Artistic Statement I am a contemporary abstract artist, my work is very eclectic and stems from an intuitive and subconscious process. Often, when I paint, I am visiting nature or expressing a feeling or emotion from the past or present. What emerges are images that are my interpretation of places I have visited. My artwork doesn’t reflect a specific scene, rather it's a distillation of memories from paths traveled. Some of these journeys are from the prairies where I grew up, Quebec where I now reside and others from time spent in Europe. As a result, the works reflect both the old world and the new. I want each person to be able to see my paintings infused with their own emotions and ideas of place and time. I experiment with techniques such as impasto, and mark marking to find my own visual language and expression. I do this by continual layering, to create a history of surface. Process: Initially, there is the loose application of colour, random mark making and wax texture. This is a more subliminal act, an indirect response to music and memories. Building up layers, then gouging down, creates below an opportunity for the unexpected to reveal itself. This is the spontaneity I most enjoy!! THE BEAUTY THAT APPEARS MAGICALLY BEFORE MY EYES When the mystery reveals the internal beauty in the piece, this is what pulls me forward... Leads me into the unknown, embracing and grappling with whatever comes up. I move through the materials to express myself and find my own visual language. Amanda Pierce as an Artist and Teacher Art became an extension of Amanda’s life early on. A native of Saskatchewan, Canada, she spent her childhood summers exploring and playing outside in nature.  With no television or phones or electronics to distract, her imagination introduced her to the world of art and her inherent ability to capture nature on canvas was born.  In the early years, nature provided the teachings but as she matured this skill was further influenced by artists such as:  Sharlene Stauffer and Betty Meyers. Now residing in Gatineau, Canada, Amanda has independently improved her craft through her love of learning. She has been mentored by phenomenal artists in both United States and Canada.   As an artist who thinks outside the box and believes we are all artists of the soul, Amanda has been honing and honoring her artistic gifts since her childhood.   True to her Indigenous roots, Amanda derives her inspiration from her connection to nature which is then interpreted through her heart.  Through encaustic and mixed mediums, she captures the intensity, fluidity and texture of the natural world in her art and allows it to tell its story. What Is Encaustic you ask? Encaustic is a Greek word meaning “to heat or burn in”. Heat is used throughout the process, from melting the natural beeswax and dammar resin (crystallized tree sap). The medium can be used alone for its transparency or adhesive qualities or used pigmented. Pigments may be added to the medium. The medium is melted and applied with a brush or any tool the artist wishes to create from. Each layer is then reheated to fuse it to the previous layer. This spontaneous medium where hot wax, resin and pigment meets wood panels is where Amanda intuitively manipulates colour and texture to create luscious, magical works of art that invite the viewer to be lost in a meditative trance of infinite possibilities. Amanda's artworks has been sold throughout North America.