“My vision is to capture the balance of color, shape and textures found in nature as it particularly relates to birds. My brushstrokes are inspired from the beauty I find in everyday objects such as leaves and rocks and from the everyday actions of the birds I observe. Often captivated by the birds in my own backyard and the occasional new sighting, my paintings reflect their exuberance and whimsical nature.”

Amanda Krauss has been drawing and painting her entire life and birding almost as long. Thanks to her third grade teacher she developed an early passion for birds and combined that with her love for the sciences in her artwork. Her artistic inspiration continues to come from this fascination.

Recently she relocated to the Peninsula and was born and raised in Sonoma, California she grew up loving the beautiful surroundings of the Sonoma Valley and the variety of species of birds found there. She graduated from the University of California at Davis where she studied both art studio and avian sciences. She has worked for The Nature Conservancy and the University of California at Berkeley observing birds in oak woodlands near vineyards throughout the Sonoma County.

Birds carry significant meaning in many cultures around the world and create a different story for each person. In her work she portrays the sensitive life and character of the individual bird. She hopes these works help preserve and raise curiosity about the preservation of birds and the natural world.

She became involved in Sonoma’s first Christmas Bird Count in 2004 and is a leader continuing to help increase the awareness of birds in Sonoma Valley and beyond. She is a member of the Arts Guild of Sonoma, a cooperative gallery for local artists, located at 140 East Napa Street in Sonoma since 2003 and continues to teach art and birding classes.

Links

http://www.birdwoman3.mysite.com