Circles In Art, Circles In Life

Within the cozy confines of Amber Zimmerman’s studio, circles are everywhere. 

- Susan Lagsdin

Since 2015, when she designed a commemorative artwork after the death of a friend, her focus has been mostly on the mandala.

That intricate spherical design originated as a Buddhist and Hindu emblem of the cosmos, but many of Amanda’s designs, rich with symbolism, depict the central Cascade Mountains that she knows and loves. One is where her grandmother’s ashes are buried, one is where she got engaged, one is a favorite backpacking destination.

“The circle is a comfortable shape for humans,” she said. “It’s the only shape our brain doesn’t need to interpret. Mandalas are essentially meditative; they symbolize the earth and the feminine. But these seem to have a lot of meaning for any age, any gender.”

Her buyer-friendly mountain mandalas are a perfect embodiment of her artistic vision. Some creative people disdain the reality of the marketplace, but Amber, a third-generation artist, is refreshingly frank about it.

This is a career. She wants to sell her work, and she does, in galleries and stores from Twisp to Leavenworth. “I love it when a piece goes to live somewhere else,” she said. “It takes on a new life and goes on to impact another person.”