Meet Amy Neill | artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Amy Neill and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amy, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
When I think about why I really create, it’s selfishly for myself, and for my family, and for my children. My art as a business is just the cherry on top. My husband has always encouraged me to share it, and so I did, and people wanted it, so I sell it. It’s been very fun and rewarding. I have always leaned toward entrepreneurship and creativity – I started my first handbag business in high school, and I majored in entrepreneurship in college, so it comes naturally to me to create & sell.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m a visual artist, I primarily draw and paint. It’s a vulnerable thing, being an artist, and I am not great with being vulnerable if I’m being honest. It took me a long time to admit to myself that this is what I wanted to do, and to create the space in my life to follow this path. It’s been years in the making – starting as something I really just did for myself and growing from there. I’ve learned that the best things can happen by just putting yourself out there. I get inspired by other artists, by films, nature, history — I am always seeking, dreaming and trying to pull my ideas out of my head and on to the canvas.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

New Orleans is best experienced with no agenda, besides a couple reservations and maybe some tickets to performances. An ideal visit to New Orleans would involve plenty of music, sexy cocktail bars, candlelit dinners, and after hours performances. Late mornings and boozy brunches followed by languid walks admiring the architecture. Inspiring vintage and antique shopping, a cold gelato. A cool dip in a pool before a shower and cocktails back down on the patio.

stay: columns hotel; st. vincent hotel, soniat house
drink: columns hotel, jewel of the south, bar marilou, cure, bouligny tavern
eat: lilette, coquette, sylvain, lengua madre, justine’s, n7, san lorenzo, molly’s rise and shine, saba, stein’s deli
entertain: preservation hall, frenchman street, les bons temps, chapel club
architecture & nature: garden district, French Quarter, esplanade ridge, audubon park, city park
shop: up and down magazine street, French Quarter

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My husband. He supports, encourages, and empowers me to have the space to follow my passions creatively.

Website: www.amyfosterneill.com

Instagram: @amyneillart

Image Credits
Image credit on portrait only: Robert X. Fogarty all artwork photos are mine