We recently connected with Amanda Pace and have shared our conversation below.
Amanda, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
Meaningful projects speak to me. I love adding tiny details connected to pieces that people have no idea are even in the design, perhaps by adding sand from a certain place into the grout or using sea glass or driftwood connected to the client or design. Living on an Bahamian out island, I salvage a large portion of my supplies including discarded tiles from old buildings, broken plates, sea glass, shells, driftwood, anything that sparks my creativity. I recently made a mosaic on an old guitar my husband’s mother bought in Spain in the mid 1950’s. It was completely coming apart so I repaired it and made the mosaic of flowers from tiles collected in The Bahamas. She loved her garden and spent her life raising her children in The Bahamas so this is a very special, meaningful piece for my husband to honour his mother’s legacy.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
From a young age I knew I was destined to be an artist. I was always doodling, coloring, or creating. Both of my parents are creative in different, unique ways so creativity was encouraged in my every day life. My love and attraction for mosaics started in my teens. In high school I was chosen in a statewide mural competition to paint a 8’ x 10’ canvas for the stairwells of a large corporation in Delaware. My design was actually a mosaic of random shapes and colors. Amongst the small “mosaic” pieces were larger designs that were completely subjective to the viewer. Some saw figures or animals, others flowers and trees. It was fascinating to see the excitement of the images viewers saw, especially with unintentional designs within the piece.
I took a larger step into the world of mosaics when my mother bought a kiln and was fusing glass. I started making mosaics out of her scrap glass shards as a fun and creative hobby. In 2001, I graduated from Flagler College in Saint Augustine, Florida with a BA in Fine Art. During my final semester I enrolled in the very first stained glass course offered in a college in the United States. It was very special to be a part of this and my connection with glass art grew even stronger.
Fresh out of college and pretty much a broke young artist, the second Gulf War hit and made the lead for stained glass sky rocket. So I turned to mosaics even more since grout was readily available and way less expensive! Lol! My mosaic journey continued throughout the past 20 plus years with my work not only progressing but slowly establishing my own style. Growing up coming to The Bahamas most of my life, my goal was spending as much time as possible on the island that stole my heart. I recently married here on the island of Eleuthera, where I am transitioning to living full time and becoming a more established out island artist.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
For me the most rewarding aspect of creating art is pretty simple.. just making people happy. I LOVE that someone may LOVE a piece of my work, like LOVE LOVE it!!! The idea that someone is sitting somewhere in the world having their morning coffee or tea and they look over at a piece I created and it fills them with joy is my sole purpose. The arts are so very subjective and can spark such an intense array of emotions in people you cannot help but feel a sense of accomplishment when they absolutely love something you created!
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
Well like many college graduates, I got into real estate Lol I was still making and selling my art but naturally the bills had to be paid. My goal was to eventually become a full time artist… After covid my family sold our real estate business and I knew I had to take the leap so I went for it! I get comments all the time such as “wow, I wish I could just be an artist and live on an island”.. well guess what?? You can. This did not happen overnight for me but I set my eyes on the prize and worked hard for many years to get where I want to be and I am still working to get there. You really do need to keep the faith and keep moving forward to find your happiness in life. If you do not like where you are in life, change it! Start with baby steps and acknowledging your goals. Like they say “Rome wasn’t built in a day” and neither is your life.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @Lutra_sea
- Facebook: Lutra Sea