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Amanda Lewis
WHAT  Visual Artist, Theatre Director, Writer

WHERE  Riverguild Fine Crafts,
                  51 Gore St. East, Perth, 267-5237
              Home studio by appointment,
                  267-6205

SHOWS  The Perth Autumn Studio Tour
               Annual Calligraphy Society of Ottawa

WHY  "Interpreting words is my way of making sense of the world"

 

Images of Amanda's work


Amanda Lewis - Illuminating Illustrious Words
by Sally Hansen

A passion for interpreting words is the common theme that weaves through the many artistic lives of Amanda Lewis. Starting as a self-taught calligrapher at the age of 17, she launched into a theatrical career at the age of 18, garnering an Honours BFA in Acting from York University. "That way I could offset unemployment as a calligrapher with unemployment as an actor," she laughs.

Over the past 25 years she has studied with some of the world's leading calligraphers in the U.S., Canada and Rome, and has taught at the University of Waterloo, Algonquin College and private workshops. As the demand for original calligraphy of diplomas, certificates and awards was undercut by the availability of personal computing, Amanda expanded her visual arts skills and now produces textured, multi-dimensional book art, hand-bound blank books, photo albums and cards.

Over the past ten years Amanda has focussed much of her energy on young people in Perth, serving as Artistic Director of Drama for Kids and Perth Young Theatre Workshop from 1992-99. In 2000 she created The Perth Arts Workshop, an organization dedicated to arts training with professional artists in a variety of disciplines. Amanda is the recipient of a 2001-2002 Artist in Education Grant from the Ontario Arts Council. She was Assistant Director of the 2001 NAC production of The Beauty Queen of Leenane. She is currently directing a student production of Ten Lost Years at the Ottawa School of Speech and Drama. And just to round out her artistic pursuits, her fifth book for children, The Jumbo Book of Paper Crafts, will be published soon by Kids Can Press.

Passion
Amanda explains her multi-faceted arts career by talking about her passion for words. "I care a hell of a lot about words - their sound, their interpretation - how a gesture can be made on a piece of paper or on a stage. Calligraphy captures the fundamental magic of writing - that thoughts or ideas can be expressed and captured permanently as marks on a page. If you look carefully, you can discover all kinds of things about the writer. Interpreting words is how I try to make sense of the world"

"And I love the excitement and the immediacy of the theatre. The energy that happens is very special. You (audience and performer) come out of a very transient live performance with a visceral experience that changes you as a person and that stays a part of your permanent experience."

This Valentine's issue of theHumm features Amanda's calligraphic composition illustrating a quote by renowned American choreographer Agnes De Mille: "Many other women have kicked higher, balanced longer, or turned faster. These are poor substitutes for passion."

In my opinion, this is a fitting tribute to Amanda Lewis' own passion for enriching the human experience through her illumination of others' illustrious words.

The Write Choices
"I was so lucky. I grew up in a home where I was surrounded by "The Write Stuff" (The Write Stuff is the title of Chapter Two of Amanda's first book for children, Writing: A Fact and Fun Book, published by Kids Can Press Ltd. In 1992.) My whole family loved books and language. My mother was a book designer. My grandmother was an editor and opened the first bookstore in Stratford. At 91 she still is writing and publishing. When I was young I didn't think about what I'd be; I just followed my instincts."

In the late '70s Amanda worked in the alternative theatre scene (actor, dresser, director) in Toronto. She met her husband, writer Tim Wynne-Jones, at Stratford, and eventually gave up the theatre when she became a mother. Although it must have been difficult at the time, it was obviously the right choice. When I asked her what the highlight of her life to date was, she immediately responded "Having three wonderful children and a wonderful husband."

Their decision to move to Perth in 1988 to raise their children was another great choice, both for Amanda and for the community. Wynne-Jones' ten-month contract as Writer in Residence at the Perth Library was the catalyst for Amanda's new careers as a writer, an arts educator and community cultural developer. In the artistically nourishing community of Perth and nearby Brooke Valley, Amanda's theatrical, dance and visual arts talents were highly valued, particularly in the schools. She has blossomed into a cornerstone of the area's dramatic and artistic scene, developing drama programs for young people, directing plays for the Perth Theatre Project, and conducting workshops that include voice classes for ballet students and dance/movement for teachers.
She and husband Tim Wynne-Jones are currently adapting two of his short stories into one-act plays suitable for performance by teenagers, working with students in a collaborative "ensemble" mode. "I really get excited working with kids, particularly teenagers. They are so open, and can really fly given a little stimulation." Under Amanda's direction, they'll be flying high.
Words Worth Looking At

To see words worth looking at by Amanda Lewis, stop in at Riverguild Fine Crafts, 51 Gore St. East, Perth, 267-5237. Examples of her calligraphy and book art can be viewed by following the link at www.thehumm.com to her Artist Trading Card, and by visiting the Gallery of Artisans at www.riverguild.com. Commissions can be arranged by contacting her at 267-6205, and don't forget to clip her Artist Trading Card at the top of this page for future reference.