“ I find myself looking at life with increasing wonder as I grow as an artist. I am surrounded by a world of beautiful moments; my desire is to express the simple details that make those moments exceptional.”
Amanda Carder was born in 1963 in Atlanta, Georgia, and grew up in nearby Austell before settling in Cartersville. She has always had a fascination with drawing. As a child, she could not sit still without pencil and paper in hand, sketching whatever she saw.
Very active in the art world throughout high school, Carder won several awards including a place in the Georgia Governor’s Honors Program in art. This resulted in her attending Valdosta State University for an intense six-week art education program.
She attended college at the Atlanta Portfolio Center where she studied art direction, graphic design, photography and illustration. After graduation, she joined the advertising firm of McDonald and Little in Atlanta, serving as Art Director, working with clients such as Coca-Cola, Simmons Beautyrest and Wachovia Bank. After leaving McDonald and Little, she founded Image Impact, a full service-advertising agency specializing in print advertising and brand development.
While still working in advertising, Carder considers herself fortunate to have studied watercolor landscape under Frank Broadhurst. Making the decision to be a full time painter and switching to oils, she has continued seeking instruction, studying with David Leffel, Bill Davidson and Peggy Everett as well as several local instructors. Carder continues her art education by participating in workshops, studying books and videos, and visiting museums and galleries. Any opportunity to learn is never overlooked.
Currently represented by several Galleries, Carder also shows her work in regional fine art shows, winning awards ranging from 2nd Place to Best of Show. For three years, Carder served as a planner and facilitator for Festival 34º84º, a juried fine arts festival in Cartersville. She has also served as vice president of her local art guild and volunteers for art projects with area youth.
Carder’s style is realism with an appreciation of impressionism. She has a fascination with light, reflection and movement, and whether she paints a landscape, a still life or a portrait, it’s always an intriguing journey in which she hopes to include the viewer.
Awards and Honors in Selected Shows
2010 Award for Exceptional Merit, Southeastern Plein Air Exhibit, Paper Mill Gallery, Marietta, GA
2009 First Place, Painting, Roswell Arts Festival, Roswell GA
2009 Oil Painters of America- National Juried Exhibition of Traditional Oils, Sage Creek Gallery in Santa Fe, NM
2008 Small Works NA Exhibition top 40. Published as part of Greenwich Workshop Spring 2009 Collection
2008 Small Works NA Exhibition 2008, The Greenwich Workshop Gallery, Fairfield, CT
2008 Third Place Art in the Square, Gainesville, GA
2008 Paint America: Paint the Parks top 100 Exhibit
2008 Oil Painters of America- National Juried Exhibition of Traditional Oils, Dana Gallery in Missoula, Montana,
2007 Small Works NA Exhibition top 40. Published as part of Greenwich Workshop Spring 2008 Collection
2007 Small Works NA Exhibition 2007, The Greenwich Workshop Gallery, Fairfield, CT
2006 Second Place 2D Legacy Juried Fine Arts Festival, Cartersville GA
2004 Best of Show, Creative Arts Guild, Dalton GA, Juried Fine Arts Festival
Affiliations:
Oil Painters of America - Associate Member
The Quinlan Visual Arts Center - Gainesville GA – Member
The Spruill Center for the Arts - Atlanta GA – Member
Booth Western Art Museum - Cartersville GA – Member
North Georgia Artist Association - GA – Member