PAINTING
AMANDA MOTTORN
 
DETAILS
watercolor paint and brushes on birch panel
20.32 x 20.32 cm
2022
 
DESCRIPTION
Through word of mouth, I discovered a weekly figure studies group that met on Saturday mornings in a nearby church being transformed into a creative community center. Natural light often streamed through the tall windows where we worked. Sonja was one of the group's regular models, always smiling and curious to see how artists interpreted her. The background reflects the church as it was during renovation, set in a rundown part of town where trees and tall grasses grew wild in the adjacent lot.
 
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.