About Amanda

I grew up in Auckland, and completed a degree in Maths at Auckland University. After a career of almost 20 years in IT in Wellington and Sydney, I am very happy to now be doing art full time. My home now is Wellington, where I live with my husband Phil. My studio is a room I share with Phil, who works from home as an accountant. I enjoy sharing a space with him – we listen to music as we work together.

I attended the Julian Ashton Art school in Sydney, in 2002, for about six months full time. The style I studied was the representational, traditional techniques of drawing and painting in oils.

Since returning to live in Wellington in 2003, I have continued drawing and painting, and have exhibited in many Wellington venues. In 2007, 2012, 2015 and 2019, I travelled to Italy to attend summer workshops in Fresco painting, still life, portraiture and figure painting at the Angel Academy of Fine Art in Florence. My own style has evolved from this study of the techniques of the old Masters.

I love people’s faces, and specialize in portraiture. I am a Christian, and feel blessed to live in New Zealand, where the beauty of nature is so much a part of our lives. I also see beauty in people’s faces, and like to try to capture a quality of the personality, or God given inner beauty of the subject.

I really enjoy a good cup of coffee, and enjoy the unique cafes of my home city of Wellington. Combining my coffee interest with my interest in portraiture, I have painted lots of pictures of people enjoying a cup of coffee or tea.

I currently have paintings at the Central Art Gallery in Queenstown