Amanda Parkinson was born in Australia and her parents were always very supportive of her creative side. Because she was crafty all life she started to make motion films for the school she was attending which was actually the first introduction to sculpting. While making the film, she realised that sculpting the film characters is more interesting for her than the film itself.
Due to some health issues Amanda had to finish the school when she was 15 years old and being in bed most of the time she wanted to find something to do, to keep her busy. This is the moment polymer clay entered her life.
“I lay on my back on my bed with a tray on my stomach and sculpted a young fairy girl. I was so elated with her that I decided to see if I could sell her. I listed her on the internet and she sold for $80. This was when I realized I had the potential to support my artistic endeavors. So I spent my whole $80 on more art supplies and went from there,“ describes Amanda beginnings with polymer clay. She has dabbled with porcelain and ceramic sculptures, even garnering some training on the subject, but felt they lack the versatility of polymer clay.
Over the years she has created all sorts of themes and creatures. She started predominantly in fantasy, as it offered the complete ability to interpret a design how she liked. ”I especially like fairies and mermaids, with an odd pixie or two thrown in. I also love sculpting babies. I have a large extended family and have gotten used to their antics. Most of my baby sculptures have been inspired by my cousin who is all grown up now,” talks Amanda about her art choices. You can also see her video tutorial "Sculpting the White Rabbit from Alice In Wonderland” on her YouTube channel.
“It feels like sculpting is a part of me and no matter how many times I try to prioritize something else, it always winds up coming back to the forefront. For example, currently I am confined to a wheelchair and I had thought that it would slow me down, but I am sculpting more than ever! My husband even helped me make my studio wheelchair friendly so I could access everything I needed to create. Sculpting is at my core and it is ruthless at drawing me in over and over again,” says Amanda and we wish her to feel this creative passion and joy forever.
