Who doesn't like cheap thrills? There are several definitions of the term ranging from something that provides short enjoyment to something that is inexpensive and or free that brings excitement. The thing with cheap thrills is that don't last long, so we often go back for more. Personally, what comes to my mind are snacks, movie trailers, playground swings, raffles/auctions and the odd scratch n' win ticket. My mom always tells me "you'll never win the lottery, if you don't buy a ticket" and it makes me think that there must be a thrill in hoping that she might win one day.
This month's Bystander theme is based on Sia's "Cheap Thrills" song and the lyrics talk about dancing and not needing money to have fun. Nowadays, even going out to meet a friend for tea/coffee can cost a lot over time, so finding inexpensive ways to enjoy life are becoming few and far between. Dancing to a good beat on the radio sounds like a lot of fun and Sia's music video just reinforces it.
Sarah Gold Amburgey is an illustrator whose work is infused with charm and a bit of mystery. When I see her character's expressions, I can't help but wonder what their stories are. The diversity of her work makes her portfolio very appealing and intriguing. In this artist profile, we discuss art, inspiration, music and thrills.
What art medium do you use to create your art?
Traditionally I gravitate towards acrylic and watercolors and mix the two, however, because I'm a broke college student, I am primarily digital now.
If you could describe your art to someone what would you say?
I do a lot of story based art, like concept art or making story moments for animations, which I try to make painterly. I tend to gravitate towards cute or sad things.. I am trying to be a storyboard artist for like film, so comics are also something I do. I'm not sure. This is a hard question -- I feel a bit full of myself answering this.
Where do you find your inspiration?
A few things do, like artists from big companies. Rebecca Suga, Jeff Turley (concept artist for Paperman), Victoria Ying, Mary Blaire is a big one, Glen Keane. Anime like Studio Ghibli (I was a big dweeb growing up, and still am) and stuff Studio Trigger does. My friends at school, travelling... I don't like the idea of only having a singular thing that inspires me. If I see someone's work and like it, I get inspired and just roll with it. Sometimes I get obsessed like when I was on a Glen Keane kick, I found every video I could on youtube and watched all his stuff on repeat.
Is there an artist who made you see art in a different way?
Weirdly enough, a I grew up, I taught myself art. It was interesting to me that I could problem solve by looking at books and trying to copy images from like Da Vinci to Glen Keane and Sailor Moon. So in a way, everything I learned was from me seeing stuff differently, or at least that's my very stupid way of answering this.
But the big thing, that changed the way I saw art, was the idea of making a living out of your hobby. I was told being an artist wasn't really a reliable job, like most people are told it's a gamble. The big change was in my second year of college back in 2012 when I watched a keynote speech Neil Gaiman gave and the best part of that quote (I have it tattooed on my collar bone) was:
"Make good art... I'm serious. Husband runs off with a politician? Make good art. IRS on your trail? Make good art. Leg crushed by a boa constrictor? Make good art. Cat explodes? Make good art. Someone on the internet thinks that what you're doing is stupid and its evil and it's all been done before? Make good art. Probably things will work out somehow, eventually time will take the sting away. And that doesn't even matter, do what only you do best...Make. Good. Art."
Those words will forever be engraved in me because it was the first time anyone had given me permission to follow my dreams. I mean you hear "follow your dreams" on tv and books and those really corny posters behind your teacher's desk back in third or second grade but for me I always believed I was the exception. I was below average so it didn't apply to me. So that moment when he said "Make Good Art" I was like "oh my god...why aren't I?" It was a pretty big moment for me. I actually sent an email to Neil Gaiman thanking him for it and told him how much I've accomplished since. He responded, "I'm proud of you." Sorry that was a bit lengthy but it was such an easy answer to all of my weird "find yourself"problems and I felt a moment of clarity.
What type of music do you listen to on a regular basis?
Ahhh I hate this question so much. I hate people judging me based on my music taste because it's never enough for people. It's a wide range. I rarely listen to like what is popular now (I know I'm such a hipster, but I don't like the radio unless it's the jazz station), but I like musicals and soundtracks to stuff. My current obsession is the Moana soundtrack, the soundtrack to the game Bastion, and just most Broadway musicals. Also I've been really into music from Bo en and Porter Robinson the past 4 years, so I do find myself going back to them periodically.
This month's artist profile is inspired by Sia's "Cheap Thrills." What is your impression of the song?
So I know she's within the realm of "popular music" but I actually really like Sia's work. I thought this song was fun and really speaks to me. Like yeah who needs money? Enjoy the smaller things in life.
What impression do you have of the music video?
I love her music videos. I love dancers in general because I love gesture drawing and drawing dancers is super fun. Their silhouettes are just amazing.
Do you listen to any music while you create art?
Sometimes, it depends on what mood I'm in. Sometimes if I need inspiration for art yes. If it's my 3D animation or modeling, I have to listen to a podcast or audiobook. Sometimes I put on a movie or short film that has inspired concept art or storyboard I'm working on. There is a project on hitRECord called "End of Day" that is heavily inspired by Paperman as far as the look of the film went. And so when I worked on that, I had that playing, which I didn't mind having on repeat because I really really loved that short.
