PAINTING
AMANDA MOTTORN
 
DETAILS
wire screen, oil paint with cold wax medium, water-soluble crayon, palette knives, brushes, and found edges (credit card, brush end)
33.2 x 33.2 cm
2021
 
DESCRIPTION
I began adding intentions beneath my paintings in late 2021—this one: Joy. Built in layers of oil paint mixed with cold wax medium, each layer dried overnight before the next. The surface tells me when it’s ready—slightly set, with no paint coming off on my fingers. The wax creates a frosting-like texture and allows for a more immediate process. I paint with oil primarily in the warmer months; watercolor and acrylic carry through all seasons.
 
BIOGRAPHY OF THE ARTIST
Amanda Mottorn is an American artist, author, and founder of Modern Journeyer. Working across watercolor, charcoal, acrylic, and oil with cold wax, often incorporating gold and silver leaf, she creates layered works that move between abstraction and representation, drawing inspiration from landscapes, architecture, and travel.
After a two-decade career in corporate sales, Mottorn returned to her creative practice in 2021, publishing her novel Finding Moksha: One Woman’s Path in Uncertain Times and studying painting in Rome under Carole Robb and other artists. She is the creator of Creative Play for Adults, an international retreat series that combines creative expression, travel, and personal exploration.
Mottorn has exhibited internationally in New York, Paris, Berlin, Dubai, Spain, Switzerland, and throughout the United States. She continues to write about art, travel, and creativity through The Modern Journeyer on Substack.