Pooches and kittens and bunnies, oh my! Artist Manda Wolfe specialises in painting all things sweet and cuddly, and she’s doing a darn good job of it if our buzzing cute sensors are anything to go by.

We had a bit of a chit-chat with the California native to find out what lead her down this critter creating path.



What is your name and how old are you? My name is technically Amanda Wolfe, but I go by Manda - it’s been my nickname for as long as I can remember. I’m 29 years old as of February, and am hoping the time between now and when I turn 30 creeps by very slowly. I feel like that’s when people officially turn adult and I don’t think I’m ready for that yet!

Where were you born and where do you live now? I was born in California and reside there today. I’ve lived in many places across the US and have travelled the world extensively, but at heart I’ll always be a Southern California type of gal. It’s the weather.

What kind of mediums do you use? Why do you choose to use these mediums? I mainly use gouache but also dabble in watercolour and coloured pencil. Gouache is my favourite medium, especially for portraits, because it has this great illustrative quality to it. I love the fact that it’s opaque, it dries quickly and it has a beautiful matte finish to it. It also lends itself perfectly to detail work such as fur!



Are there any downsides to this medium? Well, I would say the only real downside is that you have to work in thin layers and getting the right consistency for the paint takes some getting used to. Gouache isn’t meant to be put on thick or it will crack, so it’s really important to be aware of how you’ve diluted the paint and how you’re applying it. I love the look of oil paint when it’s used with a palette knife in thick globs – that’s just not possible with gouache.

Is there a running theme to the work you create, or do you just make whatever comes to mind? I mostly paint animals, though I’ve tried painting people or landscapes before but it just really isn’t my thing. I feel like I’m tediously working when I have to paint a landscape, and really, what’s the point of creating art if you’re not having fun doing it?

What kinds of ideas and things are you working on at the moment? At the moment I’m working with a big company on some of their branding, which is a different type of challenge and I’m loving every stressful minute of it. I’m also working with a local non-profit on a greeting card collection featuring dogs and cats. That’s a project very near and dear to my heart, because I get to directly give back and help animals in need. I used to foster quite a bit but found myself becoming a foster failure more often than not – my family got tired of me trying to pawn animals off to them, and once they all ended up with some kind of creature it was collectively decided that I wasn’t allowed to bring animals home ever again. Now I try to work with non-profits in different ways, such as donating work to fundraising events or in this case, creating a card line.



How has your style changed over time? I think it has – I started out as a realism artist working strictly in coloured pencil and watercolour before it evolved into this pop art look, and I’m sure it will continue to evolve as I keep playing with different mediums. I think it’s a natural process that comes with creating.

If you were to teach an art appreciation class, what kind of lessons would you try to teach your students? I think the biggest lesson I would try to instill is that art is a reflection of society – it’s more than just decoration. It offers us insight into what was going on in every time period throughout history: what people were experiencing economically, what they feared, what brought them hope, etc. It’s a visual journal of the human experience and that’s pretty amazing if you think about it.

Are there any other mediums that you’d like to experiment with? I would love to learn ceramics! I haven’t really had the opportunity yet, but it’s on my list of things to do. I love sculpting so I assume I would love throwing pottery, and when I see some of the beautiful handmade ceramics and the glaze work on them I can’t wait to try it.

What’s the coolest art tip you’ve ever received? Do what you love and you’ll find satisfaction and success! A lot of people will try to alter their style to be trendy or to fit what the market is looking for, and I just don’t think that ends up working out well. I think it’s way more important to find your own voice and remain true to it. You’ll create better work because of it, and trends change in a blink of an eye.



What do you doodle when you are daydreaming? I’m actually not a doodler! At least not on paper, anyway. When I’m daydreaming I like to look at different shapes and come up with images, so it’s more of a mental creative exercise versus an image drawn on paper. I draw all day long, every day, so when I’m daydreaming I like to take a break.

What other budding artists do you love? Oh goodness, there are so many of them! I’m a big instagram person and one of my favorite things to do is search for other artists out there and follow their work. I’ve actually found that I’m more of a fan of illustration then I am necessarily of traditional “fine” art, so I love children’s book illustration and design work in general. As for the names of some artists, I love the work of Kim Rosen, Joel Rea and Josh Keyes.

What would you be doing if you weren’t making art? I always have a hard time answering questions such as this one because I have so many interests and choosing one life path seems like an impossible task. At any one time I would love to be a human rights activist, an environmental lawyer, or a forensics analyst – but my dream job would actually be working as a journalist for National Geographic. It literally has everything I love: traveling off the beaten path, interesting stories, photography, cultural exploration, wildlife.

Where can we see more of your work? You can see more of my work at my website, artbymanda.com.