Women in Art 278 Magazine November 2013 | Page 64

etsy facebook pinterest american painter ami raime oil & acrylic paintings I am initially from a sporting background, having played field hockey internationally in representing the country I came from. In those things too were the creative and artistic sides of me which I didn’t have the opportunity to explore until I arrived to these shores. Born and raised in Singapore, I made the move to Seattle, Washington in 2001 with hopes of an exciting, new life filled with different challenges and possibilities. Although I was, at the time more focused towards settling into a suitable job and a new family, it wasn’t long before everything fell into place with all those things that I had dreamed of. And it wasn’t very long either before I made some new friends …. friends who helped me shaped my destiny further in this new land I now passionately call home. I have always known I had some artistic talents but it wasn’t until a good friend from Bremerton, Washington commissioned me to do some flower paintings that I realized I do have a special knack at doing this! When this chanced opportunity turned out to be so good, I started to enjoy experimenting with different styles and motifs when creating gifts for my other friends. It was the unexpectedly wonderful and encouraging reception which everyone showed over these odd pieces that eventually motivated me to create other unique mediums for all to enjoy. A fellow Etsy owner recommended that I set up shop and sell my paintings. Thus, I opened my shop called RAIMESTIQUE on Etsy in April 2012. These were the beginnings of my new venture in the art industry. For my work, I love bold, beautiful flowers, landscapes and abstracts. My artwork portrays clean, fresh lines with a sense of passion and determination, derivatives of how I look at life. I chose oil or acrylic in vibrant colors and using brushes and knife for my mediums. I am beginning to enjoy creating landscape art after watching Bob Ross on TV and I love his techniques. He inspires me a lot. I am a multi-faceted artist who enjoys writing poetry and my memoirs as well as creating beautiful ceramic and fused glass art but my main focus is on my paintings. wom en ART