Amanda Walling Art has a new site, and now, a blog!
I started drawing without the intention of sharing it with anybody. I started drawing because I felt good when I did it. I had not picked up a pen for the sake of aesthetics for years post-architecture program. I had some scar tissue, I am sure (as would anyone who has ever taken a course in design). It just happened that I missed it and the first piece that I created was the "Fantasy Fly." This was straight illustrative--pen to paper. No color. Nothing fancy. I posted it on Facebook. I posted it on Facebook and not for the purpose of letting anyone know that I was an artist. I certainly did not see myself as an artist at the time I created the piece. I posted it on Facebook for my friends and family only and just to say "this is how I am passing my time now...now that I work a 'real' job and have graduated from college and I should be doing something so this is what it looks like."
I posted it on Facebook and did not know at the time that insects would become my "thing." I mean really, I am afraid of them all, insects. Maybe I chose insects because I was afraid of them. Maybe if I drew them out, detailed their bodies, I would become less affected by their exoskeleton and 6-legged bodies because I would mentally and emotionally sterilize them, line by line. That did not happen. I still hate bugs. However, what did happen was an artistic disciplining that I never new I had within me and the next thing I knew, I had moved from creepy insects to jealous animals to the incorporation of other mediums and I was loving every minute of it.
I am fascinated that others have been enjoying the strange-insect ride along with me. I needed another way to engage with those who are passionate about what I am doing. So, here I am. I have started a blog. I hope it will give others insight into my projects and their creative processes. Moreover, I want to use this space to share the work and ideas of other artists. Because we are a community. And art is not only about the piece that gets hung on the wall. It includes the start, the reworking, the collaboration, the support, the finish and everything in between. Thank you to all who have been supporting me throughout this journey.