Profile: Amanda Hulbert
Profile: Amanda Hulbert
Abstract artist currently on display at Ellicottville Memorial Library
Artwork by Olean native, Amanda Hulbert, is currently featured at the Ellicottville Memorial Library through March 2025.
Amanda comes to painting after a lifetime of curiosity and learning. Self-taught, it turns out that some of her best teachers are tutorials on YouTube. Inheriting an artistic bent from grandmothers who did other forms of art, she feels most comfortable working with paints. And she acknowledges she must continue stretching beyond herself. She pushes herself to go where she is afraid to go, knowing she must expand and experiment to better express the idea she is working to convey.
Vincent VanGogh was to have said, “You don’t know how paralyzing it is, that stare from a blank canvas that says to the painter you can’t do anything.” Georgia O’Keeffe said, “I’ve been absolutely terrified every moment of my life and I’ve never let it keep me from doing a single thing that I wanted to do.” And yet, they do it.
Imagine confidently taking on a 6-mural assignment for a local CPA firm expressing their agency’s six different values like “Dream It” “Own it” “Balance it,” etc. They are perfect in every way, yet Amanda seems to be more comfortable in the abstract. Her current exhibit features abstract pouring. It’s not just taking a cup of paint and splashing it onto a canvas. It takes planning and some forethought without being confined to any “goal.”
Watching a video of Amanda doing a pour, one can see that she guides the art, like a mom guiding her child’s first steps. After that, although she is still guiding and responding, the painting seems to take on a life of its own. In fact, that is what famous painter Jackson Pollock said, “the painting has a life of its own.” He further said, “The method of painting is the natural outgrowth of a need. I want to express my feelings rather than illustrate them.” Pour painting is a perfect avenue for this expression for Hulbert.
Says Hulbert of her current exhibit, “Abstract paint pouring, with its planned spontaneity, mirrors life's unpredictable dance, where carefully orchestrated moments flow seamlessly into the unexpected to create a beautiful tapestry. I express myself using acrylic paint and additives applied directly to the canvas to provide an escape from the busyness of life. Each piece is meant to be interpreted by the viewer to find the feeling they need in the shapes that playfully emerge and flow from one another.”
Her decision to focus on abstract art freed her from the pressure of perfectionism and allowed her to just enjoy the colors and spontaneity of this art form. She loves to experiment and uses several different techniques and tools when painting. Each piece is a unique creation of color and pattern.
Amanda also informed that she has the honor to paint one of the famous Olean squirrels. It is presently in her studio, waiting for her artistic hand. The squirrel will honor the late Olean Police Chief Michael Luty who died November 2023. Perhaps when it is done it will go near the new bench in the Municipal Building plaza Wednesday in his honor.
Hulbert is a part-time artist, having just moved from a position at JCC to St. Bonaventure as Assistant Director of Donor Engagement, building partnerships and working with donors and alumni. She also does outside services work serving on the Board of Directors for the Twin Tiers Disc Golf Club which operates at Gargoyle Park and Franchot Park. As a member of the Olean Arts Council, she has also been teaching kids classes on site.
The Ellicottville Memorial Library is located at 6499 Maples Road in Ellicottville, NY. Hours are 10:00am to 5:00pm daily, closed Sunday. Evening hours are 5:00-8:00pm Tuesday and Wednesday.