What gives you a thrilling feeling?
I think when I feel thrilled, it's when I'm overcoming fear. For me, the scariest thing is being the center of attention, or rather any social interaction I'm not familiar with. Not for any particular reason, only because of my social phobia. It's horrible - I get sweaty, my mind goes blank. I get red in the face and a lot of times I have to leave to just have a good cry. In junior high, I used to throw up before and/or after presentations. Once my cheek started twitching while I was presenting and I got teased a lot for it by the whole class.
So when I overcome that fear, it's like I feel confidence, pride and I get an adrenaline rush when I do well. That sounds so silly, but I've compared the level of fear I feel with talking to strangers, to going on scary rides at the fair. So for me, my crowning achievements were in high school. I sang "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" from the Phantom of the Opera and did better than I thought possible. I gave the final speech at graduation too because I was senior class president. Then last fall at CTN, I talked to Peter Han, a teacher at the Art Center in California and he loved my storyboards and portfolio and I won a Mobile Studio Pro from him. It was the first time I ever had to sell myself and pretend I was outgoing. Afterwards, I was proud of myself for talking to 4 other strangers. I never felt so much adrenaline in my life.
The saying cheap thrills refers to something that provides enjoyment for a short period of time. What is/are your cheap thrill(s)?
Ahhh...I feel like food would be that for me. I don't know if that counts but I have a limited diet because I have a sensitive digestive system so I eat things that I shouldn't and then I pay for it later thinking"why did I do this to myself?"
Is there a book/film that has given you a thrilling feeling?
Oh gosh, this is like the best and worst because there are so many books and movies (especially movies) that give me a thrill. So more recently, I think Moana - any part with her grandma made me wanna stand up and cheer. I really love Moana, and the music and lyrics and just the visuals at the end with her grandma just made my heart burst and melt and everything. It was just so good and it made me want to write and draw and sing and...ugh thinking about it just makes me smile. I could name more but I won't or this thing will be 10 pages long.
If you could collaborate with anyone in the future, who would it be?
Man so many people hahaha, so unrealistically I'd want to want collab with Porter Robinson because his music has always been very story driven to me. Neil Gaiman because obviously I'm obsessed, and because his stories are made into animated films very successfully (*cough* Coraline *cough*). Also, Jeff Turley who helped on shorts such as Paperman and Feast because he really strives for the type of animation I really want to do. The type that looks like moving illustration or concept art.
Realistically, I don't have anyone in mind MAINLY because work ethic is extremely important to me and I don't know anyone at this time who I think "wow we could get a lot done." Since I don't know anyone's work ethic or habits, I've worked with people who don't meet my standards in quality of stuff and I am a big control freak. Also I work pretty fast, so if I'm working really hard and fast and someone is working with me slowly and holding me back or whatever, I drop them because I have such little free time (I'm a full time student and work jobs in between classes). Like I get impatient and sometimes unmotivated if the other person isn't as into it. I give like... 100% most times unless I have work or school conflicting with stuff. So currently I know some people who like have caught my eye but it all depends on work ethic and what the project actually is.
What upcoming projects do you have?
My biggest project I've been working on has been my Senior Project called "Etude" which I've been working on since the beginning of last year. It's about a ballerina who gave up on her dream and went to school for the "safe" career due to her low self esteem and her depression. But she is reminded of her passion and her dream when she runs into a little girl in front of a ballet studio. I've been working on the storyboards for a very long time and we've been getting advice from people from PIXAR, Disney and working with a ballet studio to help choreograph the dance sequences. It's been really challenging but, it won't be out for a while. If it does well we're going to enter it into film festivals next spring.
Other than that, I have several personal projects that I'm working on. One with my boyfriend who's a musician and a children's book I don't want to publish, I just want to make it. A friend of mine is helping me write and develop that story.
Art is often a reflection of an artist's personal experiences, philosophies and what intrigues them. Sarah cites Disney and PIXAR, as well as other artists who inspire her and you can see that in her work. It has a similar essence and at the same time, she is forming her own style and evolving as an artist. She experiments and grows while she develops her techniques.
Doodling is a cheap thrill that can lead to more evolved pieces. Storyboards become the basis of films. Often we start small and work our way up to something bigger. So actually, one way to look at it is, without those beginnings, those appetizers/snacks, we might not make it to the masterpieces and those delicious main courses.
Cheap thrills can become a habit and over time end up being expensive, so perhaps to combat this we should enjoy them once in a while so we don't become immune to them. It would be terrible to lose the thrill and get bored. Nahhh forget it! Life is short! Change up the music, the venue, the company and keep enjoying that exciting feeling, while you can. Let's keep hoping that people continue to create, experience new things and treasure the small things in life! After all, inspiration is thrilling and may not even cost a thing.
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