Artist Biography
Amanda McLenon is a conservationist at heart who started her career teaching high school biology in Michigan, and completed her Masters in marine biology in South Carolina in 2011. Completely unexpectedly, she began painting in 2009, in reverse on glass, and incorporating maps she had collected over the years. Amanda was quickly recognized for her accurate wildlife paintings and unique style, and in 2012 she received the prestigious Lowcountry Artist of the Year award. More recently, Amanda’s passions are reflected in her large scale avian works on canvas with a focus on birds in graceful preening positions. Amanda was part of a 53-day research cruise to Antarctica, and she is an Ambassador to the South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Rescue Program. She shows her work at Piccolo Spoleto, various galleries along the East Coast, and she accepts a small number of custom commissions each year.
UPDATE- Amanda moved to the mountains of Western North Carolina in 2022!
Artist Statement
I create paintings of wildlife, and strive to highlight the beauty found in the daily rituals and moments that might otherwise seem mundane. I am particularly in love with large wading birds. I would say it is because I have a background in biology, but it is likely the other way around. My passion for the natural world, as well as my desire to understand it are what drove me to my studies. I started my career as a high school science teacher and completed my second masters degree in marine biology at the College of Charleston. A chance experiment with paint led me to art, and I have found it to be a much more effective way to convey my emotional connection to the natural world. My recent focus is creating larger-than-life birds on canvas, in motion, flying and preening.
I hope that these paintings encourage you to pause, to consider, and to preserve the natural world around you.
Lowcountry Artist of the Year, Amanda McLenon
