This story was featured in the July 2012 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Order the Southwest Art magazine July 2012 print edition here, or purchase the Southwest Art magazine July 2012 digital download here. Or simply click here to subscribe to Southwest Art magazine and never miss a story!
Some artists like to paint trees. Some like to depict sidewalk cafes. California-based artist Amanda Fish prefers fruits like oranges and pears. Not only are their shapes appealing, but Fish relishes mixing her own colors to render them. “Wonderful drama can be created by painting an orange or a pear,” she says. “Limiting my palette of store-bought tubes helps me achieve a stronger sense of color harmony, and it provides me with better control of the warm or cool light I desire.”
Whether she is painting a pear, a persimmon, or a porcelain bowl, Fish keeps her brush strokes light and delicate to achieve what she calls a “painterly feel.” Earlier this year a quintessential Fish painting, MANDARINS, was on view in Salon International, an annual juried show at Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art in San Antonio, TX. The painting displays her signature style, subject matter, and color harmonies.
Fish was born and raised in the Los Angeles area and graduated with a fine-arts degree from the city’s Mount St. Mary’s College. For a number of years she worked in the curatorial departments of museums and as an architectural illustrator. In her illustration work she often used watercolors for sketches, and she also painted her own watercolors on the side, which she says may explain why today she likes to paint “thin” with oils.
Fish occasionally joins a group of artist friends to paint plein-air landscapes, but it is the controlled nature of the still life that she finds most engrossing and suited to her personality and interests. She loves the process of arranging some of her favorite vases and vintage items with apples, lemons, or sunflowers. “I want to paint the elegance and beauty of what I see in a timeless manner,” she says. “That’s what I feel passionate about.” —Bonnie Gangelhoff
representationSegil Fine Art Source, Monrovia, CA; Art and Antiques on Lake, Pasadena, CA; amandafishfineart.com
Featured in the July 2012 issue of Southwest Art magazine–click below to purchase:Southwest Art magazine July 2012 digital downloadSouthwest Art magazine July 2012 print editionOr click here to subscribe to Southwest Art magazine and never miss a story!
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