Amanda has lived most of her days in Northern California, enjoying 4-H, riding and showing horses, and the beckoning outdoors with favorite animals, friends, and family. Initially aimed at becoming a veterinarian, her goal morphed into Medical Illustration and then to teaching High School Mathematics. “Math is everywhere!” she often said, though her classes included some artistic direction via at least MC Escher (creating Escher-type drawings), Fibonacci Sequence (artichokes, ferns, pineapples, pinecones, zebra stripes), and Fractals (patterns+). It was only following a horseback riding accident (2001) that she retired from teaching and started practicing more art.

A favorite activity continues to be plein air painting with her father and first art teacher, watercolorist Randy Wilson. She took all the art classes he taught at Butte College near Oroville. She also studied under Wayne Thiebaud at UC Davis, Ken Morrow at CSU Chico, and now with Romanoos Mattonen through the Pacific Grove Art Center.

I specialize in pastels – both soft oil pastels and I focus on landscapes, most often of places where I’ve travelled. Since I’ve recently been creating murals, I’m enjoying working with acrylics. I am motivated by the desire to be the best “me” I can be, so I continue to study and attack those challenges and new techniques I encounter. I enjoy using pastels because the colors are so brilliant, no brush or solvent is needed, and paintings maintain their intensity without fading. In my life as in my art, variety is key. I enjoy drawing and painting portraits, animals, still life and landscapes, and often work on multiple paintings at once. “Only boring people get bored, my dad always said. I like to keep things interesting.
I’ve been creating art for 57 years, I enjoy playing tennis and pickleball, running, and currently live on the Monterey Peninsula with my sweetie, Ken, our Golden Retriever puppy and our two Manx cats. I hope you enjoy what you see!

Member of: Pacific Grove Art Center | Coastal Arts League | Central Coast Art Assn | Artists of Rivertown

Shows: Wild Goose Venture Gallery Studio Silzer Silver Dollar Fair
Shale Cyn Winery Reflections Gallery Pebble Beach Pacific Grove Art Center
Mug Shots Monterey County Fair Meals on Wheels Butte County Fair
Brushstrokes Brass Tap Coastal Arts League Avery Gallery Asilomar Conf Center and more locations

Contact info:
amandamenefee.com | ajmenefee03@yahoo.com | @amandamenefeeart

831.229.0334