Pith stories with Amy Izat
For our second instalment of 'Pith stories', Sharing the unique lives, inspirations and knowledge of the people who bring our books to life. We caught up with artist Amy Izat at her favourite spot to draw the shifting landscape and evolving wildlife.
CONVERSATION WITH
Liam Goward (Pith Co-founder)
FILM AND PHOTOGRAPHY
READ TIME
2 MINS
In 2014 after a life-changing incident, Amy’s world was plunged into darkness and flipped upside down. Her plans to further her studies in classical portraiture in Florence were put on indefinite hold. Despite living with constant health challenges Amy has forged an incredible niche in her art practice. A testament to her strength, resilience and well-earned talent.
Eight years ago, at the age of 20, Amy collapsed from a brain haemorrhage whilst working and living in Sardinia. She was rushed to hospital and placed into a coma for three days. The haemorrhage was caused by a right parietal/occipital arteriovenous malformation (AVM) – in plain speak, essentially a badly tangled mess of blood vessels in the brain. With a 50/50 chance of survival. After two weeks and an emergency operation, Amy’s condition stabilised and was flown to a hospital in Newcastle where she spent four weeks in the High Dependency Unit undergoing numerous operations and procedures to seal the AVM in her brain and the subsequent problems it was causing.
Since then Amy has been in and out of the hospital for various surgeries and procedures to combat the issues created by the AVM. Suffering temporary blindness after one particular surgery Amy was rushed back to the hospital to have a blood clot removed. Restoring her vision but losing the central point of focus on the top of the left side of her vision, making it difficult to see a whole figure. This was particularly crushing because it seemed to dash Amy’s dreams of finishing training in portraiture.
“Imagine you are looking through a window, but only the top right-hand panel is in focus - everything else is blurred, indistinct, out of reach. That is what it’s like for me when I look at the world.”
Ever optimistic, Amy has battled through an incredibly difficult time in her life and found solace in her art practice. Amy’s works consist of incredibly detailed pencil drawings of wildlife, in particular birds. Recently exhibited at the ‘Windows of the soul’ exhibition in London - where Amy’s detailed drawings were partially erased by a fellow artist and friend to illustrate Amy’s field of vision.
Amy’s book ‘A different kind of vision’ is launching later this year - to read more about her incredible story and journey as an artist visit www.amyizat.com.
We caught up with Amy to discuss inspiration, nature, and her favourite art materials.
Liam Goward: Hearing your story has been incredible Amy, I would love to know more about you and your practice. Where do you find inspiration for your artwork?
Amy Izat: I’m most inspired to draw in nature, in particular by water. I love the movement, the colours, the reflections and the peace it creates. It also attracts all sorts of wildlife which are my favourite subjects.
LG: Are you lucky enough to be close to nature on a regular basis?
AI: Yes! I was brought up on a farm in Northumberland, which has been just amazing for me. I love wandering down to the nearest pond. I find water very therapeutic. It's very calming and very healing. While working and drawing in that environment you're listening to everything that's going on. Being an artist can sometimes be quite lonely, but in nature, you never feel alone.
LG: How do you usually work when you are out in nature? And what materials do you use to make your pieces?
AI: So I love to work in sketchbooks as I plan my projects or practise sketches in the lead-up to creating my final pieces. I'll do preparatory studies of a particular subject, like plants, and how they grow from seed to adult. I usually use Caran d’Ache pencils, two B or B mostly, not too hard, not too soft, which allows me to get that detail of a particular surface, like fur or feathers for example.
At the moment I like working on the Pith sketchbooks because they open up flat and the quality of the paper is perfect for my work. It allows me to get the fine details of my subjects.
“Every time I've lost more eyesight my drawings have become more detailed.”
LG: Birds are a common subject in your drawings, what is it about birds that intrigue you?
AI: When I was in the hospital, I used to create these little worlds, in my head to sort of escape where I was. I'd always end up in a garden with little garden birds like a robin and things and as I started researching garden birds, each bird seemed to have a symbolic meaning. So for example Robins are very religious, and they say that they can be past spirits coming to say hello. And for me, my grandad kept appearing in the hospital, who sadly passed away, so I always symbolised him through a robin. I always imagine myself as a Ren, because they're very sturdy characters. That's why these little birds are very symbolic and meaningful to me.
LG: There detail you capture is remarkable, have you always drawn in that detail or did you have to learn the technique?
AI: It’s always been important to capture as much detail as possible when I'm drawing, going back to the health side and losing my vision after the operations. Every time I've lost more eyesight my drawings have got more detailed. It's really important to find the right paper and the right pencil that is going to allow that to appear. It’s been a gradual process of improvement but I was studying to progress into classical portraiture which has incredible detail.
LG: Thank you, Amy, it’s been a pleasure talking with you and documenting a small part of your journey.
THANK YOU
Amy Izat - for taking the time to film and speak with us.
Filmmaker - Lola Stammberger - www.lola-film.com
Pith stories: Sharing the unique lives, inspirations and knowledge of the people who bring our books to life.