THE LOGO
ROD MORRILL
Amanda’s Grandfather worked for General Motors. At some point, he began carving his insignia onto his tools and belongings. Growing up his granddaughter Amanda would receive every birthday and holiday card with his car doodle. He even signed his beloved 1959 Silver Hawk Studebaker. The family would laugh in case there was any confusion as to who the car belonged to.
Now over 15 years later Amanda has found a way to help her grandfathers mark live on and continue the journey of automotive love and appreciation.
Rodney Milton Morrill | 1932 - 2007
The longitude latitude coordinates are that of Detroit. Michigan native Amanda Morrill grew up going to Tigers baseball games and seeing shows at the Fox Theatre. Having spent 10 years living downtown. She spent summers going to the Indy races on Belle Isle and attending school at the College for Creative Studies.
Her Mother Giovanna Lacascio was born Downtown. Their family had very strong ties to Detroit. Being Italian-American her family lived in a Catholic Italian neighborhood. During the 1920’s her family was involved in the infamous prohibition of Rum Running. Amanda’s Grandfather Anthony worked for the Detroit Free Press and they lived downtown until the Detroit riots broke out in 1966.
Amanda’s Father Shane Morrill lived in a blue-collar working suburb of metro Detroit. Her grandfather Rodney as well as other family members worked for General Motors. They had a passion for car design and racing. And every August Her family would take their cars to the awaited Woodward Dream Cruise.
No matter where Amanda is Detroit will always be a part of her story and a place she calls home.
DETROIT ROOTS.
42.3314° N, 83.0458° W
ABOUT AMANDA
Detroit native Amanda Morrill grew up in the Motor City, competitively racing go karts and changing brakes in her dad’s garage. She attended CCS (College for Creative Studies), one of the top automotive design schools in the country. Amanda earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Illustration and Master’s in Color, Materials + Finish Design. During her undergraduate, she did an unforgettable internship with Camilo Pardo, who was the designer of the infamous 2005 Ford GT. It was during this internship that Amanda learned and executed everything about car paintings. After graduating, she went on to design interior color, print and patterns for various OEM’s such as Ford, Tesla, and General Motors.
Amanda then transitioned into the world of commercial and residential design, working for an Authorized Herman Miller dealer, helping tell a deeper design story through color and material design. She worked on projects with AIA (American Institute of Architects), and the IIDA (International Interior Design Association).
In 2021, Amanda had the opportunity to paint a custom painting for the Placencia, Belize Humane Society auction. The auction was hosted by the Coppola Family Hideaways, and the painting was purchased by Sofia Coppola. That same year, Amanda met singer/songwriters Aly & AJ, she worked with them to recreate a painting from their recent album cover.
After making her move to Kansas City to be with her boyfriend, Amanda was diagnosed with a rare bone tumor. During a year of surgeries and recovery, Amanda found that she needed something to pass the time as she healed. It was during this time that she began painting cars again and SHE PAINTS CARS was created. Amanda is tumor free and continues to illustrate and design everyday.
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