Amanda Blank has loved animals and art for as long as she can remember. A mostly self-taught artist, she first learned to draw from her mom, who shared her own artistic eye, and from her dad, whose creativity encouraged her to explore her own. After years of art classes in school and countless hours spent sketching in her free time, Amanda found her passion in creating realistic colored pencil and graphite portraits of beloved pets.

By day, she works full-time outside of art; by night and on weekends, she returns to her studio — a peaceful space where she can unwind and create. Most evenings, you’ll find her with The Office playing on her iPad, Beesly the dog curled up nearby (or occasionally in her lap), and a pencil in hand. It’s a quiet, comforting routine that allows her to focus completely on her craft.

Amanda challenges herself with every portrait to make each drawing as lifelike as possible. Her hope is simple and heartfelt: that when someone receives one of her portraits, they’ll see not just a drawing, but a forever keepsake — a reflection of their best friend’s spirit.