Life & Work with Amanda Lvnar of Pigtown/Washington Village

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Lvnar

Hi Amanda, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I have found solace through art for my entire life. I’ve always struggled with low self-worth, which led me to never believe in myself to considerate art seriously. It wasn’t until I got to college when I found myself spending all my free time doing assignments for art classes that weren’t ever required that I knew I had to pursue art. I took every art class I could at Lake Superior Community College. After transferring to the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point I finally started to find myself as an artist. I had professors that believed in me and empowered me to see myself more confidently.
Fast forward to today. After posting flyers all around the city, I found a group of artist that are just as enthusiastic about art as I am. We started the Empty Space Artist Collective in hopes to hold pop-up gallery exhibitions in the empty buildings in Baltimore. So far we have only had one exhibition, however that one exhibition has led to opening our very own art space in Pigtown. There will be a permanent gallery space on the main level with studio space upstairs. We hope to run life drawing classes and critiques and other educational opportunities for the community! We are so excited!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I moved back to my hometown of Baltimore after I graduated from college. After living in the Midwest for the last 7 years, coming back to the big city gave me culture shock. I had an extremely difficult time finding my footing and just being the person I had grown to become. I didn’t have a big studio to work in, I didn’t know the trails to hike, and I had to travel so far just to get to a grocery store, or to work or to anywhere that I needed to go. I wasn’t use to rush hour or even traffic. I didn’t have my friends, I didn’t have my professors and everyone I knew growing up had a life of their own and I really wasn’t close to anyone anymore. I’ve been really lonely. And loneliness is the cure for what makes it.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
In college my emphasis was printmaking and that is where my soul belongs. However, you need special expensive equipment to print the way I do and I’m trying to slowly incorporate that into my studio now. But in the meantime, since I graduated 9 years ago, I’ve focused on ink drawing and painting, usually I do watercolor in my sketchbook and I do oil paintings on board or canvas. My drawings and paintings tend to be a bit fantastical because I am mostly inspired by dreams and thoughts and almost always incorporated with nature.

Also, I’ve also always have sewn ever since I was a teenager. Very inspired by DIY, I decided to make my own guitar strap when I needed one for my guitar. It turned out so well that I started making more of them and designing them more intricately and then I started selling them! I branched out making other small things with fabric remnants like zip pouches, key chains, bookmarks, etc.

How do you think about happiness?
I love to bring happiness to others. If someone really connects with a painting or guitar strap and they find value in it for them, that makes me happy. And animals. I love animals.

But my happy place? Thats in the forest. A disproportiate amount of the time I was in the Midwest was spent on the trail. I hiked practically everyday. I love the lush green after the rain. I love the tiny lichens and mushrooms that grow on the fallen logs. The sounds of the birds, the trickle of a stream, and the wind through the leaves. When you spot a gentle deer or an hiding turtle, or the light through the trees. And I love trees. Trees are my most favorite. I can feel the life that connects the whole forest together and its the one place more than any other where I feel like home.

Contact Info:

• Email: AmandaLvnar@gmail.com