KMUN

I've been a busy woman as of late. The RAW show was interesting and it was great to see so many faces I haven't seen in over a decade. There wasn't enough time for me to really enjoy extensive conversations with anyone, but having them there for the event was a great joy to me.

Doing mystical things in my hotel room at the Jupiter in Portland, Oregon.

The following are photos taken by Mercy Mcnab at Portland's first RAW event.

"Ergonomics Gone Awry"  mixed media on wood

"Matryoshka Doll Revolution" acrylic, oil pastel, embroidery thread on linen

"Phoenix in Flight" acrylic, oil pastel, fancy paper

Me, my art, and my new 80's inspired glasses... at RAW in PDX.

Top: "Lost in Translation" acrylic and oil pastel on canvas

Bottom: "Delta of Venus" Acrylic and ink on canvas

"Polar Opposites" acrylic, ink, oil pastel and embroidery thread

I had my prints hanging from wooden hangers in an old piece of luggage I own.

"Rorschach Rollercoaster" Acrylic, fabric, felt, embroidery thread on canvas

"Tree Lust (My coniferous wants to get with your deciduous)" acrylic and ink on wood

"Little Yellow Riding Wolf" acrylic, oil pastel, paper and fabric on canvas

Great shot by Mercy Mcnab!

"Year of the Rabbit" acrylic, ink and paper on wood

"Girl in a Box" acrylic, oil pastel and gesso on cardboard

(This one found a new home that night!)

Thanks to all who came out and thanks to all of the other artists who made the event happen!

In other news, I've passed my radio broadcasting class, so I'll be hosting my own shows now and then on Coast Radio, KMUN.  Streaming live:

http://coastradio.org/saturdaynight.html

I'm still a little rough around the edges, but I'm excited to continue and to find my rhythm over the air.  It's really motivated me to get back into researching and exploring new music as well as re-loving music I've had for years.  I'm also DJing my first Astoria gig this Saturday, yikes! I'm nervous and excited and I have high hopes that the night will be fun and go well.

I'm ready for Spring.  Be well.

A.

RAW show in Portland! First PDX RAW artists showcase!

I'll be having my first Portland show Feb 17th!  I'm super excited and nervous and motivated and and and...!
I was contacted last week, so I have some serious crunching to do.  But, if you know me well, you know that I work great under pressure.
I'm really excited to see the other artwork, performance art, film and dance my booty off at the end of the night.
So you Portland people, I really hope to see you!
Please check out this link for more information on RAW events:

http://www.rawartists.org/view-artists/userprofile/simple333

Much love!

Amy

Art show next month! Hurray!

As you can see, things are busy over here! I am getting ready for a little show at a coffee roasting company here in Astoria. Located RIGHT under the big huge bridge. :) I am very excited to spend my last month here loving the Ocean and participating in art. I am really please with how well the "Sketchbook Throwdown" is going. Even if not everyone has been able to participate, the thought and support has been great!

I will have more about the show after Wednesday when I meet with the manager, Carly. I am stoked, and for the first time, will have merchandise and a few small prints available.

I am also very excited for the next Urban Canvas show. Big news and I will be sharing that info with you soon as well! Hint: Who's got the FUNK???

Until then...
I hope all is well.

Amy

Doodle Dooo

A few new doodles, inspired within the last week. And a few photos. Garden progress and a glimpse of today's thunderstorm over the NW, taken during my deliveries.

Not to sound lame or anything, (heh!) but I am going to some up this blog with my Facebook Status. I mean, really.... the day started with Thunderstorms and has been blissfully stormy since. Who can blog at a time like this? Be well~ Amy (ps: the little birdie doodle is for my grandmother, Verda. She was the sweetest woman alive.

"Thunderstorms, Rain, Apple Fritters, Cats on Catnip with Yarn, Flight Delays, Fruity Loops, Spreading the Wealth, Friends, Doggy, Scrabble,Tea and Time. All in all, I can't complain."

Oontsa-Oontsa

It's been a little while since I have blogged and what can I say? I have been a busy girl. I feel fantastic as of late, and man o man is that nice!

So check it, I have a Flickr account now!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/oontsa-oontsa/


It's way more interesting than I thought it would be and there are some great groups there. One group I actually found off of a link, from another link, and another, etc... (it's been a nerdy internet kind of day).
Anyhow, it's a website for DOODLERS! And I do doodle quite a bit, so I was happy to become member number 29! I am really feeling my "I am an artist" vibe, and it's great to have that confidence right now.

Anyhoo, if you'd like to check out the site yourselves, here is the link:

http://www.doodlersanonymous.com/


Personal life stuff is fine. The coast is awesome and weird, as per usual.
Weekends are full of Voodoo Doughnut deliveries and gardening.
Weeks will soon be filled with days at the condos/inn I work at, on the beach.
Life is good.

I went to the Sunday market in Astoria last weekend with my friend Amanda and her son Elliot, who came to visit me from Olympia. It had literally been over a decade since we'd last seen one another and it was great. We ran across an artist in one of the booths by the name of Anna Todaro. I purchased a little 3x5 canvas print from her for 3 dollars. It's adorable and her work is super inspiring to me. She's my favorite artist right now, or one of them. There are so many great artists out there and I really love the way art is constantly reinventing itself.

I don't have anything new, photo-wise, to add. Not of artwork, anyhow. I have plenty of the garden and several of the Sandcastle Festival last weekend, which was super fun.
I am working working working on the mermaid and I feel really good about the progress I have made with her. I need to start thinking about getting prints made, I feel myself about to bloom.

