Meet artist Amanda Gorman

Introducing Amanda Gorman, an Australian Multidisciplinary Artist, breaking traditional boundaries with a dynamic repertoire—from contemporary ink masterpieces to enchanting children's illustrations.

Immersed in perpetual inspiration, Amanda crafts vivid spectacles from realism sketches, capturing the essence of people and animals.

In the realm of illustration, Amanda has left an indelible mark with her children's book 'Too Tight for Tilly,' released in December 2020 and met with resounding success. Her 'UNDERCURRENT' collection unveiled large-scale ink pieces inspired by the sea. Here, Amanda's abstract expressionism took centre stage, allowing her to break free from the precision demanded by realism. The result is a captivating dance of billowing ink flows adorned with robust pigments, creating an immersive visual experience on a grand scale.

Amanda's art has graced the pages of renowned publications, including Blank Street Press, Home Design National, 123 Art Magazine in New York City, Ocean Road Magazine and Arts in the Alley. Beyond the canvas, she collaborates with local designers, creating fabric designs for Gold Coast Music Awards and crafting accessories for Nevertheless Journal.

Residing in Tallai on the Gold Coast with her family, Amanda finds solace and inspiration in her home studio, where creativity knows no bounds.  
 
We caught up with Amanda to talk about her design process, creating the iconic 'Nevertheless ladies', and her new collection of gift wrap and cards which we recently released on Nevertheless. 

Can you tell us about the process that went into creating the design for the Nevertheless tote bag and notebooks?

Nevertheless shares the stories of everyday people doing remarkable things - I wanted to honour that notion of everyday people.

To begin, I worked on a colour palette. I then digitally and roughly drew the women from photos I had been collecting as inspiration. Then, between procreate and photoshop digital programs I brought the ladies to life.

The final design and positioning of the women was set around the journal phrase ‘Nevertheless she persisted.’ The little paper plane I have woven throughout symbolises the stories we create and tell, passing over from person to person, weaving their way through our lives. You can also see the paper plane flying its way through the pages of the Journal.

Where did the inspiration for the Nevertheless women come from? And are any of them inspired by women you know?

Women embody a kaleidoscope of personalities from nurturing caregivers to fearless leaders, empathetic listeners to ambitious trailblazers. The women are all loosely based around people I know or are in my world.

I was hoping to have women in there that we are ourselves, or are someone we know and relate to. I was literally thinking of the people around me and who I thought would enjoy this journal and it came from there. I had a lot of fun with them.

I think and create visually so I created names and personalities in my mind for them all. It's part of the process when creating characters for books, so all of them have names and personalities to me.

• The lady with the hat and cowgirl boots is Opal and she lives in the Australian outback on a property
• Teresa is in the aqua pants and works in the corporate world in the city
• Nancy with the walking cane is a grandmother who loves fashion and fast cars.
• Charlie is the tennis player sporty friend who keeps us all motivated to be the best version of ourselves
• Violet has the wheels and works in science
• Scout is firstly based on my sister and is an adventurous photographer but she evolved into a few of the journal women being travellers and bushwalkers.
• Aliza is the lady with the orange jumper sitting down and is based on the mothers and the knowledgeable women we will evolve to become hopefully
• The beautiful beach loving girls are based on my younger and fabulous friends who teach me so much everyday about embracing life head on and following your dreams. Their names are Brit and Penny.
• The fun loving Scarlet is my upside down Redhead who represents our ‘out of the box thinkers’ like me.
• Grace is the dark haired beige dress beauty who works for herself and loves dancing. Her family traditions and culture are very important to her.
• Imogen is the blonde with the orange trousers and the sausage dog.  Imogen has moved to live here from Abroad.
• The sausage dog is my sausage Stanley. @oursausagestanley

Do you have a favourite Nevertheless gal? 

My favourite girl to draw was Grace as I love her style. I think what I love about the girls is that there is a bit of each of them in all of us.   

We recently released some of your gorgeous wrapping paper & gift wrap on Nevertheless. Tell us about designing these prints. 

In crafting these uniquely 'Aussie' items, my aim was to sum up the true essence of Down Under without resorting to the cliché. Delving into our Aussie spirit, I chose to feature the iconic black-and-white magpies, the vibrant spectrum of the budgie, and the irresistible charm of prawns.

I wanted each sheet to tell a story of Australia's diverse and delightful wildlife and evoke a sense of pride and cheekiness. As a lover of presents and giving, I couldn't help but channel my inner magpie, irresistibly drawn to all things 'shiny.'

What’s your favourite pattern from the gift wrap or cards? 

I think it has to be the prawns for me. I come from a family of prawn fanatics, and let me tell you, mastering the art of peeling became a survival skill. It was a peeling frenzy—every man for himself. Learn fast or go hungry, that was the motto!

Now, when Christmas rolls around, and those prawns hit the table, it's like the most Aussie thing ever. The fact that the wrapping paper is prawns, just takes me back to the good ol' days of an Aussie Christmas – quick peeling, laughter, and a whole lot of prawn-induced nostalgia. I want a prawn jumpsuit for Xmas please. 

Do you have a favourite story from Nevertheless Journal?

Can I say ALL of them? 

I adore how each story is incredibly inspiring and makes for a delightful read, perfect to pair with a cherished cup of tea. Anyone who knows me understands my fondness for a nice cuppa!

Personally, the story in Journal Three, titled 'The Law of Attraction' on Cleo Massey and written by Lisa Gay, resonated deeply. Embracing the belief that what you put out into the world comes back to you. This story reminds me that even on those challenging days when it feels like nothing's going my way, better things are just waiting around the corner. 

Do you have other products available that people can explore?

Certainly do. I have some cool patterns and jungle styled wrapping paper featuring leopards and other exotic elements. I've also got my limited edition sketches on my website and some of my larger ink pieces.

There is also the Children's book ‘Too Tight for Tilly’ I illustrated for delightful local author Gloria Bretz available for xmas gifts too. 

And finally… what would your dream collaboration be as an artist?

My 'Big Blue Sky’ dream would be to do a collab with Gorman clothing, producing a captivating collection dubbed 'GORMAN x GORMAN.' - as well as an Aussie homewares collab featuring chic serving and tableware, textiles & accessories in partnership with renowned brands like Maxwell and Williams.

Two of my favourite people of all time would be Jane Goodall and David Attenborough so some kind of animal themed conservation collab would also be really high up on my list of achievements one day. So like Cleo says in Journal Three “ We often don't know what we need, we dream too small. You have to allow the better plan to come through.” 

You can shop our exclusive Nevertheless x Amanda Gorman tote bag right here or browse our collection of gift wrapping, cards and tags featuring Amanda's art.

Explore the ever-evolving tapestry of Amanda Gorman's art on her website, follow her on Instagram @amandagormanartist, and connect on Facebook @amandagormanartist. For Inquiries, contact Amanda at amanda@amandagormanartist.com