Acrylic Painting

Amanda Mahony

Amanda is a multimedia artist based in Eora/Sydney. Her abstract landscapes create a quiet space for contemplation.rn

Artist Profile

Amanda is a multimedia artist based in Eora/Sydney. Her abstract landscapes create a quiet space for contemplation.

Amanda’s process-based practice is inspired by her direct experiences in nature. Using acrylics, impasto mediums and oil sticks, Amanda employs sgraffito, sanding and scoring to reveal the underneath layers, mirroring erosion and growth in nature. She also builds depth through layers of translucent glazes.

Amanda’s work reflects observations of the bush, sky, water and mountains, focusing on colour and texture to convey the feeling of being in those environments. Amanda’s process is iterative, with canvases evolving over time, reflecting the gradual changes found in the natural world.

Amanda is a 2023 BFA graduate of the National Art School. Her studies are complemented by training in traditional and contemporary oil and mixed media techniques at the Milan Art Institute in Arizona USA, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Media from Macquarie University.

Artist Interview

What medium do you work with, and why have you chosen them?

I use acrylics, oils and oil sticks to express my responses to the Australian landscape. As my process is iterative with artworks evolving over time, I choose techniques of sgraffito, sanding and scraping and build depth through layers of transparent glossy glazes and textured collage. I enjoy the tactility of using multi-media techniques and find these compliment my emotive visual language.

How does your artwork get from initial concept to exhibition stage?

I work between plein air and studio settings, continuing my focus on abstracted landscapes and light. My parents fostered a deep love of nature in my childhood, which directly informs my choice of subjects today. I fell in love with the bush when I was seven. My family moved to the hinterland of Wangerriburra country/Tamborine Mountain, where my parents built a resort on their avocado farm. Those 12 acres became my playground. Looking back, I think they were buttering me up to paint landscapes since then!

Can you tell us a little more about your creative working environment/studio?

I am very privileged to have my studio as part of my childhood home. My large studio is a rustic workspace, surrounded by the rainforest vegetation in Kur-ring-gai. At the front of my studio lies a creek that roars after rainfall. I have built a custom large easel that extends across most of the floor so I can have a number of works on the go and comfortably rest the larger canvases. My art practice is process-driven and the works often need time to breathe and come back to, so this set up works well for me. I love the quiet and leafy surrounds of where my studio is located. I enjoy tending to the many plants such as big boston ferns, tree ferns, birds nests and palms.