As part of the Hack-A-Chuck collaboration and on behalf of Converse we commissioned the very talented artist Amanda Marie to create some bespoke stenciled Converse Chucks to give to the Socials taking part in the competition. Converse wanted to create a special one off Chuck that the Socials could take away and wear at Cannes, Amanda Marie did an amazing job.

You can see Amanda working on the project in sunny Basel and the awesome finished Chucks, she even customised the boxes too!

An American painter and Stencilist, Amanda Marie has been living and painting in Colorado since 2001. She attended the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design (RMCAD) and has exhibited extensively in the US and Europe. She creates small works on paper and larger works on canvas for indoor exhibition. She also paints large scale murals in out door and urban and garden settings.

Amanda Marie has been super busy the past few months working on a number of different projects, she has travelled over to Europe from Colorado twice in the last month and a half…both trips project oriented, with major outdoor paintings and art fair exhibitions, the most recent being her install at SCOPE Art in Basel, 10th – 16th June.

You can see Amanda preparing for the show here:

Amanda also works on large-scale Mural projects. The biggest is the huge Made Creative wall in Nord Amsterdam. Amanda has just completed the 4th in a series of murals…the first three in succession were Ben Eine, Neils ‘Shoe’ Muelman, and LUDO. Her mural is called ‘Imaginary Girls’.

We wanted to get to know Amanda a little better so we managed to pin her down for a quick interview; this is what she had to say…

How Would You Describe Your Art To An Alien?

With Stencils. ?

How did it all start, and how have you got to where you are today?

I was studying illustration at RMCAD (Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design) and had a studio with my boyfriend in Hyland’s big Andenken gallery space in Denver…Hyland bought my first painting, which he says was ‘terrible’ and he gave me my first gallery show 2004 or 2005…it all took off from there.

What are the biggest challenges you’re faced with at the moment?

Time to get it all done. Forming a clear consistent visual language while continuing to press forward with new ideas.

What’s the most interesting thing you’ve seen recently?

This weird photo place in Switzerland where you can get bondage glamour shots.

What’s been your biggest learning throughout your career so far?

Be brave, and keep on truckin.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Got to be friendly to be friended.

Where do you do your best thinking?

In my rocking chair.

If you could travel in time, where would you go and what would you do?

I like right now. I don’t care that much about the past. I would go to the future, wouldn’t you?

If you could work with anyone on a project, who would it be and what would you do?

I’m content, I’m open. I like to work with people who are excited to work with me, but still let me be myself. As for dream projects…I’ll know it when I see it. I want to continue to see other parts of the world and have adventures like that.

Tell us something about yourself that not many people know.

I love to garden.