Animanity in Art
The art of Amanda C. Sandos, former zookeeper, animal behaviorist, conservationist, and all-around animal enthusiast.
Animanity in Art explores the state of being animal to raise money and awareness for animal conservation by making and selling art.
Do you love animals?
Did you know humans are animals, too?
If you are passionate about animals, nature, and the environement, then this is the place for you.
Let’s create colorful things together. We can explore the world to meet new animal friends and discover more about them and ourselves.
Animanity means “ The State of Being Animal.” Humans are also a part of the Animal Kingdom. No really! We have our own phylum and class, in Scientific Language, but we share the same kingdom.
If you are looking to become a more empathetic being, who understands their animal nature and wants to make the earth healthier for all of us, than welcome!
I’m so glad you are here!
Vision
Let me share my life’s work of studying animal husbandry and behavior with you. Together, we can imagine, make, and enjoy colorful and moving works of art that will bring joy, inspiration, and a new sense of belonging into our daily lives.
Art has the power to heal! It can make us stronger and healthier, both in the making and in the viewing. That is why, when things go wrong, people turn to the arts. Every time. What better way to explore the health of our earth than through the healing power of art?
The same can be said of animals. Did you know that just looking at animals in nature can immediately lower your blood pressure and cause your brain to create more dopamine, which also helps your body generate more healing sells? You don’t even have to touch the animals to gain these healing affects!
Creating Animanity in Art is my way of sharing my animal friends and our stories with you. This is a place for us to explore the concepts of animal sentience and the human/animal experience together. Let’s use the healing of art and the animal kingdom to help us understand these concepts and ourselves better, and perhaps we can make healthier choices for all animals on earth.
Mission
I paint animals for animals. By this I mean I paint to learn about them, to better understand and share our human/animal connections with you. But that’s not all!
I also give a portion of the proceeds from EVERY SINGLE work of art back to the animals in the wild. This is achieved by donating to reputable organizations working towards animal conservation.
To date, I have raised money for organizations like the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, to feed orphaned baby elephants; The Jane Goodall Institute, to help in the fight to gain equal rights for captive chimpanzees; The Mara Conservancy, to protect critically endangered Masai Giraffes; The Oceanic Society, to help clean up the plastic pollution in our oceans, and more.
Reducing my own environmental footprint, I think globally and act locally. While working on healing our planet, I use environmentally friendly products, recycling and up-cycling, to make, package, and ship my art.
So what qualifies me to talk about all of this?
I am a strange bird, what they call an interdisciplinary artist. A long-time animal caretaker, and former professional zookeeper, I coined the term "Animanity" in my graduate thesis as "the state of being animal.”
I graduated with an Interdisciplinary Masters from Goddard College in Vermont, working in three disciplines of Studio Art, Creative Writing, and Environmental Studies.
Previously, I have worked as a veterinary technician, a full-time zookeeper and animal behaviorist for more than twenty years, even working with Jane Goodall on her Chimpanzoo data collection project for several years. Additionally, I have been a pet consultant for private clientele for over two decades.
As a professional artist, I have sold paintings and photography internationally, and have received numerous awards including first place at the 2008 National Women's Art Show and the 2012 Award for the Arts from the Academy of Women. I also design jewelry and malas and teach yoga and meditation.
What can I say? I love exploring. I travel the globe, making new and interesting animal friends along the way. I have been to Greece, South and Central America, Canada, forty US states and all her provinces, to the Caribbean and Europe, to New Zealand, so far...