Hi, I’m Amanda Richter and I’m an artist based in Olympia, Washington, USA. I work in colored pencils to create custom portraits of your pets, your horses, as well as creating the occasional wildlife drawing.
I'm driven to create the most realistic drawings possible mainly from trying to capture the beauty of equines. I truly understand how our pets are important family members and why a portrait of them is such a special keepsake. I've had pets my entire life.
My Story
I studied Elementary Education with an emphasis in Fine Art in college and also obtained my Master's in Education. I taught elementary school in Los Angeles, California for 17 years before moving to Washington and becoming a stay-at-home parent in 2017. My household consists of my husband, our 11 year old son, 7 year old daughter, 2 cats, and 1 German Shepherd. While juggling school and sports schedules for two busy kids, my passion for Art was reignited! I started by fixing my daughter's model horses, then customizing them, and then sculpting a few of my own. Somehow along the way, I discovered realistic drawing solely using colored pencils. I have since drawn horses, dogs, cats, a guinea pig, and even some wildlife. Drawing and painting horses has been a passion of mine since before I could write my name. Growing up, I was "the horse girl" that spent every weekend at the barn or at a horse show. One day I hope to have horses again because I truly miss that part of my life. My art has helped fill that void and has brought me so much joy. Needless to say, I'm hooked!
Contact
Thank you for the interest in my work
Please contact me with any questions about commissioning a portrait on my commissions page.
I look forward to hearing from you and hopefully working with you in the future!