Be well!
<3 Amy

34 in 30 are we there yet?

April has been one intense month! What a ride, that's for sure. From birthdays to never ending flu bugs, sunburns to freezing, wet toes. April has been something.
Which is always better than nothing, I always say.
I had hoped to get a lot more painting done this month.
But dang it if I am not happiest doodling right now! I found Pandora and I have loved my coffee, never ending great music and doodling my heart out. Taking a break to give loves to my fluffy doggy and taking trips out to the garden spot for a little digging in the soil action.
It's just the way it's worked.
I really need new paint, I think that's the big part of the non painting status.
I have painted a little, but I just don't have the paint I need for the ideas I have. I have to wait a few more days until I can "re-up". So doodling and drawing has been my thing as of late and I am really happy with what I have been doing.

The lady in the ship is called "Ship Away" and I am not sure if I am going to cut the image out and paste on to fabric or if I will use it as a painting idear, but I love it. The other image of the 3 small doodles: (from L-R) "Involuntary" "Good day, Bad day" and "Magic Cloak". Pretty much sums up how I felt this weekend...? Which means I have use my art as therapy and it feels like it's working. :)

Enjoy the last of April. It only gets sunnier and brighter from here. Buckle up.

Amy :)

34 in 30 day 1

...and of course I have the flu. Of course I do. Ah welllll. I have been busy preparing my head and home for my personal 34 in 30 project. I hope to complete/start 34 new pieces in 30 days.

Since I am ill today and recovering from a 100+ degree fever, today's blog is going to be brief. I don't have anything new to contribute for today, unless you want to consider my snotty tissues as art. Rorschach tests maybe?

A list of projects I hope to complete in the next 30 days: (taken from my art journal-some are just ideas)


*More Bird paintings to go in my Bird Series
*Commission completed for the lovely Jessica Fillar Orzechowski
*Need to frame/glass Blue Jay peice. Someone want to buy it-yay!
*Spend a day at the beach working on nature art. Think "Rivers and Streams"
*Build cob/brick borders for my garden-which I consider art.
*Make prints of work and sell on Etsy
*Make music samples to also sell on Etsy/Last.fm under ASP(asmallsimpleplan)

So that's enough for now. I need to be back in bed.

Happy April Fool's yo. Of COURSE I would be sick on my first day of 34 in 30.
However, I might come up with something artistic while being completely out of it from my fever. FEVER.

34 in 30

Hi.

Hello.

Hola.

How can someone with so much to say have so very little to say today?
I blame the full moon, certain personal anniversaries and my head.
I need to clear my head.

(Segue segue segue)
In order to clear my head, I have this blog. (Because lawdy knows that a Facebook blog and and 4 different Myspace blogs aren't enough!)
But wait, THIS blog is different. This is Amy's art blog.
Only art, all art, art.
However, being an emotional type, a "feely" type, a Renaissance type even I am sure my art will come action packed with emotional statements. Such is the life of an artist, or so I hear.

I currently live in Astoria, Oregon. 2 blocks south-ish from the historical and massive Columbia River. I love and hate it here. It's pretty, tough, lonely, challenging, and completely has my life turned upside down more often than not. I paint for myself right now, and I suppose that is where I am at. It's a little frustrating that certain galleries don't do more to promote artists. Or maybe my artwork stinks. But seriously, a certain trendy gallery didn't even have the audacity to respond to my email wanting to share/show my work in their local section... Instead they send me email informing me of new shows. Because lawdy knows that Portland artists need more exposure, rather than artists in Astoria.
Ah well, Artist Snobbery is something I have never understood. I mean, great you are talented and you work hard. Well, my dad helped make the paper you use for 40 years and was quite good at it, and he's the nicest guy I know. Artist Snobbery completely defeats the purpose of creating art, in my book.

Let's get on topic, I could rant all day....

My friend Heather recently started something called 30dayartist. http://www.30dayartist.com/blog2/
She inspires me so much. The goal/point? Well take a gander at the blog if you really want to know, but in short, 40 pieces of work in 30 days. I will be working on a goal of 34 in 30. One for each year I have been alive. That's some serious soul wrenching, self testing, motivating stuff right there. I was so moved by her passion that I submitted my registration last week.
34 in 30.... can I do this?
I mean, that's a lot of faith and such a test of personal strength/willpower.
It sounds really empowering to take on such a feat and to share it online with the rest of the world. Amazing to me, really. Whether I am ever chosen to be the next 30 day artist or not, I feel like I should really do it, for myself.
Here.
Right here.

I think I will start the first day of April. April is my birthday month and I love a good challenge! My artwork will and can include anything. Paintings, doodles, sketches, photos (which is my new love), and music accomplishments. I do all things, and love them all too. It's a personality trait, I do believe.
I may not do all things well, but I try and have a genuine thirst for passionate moments of creativity followed by sessions of thinking about what I've just created and what emotion I released/captured. <---- I know, huh?

Oh, also my culinary art. I will post new recipes, old recipes, anything food related that I make. I love cooking healthy food with a passion, and sharing it is even better. Food should be art. Good food should taste just as satisfying as listening to a great song, or loving a piece of moving artwork.
Just like the rest of my lovely hobbies, I cook with passion.

So without further adieu, welcome to my humble blog. I hope you say a while.

Be well and blog hard.