Hello! Let me introduce myself. I am Amandine. Actually, my given name is Amanda but a French friend used to call me Amandine; I love it and it feels right for where I am in life right now. Another friend, who became ‘Scarlett’ while backpacking through India in her twenties, taught me the value and transformative power of choosing a new name for a new chapter in life. Three years ago I lost my darling husband and, after a tough period of adjustment and a transatlantic move, it felt important to finally choose transformation and re-creation: not leaving the past behind, but bringing it with me in a new way.
I am an Euro-American living in La Belle France learning to reimagine my life. Good thing I am an artist and imagining is what I do, hey?! I was born in the US but raised in Europe, specifically, France, Germany and the UK and spent seven years in the US in my forties, where I was married to my lovely husband. Now I live in a sweet little house in a tiny hamlet with my three dogs, surrounded by a wonderful community of fellow artists, friends and neighbours in one of the most beautiful parts of the world. I am fortunate indeed!
How I got here…
I have always loved to draw and paint. As a teenager, life drawing was my happy place but I also went through periods where I focused on portraiture, Celtic knotwork and medieval illumination. Now, animals and Nature are the dominant themes of my work. Nature is magical and full of mystery, beauty and good life lessons if we listen to Her. Recently, I have begun to explore a style that is more illustration than my usual practice. In these drawings I can express my whimsical side and delve deeper into my fascination with fungi while sometimes adding the occasional elf, gnome or faery; because I can and it because makes me happy. I have also revived my interest in linocut printing which I am super excited about! Getting back to it after thirty years is a joy and I’m loving every minute. You can follow my progress in the blog section.
Illustration offers me a sanctuary of whimsy and pure imagination, but all my art practice gives me a level of escape and solace from the chronic pain that is my daily companion. I started to experience joint issues around the age of ten or eleven. By fourteen my specialist told me that my body would not hold up to the rigours of school and university and that I would ‘have to take a back seat academically’. I refused to accept this diagnosis of my future and I now have a BA Hons in Visual Arts with Art History from the University of Plymouth (England) and a Master of Historic Preservation degree (with certificates in Cultural Landscapes and Museum Studies) from the University of Georgia (USA). I survived sixth form college and two university degrees through sheer determination, a high capacity to deal with pain to achieve my goal and an insatiable curiosity in the world, art, history and philosophy that carried me through. It wasn’t easy, but it was worth it.
I believe that life’s challenges create opportunities that we couldn’t have seen or appreciated without becoming the people we are because of those challenges. We don’t have to be defined by what happens to us, but we are defined by how we respond to what life gives us. Whether I like it or not, pain has moulded who I am as an artist as much as art school or university. I am an artist who is disabled, but I am not defined by that disability. For the most part, I have learned to manage the challenges of the condition and being an artist enables me to work flexibly at something I love. I do take on commissions, but I ask my clients to understand that I cannot usually set short deadlines. We all have challenges in life, this just happens to be mine.
I have hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (hEDS), a heritable connective tissue disorder that makes everyday life challenging, but I like to say that it might slow me down, but it doesn’t stop me. (Think Violet Sorrengail from the Forth Wing book series) Disability has taught me to be indomitable, resilient, more compassionate, it has taught me the value of quality of life and the necessity of balance. Which is one of the reasons I moved back to France after my husband’s death. Life is slower here and many of us ex-pats are here because we intend to build a more balanced and healthy life. This is easier to achieve in rural France because the French have an innately sensible attitude to life and living well. I love the French for this, and for so much more!
Southwest France is amazing if you love art and history! The light here is incredible and history is everywhere here. Wherever I look there are medieval villages, ancient castles and even Roman columns! The food is fantastic and the locals are delightful. After a fifteen-year hiatus where I hardly picked up a brush, I found my way back to art in my forties and now, having just turned fifty, I am beginning my creative career. I love the process of art making. I love that it focuses my mind on wonder and beauty. It brings me joy and I believe that what I create brings joy to others too, which also brings me joy. I call that a win win.
Almost two years ago I started writing on Medium under the name Lexi Reap and through my publication, ‘From My Broken Heart to Yours’. Here I publish my poems and write thoughtful and insightful articles about the human experience as I see it. My most read article on the ‘Unhurried Life’ is an exploration of making time, and holding space, for life in our hurried, harried world. Being ‘unhurried’ is less about ‘slowing down’ and more about living without the anxious state of haste. ‘Unhurriedness’ is a state of mindful action where each task is completed with care, calm and awareness. We have this precious life, do we really want to get to the end of it only aware of a blur of anxiety and effort? We can achieve our goals while holding awareness of our experience as it is happening, and thus being able to enjoy that experience and live a full and meaningful life. For me this has become a life, and quality of life, mission. Come and visit me on Medium (link below), I’d love to share my ideas and thoughts with you!
As I have said, I adore Nature! My artwork enables me to share with others my deep feeling of connection to Nature, and the natural beauty that feeds my soul. Nature reminds me to ‘unhurry’ and keeps me mindful of our beautiful planet and just how lucky we are to be here. I am always touched by the profound spirit I feel in other animals. I see their courage, their joy, love, trauma and grief when I draw and paint them. For me, the act of painting living things is an incredibly intimate experience because I have to really get to know my subject, to discover the essence of their character. In my art practice I have to look so deeply, see clearly, notice minute details most people don’t, or can’t, take the time to see. It is a profound privilege. In this way, I literally see the world differently every day. My hope is that I can share some of that wonder so that you will experience it too.
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