Hello! If you are on this page it is most likely that you are (a) looking a piece of my work right now; (b) spoke to me in person recently; or (c) were sent to this page by someone else. In all cases, welcome. You'll find some background and perhaps some answers to questions you may have.
I came to the deliberate creation of art as a hobby shortly before the pandemic. I had dabbled a bit, taking a drawing class for beginners in the 2010s, but had otherwise no experience since high school art class. My secondary education focused on the technical --- mechanical engineering for undergrad, followed by manufacturing engineering in graduate school, with equally technical jobs in parallel. In late 2019, after my career coach told me my score in visual thinking was "the highest I've ever seen," I came back to drawing. Maybe it was worth some focused effort to leverage this skill in a new way.
I did as I often do, starting in the deep end of the pool, with my first online class being far above my level. While I struggled, I realized I needed more focused help and far more practice. I reached out to an artist friend and began an ongoing tutoring relationship. She helped me understand where my skills needed to improve and provided guidance as I created my first works and dabbled in different mediums. From those early days, my skills in graphite, watercolor and pen have continually and greatly improved and I continue to explore other methods for rendering what I see both in front of me and in my head.
Graphite: My initial target medium was the pencil, due to its accessability and my previous knowledge. My first course was from an artist who does amazing things with graphite. I learned a variety of techniques for working with graphite, and it has stood as the base of my art learning.
Pen & Watercolor: I quickly became enamored with travel and urban sketching, loving the sense of place that can be transmitted through quick sketches and the details of a place that emerge through extensive looking. While graphite is a fine tool for this type of work, work by both local artists and those more widely known gave me inspiration to do work in pen and watercolor.
Paper: I picked up papermaking as a hobby during the pandemic. There are may directions that people take with this discipline, including starting from plants of various types. I, personally, find recycling paper to be most satisfying, especially with the wealth of options that come in via junk mail, fliers, magazines and a box of lottery tickets.
Collage: I quite enjoy the process of building up an image from textures and colors that can be found in magazines, maps and other sources. The opportunity to make visual jokes or commentary abounds, and I find it gives a way to look differently at both my subject and the source of the color or texture that is finding its way into the work.
Additional Areas of Dabbling: My curiosity is often my guide and I look for areas where my technical and manfacturing background can overlay within the art space. I've done some laser etchings in wood, built furniture using CNC cutters, taken classes on book binding, spoon carving and watercolor. I've done some work with gauche, colored pencil, marker, pastels and a selection of other mediums. If I haven't tried it yet, I am sure I will at some point!
My subjects tend to focus toward the integration of the natural and built environment, examining the contrast between more organic, directly evolutionary shapes and those deliberately designed. I veer away from people or animals in my work, but enjoy bringing forward the character in a place or object. I tend toward capturing those areas that are close by or that I encounter when I travel. When I produce final pieces, I will tend to make a series, depicting the same or similar subjects in various mediums and media. More on this in my Process & Philosophy section.
© Amanda Bligh 2025 (All human!)
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