I make no apologies for the gush-fest that is about to ensue.

If you’ve read Think Pink, you’ll know that I’m the number one fan-girl of the Amy Davis fan club. It has been this way since…well, a whole lot of a forever. She’s my gal-pal, my home girl, my mentor in all things life – seriously, once you’ve read this interview, you’ll want her to write a book on how to be as freakin’ awesome as she is, and she’s the most talented illustrator in the history of pens and paper. I mean it, there is NOTHING this girl can’t do with colouring pens. Fact.

OHMYSTARS – who are you, gorgeous girl?
Amy here and YO wassup babies?
I am pretty much hyphenated like so…Fashion Illustrator-Underground Movie Star-Rock and Roll Singer/Bassist- Writer-Stylist and Vice President of APATHY Productions. ALL around GEEKY chick that is now considered a FREAKY chick..but rally m’dears…I am sucha NERD!!! HOO HAHAH!

Tell us about your blog for PAPER – what is it, why are we going to love it? How did it happen?
My Bloggy is called COUTURE VOYEUR for PAPERMAG.
It’s all about the transformative powers of fashion/hair/make up and just taking a chance on your style mama…
It’s ONE person with 3 different looks…Plus some sarcastic dialog..sick ass stylin’ STYLE.
It’s a psycho guide to couture and to being creative with fashion/make up/hair…et al.

You’ll dig on it cuz it’s pretty kooky how the people (cartoons) can transform with a just a few tweeks….and hopefully you’ll get inspired, obsessed or at least crack up at the freak out factor….hehhehe

I used to work for PAPER magazine outta NYC from 1996 till 2005 doing a featured page of fashion illustration/stylin’ called STYLE FIENDS..
It was my biggest break to date for my illustration. I was just recently was chattering with the fine PAPER folks and they offered me said blog and BOOM BAM BADDA BING I took it, and the rest is history….well, very recent history.

You’re a super-amazing art-girl – when did you know it was what you wanted to do and that you could make money from it?
I have always been unwaveringly staunch about becoming an arteeest.I was about 4 when I started to really crank on the drawing. As an only child I was always by myself and creating cartoon characters, just drawing constantly for pure enjoyment (and it was free).
This killed many an hour that would have been filled up with boredom and pre-teen angst.
At 12, I won the NEWSDAY (my local NY newspaper) drawing contest with my winged unicorn (HEY I am the 80s!)
I kept on after that …mastering all the styles of drawing…yes I can do photo realistic rendering … until I realized what a soulless crock that was!
I mean drawing, JUST to impress with your ability to draw photographically, just made me feel like a cold machine…NO SPIRIT!
So I turned off my brain and choose a style..OR rather it choose me.
THAT WAS HARD.
MONEY came later….and oh yeah my bizznizz sense kicked in after about 100 blunders with BIG WIGS.
I really used to have a truly bad attitude and thought I was the be-all to end-all. I didn’t burn bridges…I NUKED them and completely pissed off the higher ups.
NOW I realise we are all in this crazy world together and to have respect and patience for the suits.
When I realised this, I could chill out and let go and not take bizznizz personally…OH and make a BUNCHA $$$!

So $$ comes from talent? NOPE it comes from tenacity, patience, LUCK and a mature, open-minded attitude.
Cue New Age music.

Miss Aimz, your art works blows me away, can you tell us a bit about your creative process?
The creative processsssssss…Hmmmmm. That’s a tough one as it’s so like not of this Earth…it’s trippy dippy.

I get bitten by this intense desire to draw…to create ANYTHING and I dunno where it comes from, or how it bites me, and gets me going but…let’s just say, this muse has NO SENSE of TIME.
You could be at a fancy-schmancy dinner party and you’ll grab the cocktail napkin and one of your best faces plops out… ON THE NAPKIN! ( and you must save it, copy it on fresh paper and finish it)
You could get bitten at 3am and draw till noon the next day! Food… REST..what’s that?! You can, and do, get sick.
You could BLOCK on a project until hours before the deadline. It sorta sucks actually…NOT to diss my muse BUT you cannot force it and you cannot stop it. Well, you could stop it, and man will you feel guilt. INTENSE guilt.
OH and if you try to push it and there is no muse helping you….OH man do you suck! You OVERDRAW and start to turn into Missy UPTIGHT line quality…Missy overworked detail…Missy frustration. OH, and when the job is done…you’re not…you keep on thinking about everything. Every line…that’s where wine comes in handy!

What’s been your biggest achievement s’far?
My biggest achievement so far is…STAYIN’ SANE!

Perhaps professionally my LeSportsac designs? Maybe my PAPER Magazine cover and style page?
Being at Colette in Paris? They all ROCK but….
Personally it’s my drawing called BLESS. It was for PAPER and I dunno it’s just mad awesome.
I remember doing the face over coffee one morning and I just waited to see where she’d take me.
Then I decided she was good enough for my PAPER column and I drew body her in …BLESS (the German designer) was the tee shirt I chose to style with and I drew her in a rain storm givin’ you the PEACE sign.
I love it. I wish all my work could be as loose, inspired and pure.

