<p>Looking for help to improve your painting skills? Join my Animal Painting Skool, where I share my entire process and members are seeing incredible results: https://www.skool.com/animal-portrait-painting/about</p><p><br></p><p>Amanda’s Links:</p><p>Website – https://agmarkel.com/</p><p>Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/a.g.markel/</p><p>Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/AGMarkelFineArt</p><p><br></p><p>Books & Resources Referenced During the Interview:</p><ul><li>​ Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear</li><li>​ The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson</li><li>​ The 6 Types of Working Genius: A Better Way to Understand Your Gifts, Your Frustrations, and Your Team by Patrick M.</li></ul><p>Lencioni</p><ul><li>​ The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Jordan Peterson Podcast</p><p>Slaying the Dragon Within Us</p><p>Dunzo</p><p>Executive Assistant</p><p>https://www.getdunzo.com/</p><p>UPWORK</p><p>https://upwork.com</p><p><br></p><p>Summary</p><p>Sculptor Amanda Markel (b. 1994) shares how she went from self-educated beginnings to full-time artist in</p><p>2022, developing a signature bronze style that uses intentional negative space to suggest movement, “lost</p><p>edges,” and co-creation with the viewer. She describes how constraints in bronze led her to innovate, why</p><p>vulnerability and story live inside her pieces, and how that distinct style accelerated recognition.</p><p>On the business side, Amanda urges artists to pick a specific goal, reverse-engineer a path, and “dream out</p><p>loud”—a practice that directly led to her first large-scale wolf sculpture, then a three-wolf installation at Benson</p><p>Sculpture Garden (ultimately installed at 14 feet). She credits community, mentors, and even trusted collectors</p><p>for candid feedback, and shares practical systems for staying inspired and consistent.</p><p>Takeaways</p><ul><li>​ Choose a specific end goal, then reverse-engineer the steps and timeline to get there—you’ll “collapse</li></ul><p>time” versus wandering.</p><ul><li>​ “Dream out loud”: say what you want publicly so others can open doors; that approach led directly to</li></ul><p>her first monument-scale commission.</p><ul><li>​ Signature style came from embracing constraints of bronze—using negative space, lost edges, and</li></ul><p>implied motion to make work identifiably hers.</p><ul><li>​ Telling personal stories in your work helps audiences connect; vulnerability can move people to tears</li></ul><p>and build community.</p><p><br></p><ul><li>​ Community is a force multiplier: build mentors, peers, and even collector-friends who’ll give honest</li></ul><p>feedback and act like an advisory board.</p><ul><li>​ Treat it like a business: know your ideal client, and optimize channels (galleries vs. shows) to match</li></ul><p>your strengths.</p><ul><li>​ Practical studio systems sustain creativity: finish the day by resetting your space; use tiny “Atomic</li></ul><p>Habits” steps to build momentum.</p><ul><li>​ Apprenticeship and critique accelerate growth—seek generous teachers and structured feedback loops.</li><li>​ Don’t trade passion for money; protect the joy that keeps you creating for the long haul.</li><li>​ Art is meaning-making: negative and positive spaces (and life’s highs and lows) both belong; that’s why</li></ul><p>art matters to culture.</p><ul><li>​ A clear, distinct style makes you easy to recognize—and speeds up career traction.</li><li>​ Real example of momentum: a small wolf became 6.5 ft, which led to a three-wolf commission installed</li></ul><p>at 14 ft at Benson Sculpture Garden.</p><p><br></p><p>Looking for help to improve your painting skills? Join my Animal Painting Skool, where I share my entire process and members are seeing incredible results: https://www.skool.com/animal-portrait-painting/about</p>