In response to the devastation caused by the Lee Fire near Meeker, Amanda was called to action, using ash from the affected landscape to communicate themes of survival and resilience. This April’s First Friday ArtWalk at The Alley Gallery features a powerful new body of work titled “Ripple Effect II.” The exhibition responds to the Lee Fire, which burned 137,758 acres last August, leaving behind a stark landscape of ash, charred earth and the first fragile signs of renewal.

Amanda’s sculptural paintings transform that devastation into something quietly hopeful. Using hand-formed paper pulp, she builds textured surfaces that resemble ripples spreading across water. She then paints these undulating forms with ash collected directly from the Lee Fire. Floating across the textured surfaces are pressed leaves painted gold, appearing to drift gently on water – a striking contrast to the dark, smoky tones beneath them.

The work explores tension and balance: ash and water, destruction and renewal, loss and growth. Through these elements, Amanda invites viewers to reflect on the regenerative power of fire and the natural cycles that follow disturbance.

“While wildfires are scary, they are a natural, detoxifying process for the land,” Amanda explains. “My work aims to show that destruction, though painful, ultimately paves the way for new beauty.”

Amanda’s connection to the Yampa Valley is relatively recent, but already deeply rooted. She arrived in Steamboat Springs in June 2024, initially planning only a short stay while training for the Colorado Trail, a long distance hike that spans from Denver to Durango. After completing the hike, she returned.

“I came back to town to stay and enjoy the culture a little longer,” she says. That longer stay quickly turned into something more permanent, as she found community within Steamboat’s creative and environmentally conscious circles.

Her introduction to The Alley Gallery came through volunteer work with the Western Resiliency Center, where she helped plant trees in the Big Red Park burn scar. At a thank-you soirée, she met gallery owners Jill Bergman and Ann Feldman, and the conversation quickly turned to their shared passion for environmentally themed artwork. 

The inspiration for “Ripple Effect II” also grew from collaboration. Amanda is a founding member of the Eco Art Collective, and during one of the group’s early meetings she was inspired by fellow artist Simone White, who had created paint from wildfire ash. The idea sparked immediate action.

“That weekend, I headed to Meeker to source a three-foot charred log and brought it back in an empty dog food bag,” Amanda recalls. “This would be the fuel for my new artistic direction.”

From that moment, the concept of ripples, both literal and metaphorical, took shape. Amanda’s message extends beyond wildfire ecology to human behavior and responsibility.

“The message I’d like to convey is that our actions, no matter how small, carry a long reach,” she says. “From the danger of tossing a lit cigarette out the window to the lasting legacy of planting a tree, every choice creates a ripple effect that extends beyond the moment.”

As the region heads into what may be a drier summer, Amanda hopes her work offers perspective and optimism. She points to the long history of wildfire suppression and how it has contributed to ecological imbalance. While fires can be devastating, she emphasizes that they also play a vital role in forest health and regeneration.

“My goal is to spread hope,” she says. “I want viewers to understand that a century of wildfire suppression has created an imbalance. While wildfires can be devastating, they are a natural, detoxifying process for the land. My work aims to show that destruction, although painful, ultimately paves the way for new beauty and collaborative regrowth.”

Through ash, gold leaves and sculpted ripples, Amanda’s work transforms the aftermath of fire into a meditation on resilience – a reminder that even in destruction, the seeds of renewal are already beginning to grow.