What’s your motto for life?
LIVE FREE OR DIE…no that’s New Hampshire’s motto….
My motto for life is LIVE AUTHENTICALLY.
This will be something different for everyone, but you know what it means for you…
Follow your gut and truly beware of your mind.
Brains are usually big, bad bullies.

What’s a typical day in the life o’ Amy?
My day – I get up, have really delish coffee that I mix myself, do yoga (or not), practice my music (or not)
feed the birds(always) Make yummers for breakfast/lunchie, go out and drive into Santa Fe Proper(we live outside of town where snakes and cougars prowl…fo’ reals) and just enjoy the smells/sights and vibes, come home and check out my stuff (yeah I google myself).
Constantly try to figure out new ways to market/sell myself/art. You are ALWAYS “on” as an artist. You never rest. Career is HUGE and you must be savvy and keep on promo-ing people, new companies, all of it…Hey that’s how I got this interview! One night on a promo bender and BOOM, I’m LISA-FIED!
Then I chill out with my hubbie, drink a glass of vino or a cuppa tea, watch bad fun TV or movie and just dream about a place in Santa Fe (right now we be in the ‘burbs…yeeech)
Oh, did I mench we moved to Nouveaux Mexique?
Or we both Jam, promo, draw, write, collab until 3 am.

What five tunes would be on an Amy Davis playlist?
I DUNNO by (LOW ON HIGH) yeah shameless promo but my bands 9 minute opus is truly rockin’ roll brilliance…Cocky, ain’t I?
YOU AND YOUR SISTER by THIS MORTAL COIL
THE GROBE by WEEN…they are my all time fave band…I told you I was a nerd!
LUCKY NUMBER by LENE LOVICH
7 BREAKDOWN by GUNS ‘n ROSES…I know..I KNOW…but Slash has this solo that is CRAZY, he is amazing.
I could go on for like 1000000000000000000000000000 more cuz music is up there with art in this mama’s life.

Quick fire round – what’s your favourite:
BOOK= NARCISSISM by ALEXANDER LOWEN
HANGOUT= Harry’s Roadhouse
BEAUTY ITEM = Coola liplux AND face sunscreen in SPF 30…COOLA COOLA rah rah RAHHHH!!!
CITY= Hmmmm… NYC and SANTA FE
FOOD = LOADED QUESTION! STEAK(medium), MARTINI (wet and dirty) and CREME BRULEE (any kine, yo) (am I a 70 year old guy or what!?)
SMELL= Negative ions pre-rainstorms and desert sage and cheeseburgers!
MOVIE = I gotta say ANYTHING BY JON MORITSUGU, STARRING ME! AHAHHAHHAAaaaa (shameless..UBER shameless plug!)
But if I couldn’t play the nepotistic game… a tie ‘tween DANCER IN THE DARK and SIDEWAYS.

What’s next in the world o’ Amy?
Next up are lotsa collabos with my man… a new flickee by my hubbie…a HORROR MOVIE! I’m really gonna go for it with this next role. Shhh It’s top secret…ooops.
PLUS new album out and perhaps a mini tour with my band LOW ON HIGH, a single out on French label SHIT IN CAN Records, pushing the re-release of Jon’s flick TERMINAL USA on DVD (PEOPLE this one was produced by James Schamus…the guy who did Brokeback Mountain…THE HEAD of FOCUS FEATURES A a rare moment of mainstream meets underground…and PBS funded it! CARAZEE..I sport a 2 foot mint green and powder blue bouffant and a fuschia and purple latex bikini…I am completely serious.
More COUTURE VOYEUR and another DVD release of Jon’s 20 year old rock roll epic MY DEGENERATION
(Sundance HIT)) I was 19 ..NO 20 when we shot this flick ..it was 1989,and it was in Providence RI..T’was a bitter winter grey, yucka …and I was a Junior at RISD…and the whole film is verite fueled by whiskey and donuts…
I was on the donuts cuz whiskey…to me is GA ROSS! and I had a HUGE crush on Jon and it shows in the flickee…quite adorable…In a tuff punk way!

And OF COURSE… the dream FANTASY projects (the ones you need someone else’s moolah for or they are yet to occur)
My line of tee shirts, stickers, sheet sets, dinnerwear all featuring my ‘toons!! Target ads with my animation, NIKE ads job or design work..collabos with huge companies…cool designers…cool peeps.
More buttons(square), toys, my 12 year old diary (BABY DAVIS) circa 1980/1 published and released with drawings…it is a HOOT.
My designs on YSL bags…ahhhh yumm! MOMA SOLO SHOW, AWARDS GALA for my MacArthur Foundation Grant,OSCAR for BEST ACTRESS in the new flickee, GRAMMY’S for my band. F.I.G.attention…Satin stuffed animals of my peeps…YOU NAME it and I’m DREAMING IT.

DREAM IT…

Go visit her, pronto: www.amydavis.com