Who and from where are you?

My name is Amaya Gurpide, I was born in the north of Spain. I've been immersed in the arts from a very young age as my father was a painter and I was raised seeing him draw from models, which had a huge impact on me as a child.

How you got into this?

I received an art education in my hometown and eventually decided to move to New York to further my development and focus on learning figure drawing and painting from some of the most prominent artists of the time.

What is your driving force?

I'm completely captivated by nature, working from life is one the most fascinating experiences as an artist. I mainly work from models, usually people that I don't know but choose carefully based on the story I'd like to communicate through them. There is always something peculiar about them that triggers the story. I spend quite a long time, sometimes months, analyzing the sitter and knitting the necessary layers that will transcend the technical aspects of the work to achieve a solid, tangible reality.

What kind of work you do and why?

Though I love to paint, I've spent the last few years focusing on large mixed media drawings. When I draw I think as a painter and prepare my papers with the right tone and tooth according to the results I'd like to achieve. I mainly work with graphite, white and black chalk, gouache and charcoal, and use pencils and brushes to achieve a more painterly feeling. In the end, they are painted drawings.