Artist Spotlight: Amy Morin
Location: Omaha, Nebraska
Education: Bachelor’s in Textile and Apparel Design from University of Nebraska Lincoln
Employment: Internship with Mary Anne Vaccaro, Floor Display at Elan Contemporary Furnishings, Currently employed at Signs and Shapes International
Website: www.PlaiderPillar.com
Playful, inspiring, lighthearted, creative… I could go on and on. Amy Morin’s work stands apart from anything I have ever seen. Her designs are surely conceived by an unrestrained imagination and a remarkable sewing ability. Enjoy the Artist Spotlight of Amy Morin.
Biography: During the day I design inflatable mascot costumes for a local company called Signs and Shapes International. I spend my evenings and weekends on my PlaiderPillar creations for Etsy, brick-and-mortar shops, and art shows. I make monsters, garments, accessories, and other sewn goods. My mom taught me how to sew when I was teeny tiny (like about five maybe).
How did you realize you wanted to work with textiles?
The sewing knowledge is from my mom. Both of my parents taught us hands-on skills when my brother and I were very young. They taught us how to use real tools, not just toys (under careful supervision, because we were nuts), and the proper way to build things. Of all the things we learned, sewing seemed the most natural for me. Everybody has one thing they really latch on to, and sewing is it for me. I loved drafting classes and making patterns. I guess that’s why I make things like monsters, umbrellas, and caterpillars. I never wanted to take those tests in school to figure out what you should be when you grow up, because there was never a question in my mind.
How would you describe your style or approach to your art?
Analytical. I like to solve the design problems up front so I don’t get halfway through a project and wish I had done it differently. Like . . . Oh man, how are those guy’s guts going to fit in that body, cuz I gotta get a zipper at the outer seam and still have room for the tongue? I start with simple just-get-it-on-paper ideas and decide the general “look”. Regardless of practicality. I don’t get sick of the project, I start sketching more technical drawings, including the potential pattern and specs about actual production of something like an umbrella swing.
How did you use illustration in your work?
I really do A LOT of illustrations, but out of necessity. I always have a sketch book on hand so that I can keep written lists, but find it much faster to just sketch my ideas for future projects. The sewing knowledge is from my mom, and the sketching from my dad (who owned a local graphic design company before retiring).
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
Take tarts while tarts are passing. (My great great grandmother said this, meaning ”seize opportunities while you can”.)
What is your best way to break out of a creative rut?
Stop worrying about what is in demand or profitable. I try to keep a stock of PlaiderPillars, but allow myself to sketch up these wilder, less practical things (like oh, say, three enormous inflatable striped mountains for local art shows). I realize that if I ONLY make PlaiderPillars to have a stock of merch, it’s gonna kill the fun for me. Sewing is my thing, and I don’t want to run that into the ground.
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Where do you draw inspiration for your work?
I’m very fortunate to have a family full of creators, and a wonderful Rob (Quinn. Significant other, artist.). We are always on the lookout for ideas for each other. The sketchbook is handy for recording visual inspiration (books, internet, movies, local art). Listen to you friends and family. They are a WEALTH of knowledge!
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Photo above by Andrew Marinkovich, Malone and Company
