As a kid I loved playing with dolls and as far as I can recollect the last time that I played with a doll was like 10 years back. I never had a big doll collection but whatever I had was a prized possession then. And somehow I still love them and would love to buy some but I guess I'm too old to shop in the toy store.

Anyways, I recently came across this one artist, who made me fall in love with dolls all over again and that too with paper dolls. Amy Earles is a talented artist who make it a point that dolls never sink into oblivion.

Amy has been drawing since her childhood and considers it it as the ultimate form of communication. Amy works primarily with gouache and pencil; she paints, draws and makes paper dolls. You'll be amazed to see her sketches, they are not based on any particular theme but are appealing; young girls hidden behind wolf masks playing.
Amy is currently based in Indiana and has a fascination for dolls and this is quiet evident in her work.  Her paper dolls are a perfect piece of art. Read on to know more about Amy and her paper dolls in our exclusive interview with her.

My name is Amy Earles. I am a person.

Pushed Under was created nearly 15 years ago. At that time, it was a little website for my printed zines, comics and some artwork. I can't really tell you why I specifically chose the name. The words just came to mind together and they felt perfectly suited for my personal projects. Nothing else fit.

2. What inspired you to become an artist? Tell us something about your initial experiences as an artist?

When I was little I liked to make drawings for people & when they liked them, it felt like sparkling stars.  It was a way to really let someone know I liked them & thought about them. I was giving them a little piece of myself. For me it has been the ultimate form of communication. That cycle of inspiration and communication is one of the reasons I like to make art.

3. What prompted you to make ‘Paper Dolls’? What techniques and materials do you use for making paper dolls?

Paper dolls are an easily transportable and transitional toy. I had a fairly sizable collection when I was small. They were my favorite toys for many years.



4. Apart from sketching, what other artforms do you dabble with? How do you decide upon the subject for your art work?

I paint, draw, occasionally sculpt and write. The way I arrive at my ideas is a varied process. Sometimes I become fixated on a topic and make a conscious decision to create an image around that topic but often the ideas come floating in layer by layer until something is finished. I'm often inspired by phrases from dreams & visual textures... like hair or textiles and what they might mean in varying contexts.

5. The colors that you use for your artwork are mostly black, white and grey; giving a gothic feel to your artwork. Could you please tell us more about the theme of your artwork?

My intention with my monotone work is to draw an invisible line to the landscape of the unconscious mind. The restricted coloring is more of a story telling vehicle than a subcultural reference.

There is also a visual connection to silent films & pre-color animation... those things inspired me tremendously when I was growing up. I hope that my flat monochrome paintings look as if they could start moving at any moment.




Initially, I had planned to sell my work through my website. Due to a lack of experience, I chose to sell through Etsy as a bit of a starting point. The plan all along has been to build a shop front for my site to sell my work. I'm actually working on that now. My site is being re-built and I'm hoping to unveil it soon after the new year.

7. How do you see the advent of eCommerce and now mCommerce? Share with us your experience as an etailer. 

For a tiny business owner like myself, eCommerce is something to be grateful for... Being able to reach a vast market as a one person operation is tremendously huge. It's one of the best things ever. I haven't had much experience with mCommerce, though I am intrigued by the mobile payment services that are now available and hope to put them to use soon.

8. When you are not working on creating art, what activities do you enjoy the most?

Aside from hanging out with my family I really like walking, researching (pretty much everything) & video games.

9. If you are given the option to be some superhero (or be given a magical power), who/what would it be and why?

If I could choose a magical power, it would be one that could give people a feeling of being loved & the security of home.




Pushed Under is definitely evolving. There are changes coming in its design & use. I have considered changing the name though I'll probably always retain pushedunder.com. My new items direct people to amyearles.com at the moment but that isn't very exciting, is it?

11. What advice would you like to give to a budding and aspiring artists?

Only to create for yourself first. Meaning: don't let anyone else's voice take over your own.

Thank you Amy for taking out the time and doing this interview with us. We'd like to wish you the very best for the future.

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