2020 Artist to Lookout for: Amber Favre

It’s hard to believe it’s 2020 – another decade down in history, and a new year full of promise and potential. This year is set to be an exciting one, from the announcement of the color of the year, to new artist representation here at Broadway Gallery, there’s a lot to look forward to.

Amber Favre, a painter based out of Katy, Texas, is just one of the up-and-coming artists we have the privilege of representing this year. Her unique style combines modern impressionism and colorful abstraction to create dream-like pieces that gives the viewer an opportunity to find greater meaning behind it. She is, without a doubt, a rising artist. We recently had a chance to sit down with her to learn more about her background and how she got where she is today. Continue reading to find out more about her personal story and how grew into the artist we see represented at the gallery now.

Amber’s artistic journey began after a life-altering experience that not only left her unable to walk for several months, but also with a completely new outlook on life. Painting was a way to turn this traumatic experience into something beautiful and bring hope to others who may also be experiencing difficult times. Through her paintings, she’s been able to express a sense of tranquility with the use of color and texture that are uplifting and positively impact the viewers well-being.

She told us, “I saw how connected our internal world is to our external reality and felt a deep urge to create paintings that represented this. They say the mind responds to color therapy (and visual images) in measurable ways, and I took this to heart. I went to school to understand how the brain responded to visual images earning a Bachelor’s Degree from University of Washington in Visual Communications.”

All of Amber’s art is done alla prima, giving her artwork the loose and relaxed feeling you see here. Amber also mixes all of her oils from a basic palette of red, blue, yellow, burnt umber and white – she even mixes color to create her own shade of black that’s used in her paintings.

She told us, by doing so, the colors “give me a deeper connection to the outcome of the painting. Blending the colors is a big part of the painting process for me because I am carefully creating each color from scratch. It’s a very satisfying process!”

Amber paints subjects that are very classic in nature such as fruit, flowers, landscapes, and figurative portraits. She takes timeless subjects and gives them a vibrant reflection and interpretation, in order to create a new perspective for viewers.

She told us, her “abstracts take things a step further to focus more on the color, texture and mood rather than the subject but is done in a similar style [as the impressionist paintings]. I like clearly defined brush strokes and texture so that up close the painting takes on a form of abstraction all by itself even if I’m painting a clearly defined subject or figure.”

When asked about her favorite piece of work, she told us, “I’m especially fond of my figurative painting ‘Eyes Closed’.

For me, this piece represents sensing the world around you even when your eyes are closed. When your eyes are closed you can either be oblivious to your surroundings or you can try to use your other senses for guidance – it’s your choice. This painting gives me a sense of calmness and comfort even with the warm background, like she is watching out for me even though her eyes are closed. She is seeing even though she can’t see.”

We definitely get the same sense of calmness and tranquility when looking at this piece. On top of it, the colors and textures just pop.

So what else is on the horizon for Amber this year? She told us she’s focusing on creating larger themed works that can be featured as a collection. We can’t wait to see what’s in store. As you probably know, pictures sometimes don’t do artwork the justice it deserves, so stop by Broadway Gallery in Alexandria or Great Falls today to see her work in person!