FMP: Amanda Dunbar

Amanda Dunbar (b 1982) is an American artist who uses oil paints to create her work. She likes to add lots of texture to her paintings by using her brush to make the paint stick out from the canvas. She loves painting because you can talk about so many things, through painting, that are important to you.


"Bubble Maker"

I really like this painting because I think it is dramatic and it reminds me of blowing bubbles when we were children. I also like the lighting effects on the girl's face. I particularly like the effects created by the subtle range of colours on the bubbles.

For more of her work see:
http://www.amandadunbar.com/index.php?/albums/

These are some of my favourite paintings by her:

"The Unknown"

I particularly like "The Unknown" which she painted in 1995. This painting appeared in a documentary Dunbar took part in and she explained a bit about the painting. She said she was "trying to show how there is always something new to learn in the world. There is always something out there that we can think about and try." She also said this was one of her favourite paintings because you "never know what is going to happen unless you try something new" and she thinks that is really important.

The amazing thing about Amanda Dunbar is how young she was when she became an artist. She went to an after school art class at the age of thirteen and the instructor asked the class to paint anything so that he could gauge their skill level. Dunbar painted "Mother's Touch", a portrait of a memory she had of her mother drying her after a bath. The instructor was astonished by her ability. She had a solo exhibition in Dallas, Texas at the age of 16.

I think she is a really inspiring person and an incredible artist.