Bronze sculptor Amanda Markel creates work that lives at the intersection of story, symbolism, and the human experience. Through expressive wildlife sculpture and the intentional interplay of presence and absence, she explores themes of resilience, wholeness, and connection. For Markel, the empty spaces within a sculpture are never simply missing—they are an essential part of the story. Positive and negative space exist in relationship, each giving meaning and definition to the other. In much the same way, strength and vulnerability, joy and sorrow, shape who we become. Her sculptures invite viewers to slow down long enough to recognize those same truths within themselves.
“I use negative space because life isn’t defined only by what we can see. Some of the experiences that shape us most—love, loss, hope, courage, belonging—are invisible, yet they leave the deepest impression.”
Markel uses animals as symbols of the human spirit—vessels for stories that reach beyond the animals themselves. Rather than asking viewers to admire the animal, Markel invites them to recognize something of themselves within it. Their familiar forms provide an approachable entry point for exploring questions of courage, belonging, identity, hope, and the quiet strength that often reveals itself through adversity.
Her first exploration of this philosophy took shape in Intero, a wolf sculpture named after the Italian word meaning whole. Rather than thinking of wholeness as perfection, the piece asks a different question: What if we become whole not by erasing the parts of ourselves we wish were different, but by learning to embrace them? The open spaces invite each viewer to complete the story through their own experiences, making every encounter with the sculpture personal.
“I feel it is my responsibility as an artist to convey tangible narratives evoking hope, courage, resilience, and connection,” she says.
That philosophy finds its fullest expression in Ridge Runners, Markel’s permanent 14-foot installation in Benson Sculpture Garden in Loveland, Colorado. Three wolves move forward in quiet unison, each revealing within its form the silhouette of a different mountain range. Though each balances on a single foot, they rely on one another for strength and stability, reflecting the power of interdependence and the strength found in relationship. Primarily self-taught, Markel’s artistic journey began on eighty acres in Colorado, where a childhood spent immersed in nature shaped the way she sees the world. Today, from her studio in Bozeman, Montana, she creates sculptures inspired by the natural world that explore the human experience.
Collected throughout the United States and internationally, Markel’s work continues to reach beyond private collections. Increasingly, she is drawn to creating monumental public sculpture—works that become gathering places where stories are shared, conversations begin, and people leave feeling more connected than when they arrived.
“I don’t think a sculpture is finished until someone brings their own story to it. My hope is that people don’t simply see the work—I hope, in some way, they feel seen by it.”
Ultimately, Markel’s sculptures are invitations—to pause, to reflect, and to remember. They remind us that our scars become part of our story, that strength is forged through hardship, and that we are far more connected than we realize. Whether encountered in a private collection or a public landscape, each piece is created with the hope that someone walks away with a renewed sense of courage and a deeper awareness of the strength that has been within them all along.
Amanda Markel
Bronze Sculptor & Storyteller
P: 719.494.5531
E: info@agmarkel.com www.agmarkel.com
Bozeman, Montana
