Daily Inspiration: Meet Autumn Gamel

Today we’d like to introduce you to Autumn Gamel.

Hi Autumn, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
I think I’ve always loved art, ever since I was a little kid it has always been my favorite subject and one of my favorite hobbies. When I got to high school I joined a few art classes and my teachers helped me grow as an artist. Eventually, I joined an advanced art class that I ended up being pretty successful in and I created some of the foundational pieces that made me feel like I could pursue an art career.

After high school, I decided to get my Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts with an emphasis on Illustration. I started selling my work while I went to college at art shows, online, and even hosting shows that helped other artists like me share their art. I graduated last year in December and I’m excited to see where the art world takes me next!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
While being an artist is one of the most rewarding careers I could have asked for, it’s not been a smooth road. The art world is so competitive and unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of job opportunities out there. Being a so-called “starving artist” is very real, a lot of people still don’t recognize a career in the arts as more than a hobby or held to as high of standards as other careers.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I like to call myself a ‘Magical Realist’ because I specialize in portraiture but I love to add surrealist elements that include nature and otherworldly aspects. I feel like portraiture, especially in oil paint is kind of a dying art and so I’m proud to keep practicing it. I feel like it sets me apart from others to still use oil paints.

I also am obsessed with surrealism and I love incorporating that into my art to make it stand out and look different from the norm. One of my favorite things to do is paint on found objects like old picture frames, mirrors, and wood. I have plans to use playing cards, signs, and clocks in the future!

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Growing up, I always loved the outdoors and being immersed in nature. I loved the ocean and the rain and plants and I think that has inspired a lot of my work today. I also have always been interested in the human experience. Our emotions and our feelings and how we depict them.

Psychology and mental health is also something I’m very passionate about so I love to learn about them and try to depict the raw emotions in my work. I think I spent a lot of my time growing up trying so hard to understand my feelings and why I felt things so deeply at times and not at all in other moments.

I eventually did get diagnosed with depression and severe anxiety and that helped me to understand myself a bit more but before that my art helped me to learn more about myself and find my path. I hope that depicting some of these raw feelings in my work will help other young women understand themselves a little bit better too.

Pricing:

• Prints are by size but range from $35-$100
• Originals start at $100 and go up depending on size, materials, and time spent working on the piece.
• Stickers are $5-$6 depending on size
• Tote bags are $20
• T-shirts are $25

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fallflowerart/?hl=en