Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Ng.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was born and raised in San Diego. Growing up, I thought I would end up in the STEM field, seeing that not only was my family quite STEM-oriented, those of my friends were as well.
I attended art classes from a young age, but there was a period of time where I didn’t do anything art-related in favor of other extracurriculars such as swim team and Science Olympiad. I picked up art once again during the end of my middle school years and began to take it more seriously as I progressed through my high school years. When I started applying for colleges, I applied to universities with the idea I was going to major in biology; however, I ended up applying to art schools as well after being encouraged by a few teachers and peers. When acceptances starting coming out, I started questioning myself a lot. During this period of time, I agonized over what choice to make: biology or art?
Ultimately, I made a decision: to attend ArtCenter College of Design* and major in Illustration (with an emphasis in design). It was difficult, but looking back, I don’t regret it. Even though I had my fair share of crises, I’ve learned a lot from this college and despite the countless times I questioned myself (and my purpose), I stayed and graduated.
*I actually attended Pratt Institute for a while but realized it wasn’t the right fit for me at the time and made my way back from New York to California, just in time for the beginning of ArtCenter’s fall term (Pratt started earlier than ArtCenter).
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Honestly, not at all. There were quite a few struggles along the way (though few may be an understatement, haha)!
Being in an incredibly competitive environment was very taxing on my health, especially my mental health. My school was pretty vigorous in terms of workload, so trying to find a good work-life balance was difficult. I found myself writing everything down in a planner and trying to get everything I had planned done accordingly, even if it meant skipping a meal or two. Eventually, I realized how unhealthy this was and re-evaluated how I planned things out and revamped parts of it in order to make it my life more balanced.
It was hard not to compare myself to my peers. I would always find myself questioning if this was where I was meant to be and what not. I switched my track/emphasis from Entertainment Arts to Design. I dropped some classes. I struggled to figure out what my “style/voice” was. I think my breaking point was halfway through my college career: if I didn’t enjoy this term and learn anything from it, I would drop out and start all over again. Surprisingly, I ended up meeting a lot of people and forming close bonds with some during that term. They gave me endless support and encouragement and I found myself enjoying the term and the work I was producing, which was something I had been struggling with for a long time. Over time, I grew to realize and accept that, even if there are other people who are pursuing the same career, we are all so different from each other. We have our own respective strengths and weaknesses that make us unique. While all of this may sound cliché, I believe it to be true. I still have those periods of insecurity from time to time where I forget, but having a good support system really helps, especially when they remind you that you are you and no one else is.
Despite it all, I find myself being grateful for the numerous ups and downs I’ve experienced. I think that I’ll always be learning and growing to adapt to the world and be a better person, so I don’t expect the rest of the road to be smooth–they do have dips from time to time. That being said, the lessons I’ve learned in my college years hold a special place in my heart because I think it was during those years that I learned a lot about navigating the world.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I’m a freelance illustrator and designer. My work consists of a lot of food and animals done in a variety of media (e.g., watercolor, gouache, digital). I’ve been trying to incorporate more people in my work as of late too! I’ve always had an interest in science because of my upbringing. Because of this, I’m really interested in scientific illustration and have done my share of biological illustrations as well.
One of my goals with my work is to present information (e.g., anatomy, language learning) in a more accessible way to the public, especially to kids (kids are the future!). I’ve been told by people that I’ve done that successfully. It brings me joy when I see people interacting with my work, whether or not it’s by inquiring about my work, taking pictures of it, or pointing things out for others to see. I’ve had inquiries to purchase things I’ve made, which excites me and also brings me to one of my upcoming projects: ANGRO (my online store) It’s still in its “coming soon” phase, but I hope to get it up and running soon as I want to share my ideas (in a more tangible form) with the world.
I’ve been told by a few of my peers that my work is somewhat like restrained chaos. Others have described my work as quirky and fun. I embrace both perspectives with open arms. When drawing, I like to experiment a lot with various methods of creation, whether it be with a medium I’m not familiar with or with a different approach to mark-making. I feel like I’m reconnecting with my younger self when I do this. This is also somewhat true for when I’m painting as well. A good deal of my work is influenced by my environment (i.e., places, people) as well as my emotions. If I’m thinking about something in particular and/or have seen something that I cannot get out of my head or I’ve been feeling a certain way, it has an influence in my work. By doing so, I believe it brings this sense of relatability (through familiar, if not similar, topics) to my work that allows me to connect with others around me.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
This is a pretty hard question for me to answer! I have a lot of favorite memories from my childhood, but if I had to choose one, it’s either:
1) Hanging out in the cul-de-sac I grew up in with my sister and our neighbors. We could be racing each other on our bicycles and scooters up and down the street, playing handball on someone’s driveway, or even just sitting in someone’s front lawn, during sunset, while eating ice cream. Despite growing up in the suburbs, those days were so carefree and fun and I think about them from time to time.
2) Going to the beach with my family and family friends. We would bring food (potluck-style) and picnic on the beach while watching the sunset. Not only that, but as one of the children of the families, we would all go swimming and/or boogie-boarding and build strange structures from the sand while taking in the sun. Another carefree and fun moment in my life that I think about from time to time. There’s also something so calming about the ocean and watching the sunset with those you cherish too.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.artofamyng.com/
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.jpng/
Image Credit:
Amy Ng
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