One doesn’t normally think of a zombified couple riding a tandem bike as art, but for Amanda Kundert, it’s her expression of “romantic comedy.”
“I love to insert a comedic element into romantic portrayals to lessen the mushy stuff,” Kundert said.
Amanda Kundert, wife of Corey Kundert, R.D. of West Hall, works in the Public Relations Office at Northwestern, but it’s easy to see that her real passion is art.
Her paintings and cartoons fill the space of the R.D.’s apartment in West and add a vibrant atmosphere to their corner of the building. Zombies, dinosaurs and deep-sea creatures come to life on the walls of the apartment as examples of Kundert’s taste in “exaggerated, bold and fanciful art.”
“My mom was a graphic artist, so there were lots of art supplies around the house when I was a kid,” Kundert said. “She was a huge influence on me, especially because she told me whether what I made was good or bad. I appreciated that feedback.”
Growing up with that sort of motivation, cultivation and freedom of creativity gave Kundert a love for art to last throughout childhood and into her adult years.
In college, Kundert took classes that stimulated her interest, including a life drawing class and painting.
“If you don’t exercise it, you’ll lose it,” Kundert said.
The talking shark above the loft in her apartment is solid proof that Kundert is nowhere near to losing it.
Art isn’t a career to Kundert, though. It’s a way for her to find some relaxation and recreation.
“When I come home from work and I want to draw something, it’s really refreshing to just draw a cartoon,” Kundert said. “I’ve been hired before to paint or make a portrait, but I didn’t really like it. To me, art is more to help myself relax and less about profit.”
As for future creations, Kundert doesn’t have anything too drastic in mind.
“I would love to publish a children’s book someday. Making art for the little things that are more meaningful and expressive is far more attractive to me than corporate and highly-publicized art,” Kundert said.
Whether it’s album art for a friend’s band or a zombified portrait for the sake of “zombie humor,” Kundert is willing to take the time, relax and do something she loves.
