Sky Rays

Color splash,
Blue, magenta, pink. a dash,
Every day above a painting in the sky, color mish-mash.

Clouds cover,
We wonder.
Uncover.

Vibrant everyday. 
Sunbeam rays.
Even if unseen we know they are to stay.
Happy to see again walking down the lane.

Anywhere a ray of sun,
Dusk and dawn,
Routine. Constant.
Even in the grey.
Restart. Another day.

Vibe

Spring-Fall, Art Stall

Floating in uncertain sea,

Life is wild and vibrant as the trees,

Leaves changing colors, not silent,

Walking through, a pallet to add to,

Calmly contemplating the art piece,

In seasons changing Spring to Fall, 

Differences in it, small.

Vibrant Sea

Waterways we pass, some murky less like glass,

sparkling waves which ebb and flow, grow in mass, 

beyond our vision

Others wonderful habitats, mangrove forests fish can more freely splash,

Hidden coves into the unknown still contaminated with trash,

beyond our vision

Colors of this piece flow and clash.

Creating murky water using a colorful mish mash. 

This art piece mainly splashed.

Scene Select

We move place to place,
Nomadic by nature even within a tiny space,
Scene to scene sometimes not being seen,
In a car we pass scenes created and amassed near and far,
How often do we reflect as the scenes pass?,
Do we contemplate as we wait?,
Even the mere second we pass by trying not to be late,
Give our brain time to elaborate,
Take a second more and you will see the plethora that is in store.

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An Interview with Ambyunderock

As detailed as they are fantastic, the intricate, dream-like drawings of Ambyunderock (they/them) are accompanied by captivating, meditative poetry. This month, we take a closer look into the colorful whimsy of their world.

How long have you been creating art and poetry? What would you say prompted you to pursue these as a form of expression?

I’ve always enjoyed creating art. My doodling format began as little character drawings in 2018 when I had difficulties focusing in class. I began doing poetry in 2018 as well, adding images on Instagram accompanied by poems. In college, a great friend of mine saw my doodles and said, “You should try coloring them in.” So I did. Coloring the doodles added an element that created a new artistic expression. I’ve really liked Dr. Suess and Dali’s pieces and found that mixing them together describes my art style best. In 2020 I made my first piece called “Current Patterns Uncertain Times 1,” an artistic visual of what 2020 felt like. I was already doing photography with poems, so I continued this practice with my art pieces. 

I’m really interested in how your art and poetry intersect. Would you consider your art to be a visual representation of your poetry, or are your poems written to describe your art? Which comes first? Would you describe your creative process?

I let the visual art tell a story, the story encompassed by the poem. My method is very in the moment. I don’t have any guiding lines that I draw before starting. I usually go make a large face or something, then draw small details and characters all living their lives intertwined. I intermix colors using markers, thin pens, watercolor, and pencils; then when I feel the piece is completed (sometimes hard to find a stopping point), I write an accompanying poem based on the picture created. Usually once all of that is done I post it online. 

Your drawings feature colorful figures that intertwine in what almost seems like a surreal stream of consciousness. The closer I look at each drawing, the more I discover. How would you hope for viewers to interpret the characters you create? Are there any recurring motifs or symbols in your work that are particularly meaningful to you?

I can’t really say what I’d hope for people to interpret my pieces as. I want those looking at the images to just sink in and imagine what they would like to. I interpret my pieces as animals and people living their lives in a fluid harmony having various backgrounds. I have a recurring character who represents me being non-binary: a spaceperson/scuba diver wearing a skirt and sometimes big boots and a bow. I brought this character to the forefront in Tiers of Sadness Tears of Happiness. I include myself floating in the image amongst colorful imagery learning more about queerness in relation to myself. Other symbols I try to include sometimes is a phrase I use, “cool beans”, which doesn’t mean anything in particular, I like the vagueness. Lastly I enjoy putting a large face in which is how I usually start my drawings. Sometimes the face is centered, but it can also be on the side or elsewhere. The large face does not have a particular meaning to me, but it helps to start placing the piece.

The poetry you write evokes a lot of natural imagery. Do you find yourself inspired by your environment? What would you say influences you most?

Many times I find inspiration in nature for my poems. I go on many hikes, bike rides, and road trips. My surroundings influence my art pieces the most and especially inspire my poems. The colors I find in nature are similar to ones in my art pieces. I especially use colors I see in the sky, seasons, flowers, and animals. I look back on the various places I’ve been and place people/animals in those scenes, usually enjoying them.

Is there anything further about your art you’d like to share? Do you have any upcoming projects or plans for the future? 

I hope that my art can inspire creativity in others! I am always working on various pieces at a time, but currently I’m working on some larger pieces to push myself to grow as an artist. I’m using a large piece of cardboard for one of them and a large piece of paper for another one. I’ve been playing with different mediums including watercolor, paint pens, and sharpies. I’m hoping to get my work up in temporary galleries around where I live first and hopefully sell some pieces possibly printed on shirts.

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Ambyunderock is someone who enjoys whimsical and fantastical art. They like to draw characters and add lots of strong colors to inspire persons to think differently of what they once saw as singular. They use many different colors and concepts to formulate detailed pieces.