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."

RIP Strong Love Souls

RIP Strong Love Souls, originally uploaded by AmyMarieWillis.

My submission to Illustration Friday.

Be well.

A.

"At one point, we were all children. Full of hopes, dreams, laughter, curiosity... People change, and there's no way to predict what happens next. Some of us sing, some of us fight, some of us survive... I hope and dream for all of us to better understand one another and for wars to cease. I know I will be dreaming for this for a long, long time.
My heart goes out to families who have lost those fighting for the rights of others, so that others may have the chance to hope and dream too."

34 in 30 Day: I love you.

Sometimes I have sooo much love inside me to share that all I can do is say it out loud to whomever and whatever is listening. Sounds crazy since I am alone often, but it makes perfect sense because I AM alone so often. After all, what can it hurt? Or I can say it via here, online, text. Today my world was full in a very humbling and human way. I am enlightened, awake, aware, tired and loved.
I LOVE YOUUUUUUUUUU!
My art for today was not "art" at all. But it was for me. I am going to get all hippy on your booty now and say this: "Art is Love" and "Love is Art".
To unconditionally love takes a skill of sort, a talent. Love. What it means to everyone is different. Regardless, we all want to be loved. I love helping people, I love being helped. I love sharing, growing, healing, feeling and believing. I could go on and on and on with this stuff today, trust me, so I best get to my point.

Today I went to work for a woman I met via Craigslist not long ago. She was looking for a vegetarian chef to cook in her home a few times a month. She is fighting an illness called "CMT":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charcot-Marie-Tooth_disease

She is trying to improve her health through healthy eating. I had the honor of working for her last month once. Let me just tell you, she is the sweetest woman ever. Just being around her makes you feel warm and welcome. She is one of the nicest people I have met since moving to Astoria. After cooking for her, the one time, I went out of town and returned only to be sick with the flu for 2 weeks. In that time she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
I hadn't really heard from her, so I assumed that right now with everything going on, having a cook wasn't really a priority, which I completely understood. Because I had only cooked for her once, I was a little nervous about calling her to see how she was. I knew she had a lot of family and supportive friends around, and figured sending her thoughtful messages now and then would be good enough. I didn't want to be a bother.
A few days ago, I got a message from her asking if I would be interested in cleaning and shopping for her, as well as cooking twice a week. Of course I was very happy about this not only for my financial sake, but also because working for her makes work something to look forward to. Today was my 'first' day. It was soooo nice. My body is tired, but my heart is full. This woman is a true fighter and such an inspiration to be around. I can't explain it, but I leave her home feeling better about life.

She hasn't cried at all since finding out she has breast cancer. She's been busy arranging, planning, making appointments....the list goes on. She is going into surgery next week to have the lump removed and there are so many precautions she has to take before and after. Because of the CMT, the procedure will be more difficult, to a very scary level. Today was a "bad" day for her, which I was humbled by with how much she was getting done and how positive she was. I could tell that she was in "fight or flight" mode. She wakes up and goes goes goes and does does does.... She hasn't given herself a chance to cry and really let go.

Today when I was prepping some tempeh for her she came in and said "Can I have a hug?" I immediately gave her the biggest hug I could without hurting her. My eyes welled up and I was totally touched. I was flattered and honored to be able to be there for her. And she repeatedly said how grateful she was to have me there. She mentioned she needed a good cry. I hope I was able to help her release some of what she is storing. I needed that hug, too.

To love unconditionally is amazing. It seems like this world has lost it's touch. We are all so skeptical and paranoid, not to mention the lack of trust we have with others. The world needs more hugs.
Random hugs.

Today my art was something not seen with the eyes but something shared and felt.

I feel really glad to be alive today, to be able to help someone and feel some sort of purpose to where I am right now. It's been rough since having West Nile and the last few weeks with new freaky symptoms, my energy has been low and my mood even lower.
I am lucky to know this woman and to share a small part of her life in any way I can.

I know my blogs have been kind of crappy. Quickly written, typos, poor grammar... I am sorry. You have to understand my brain goes much faster than my little hands can type at 45 words per minute.
After all, I am an artist.
And I am positive you've heard about us "artist types".
Something up for discussion another time.)
It's not that I only care a half-assed amount, it's that my brain cares about too many things at once. Adult ADD? Hormones? Caffeine? Who knows, but it's just one more little bit of the grab bag of personality traits that makes up Amy M. Willis.

Ok, I need to wash thine face and breathe a while.

Be well and make sure to randomly say "I love you" out loud.
It will be your art assignment for the day.

34 in 30 day 9!

Just wanted to upload a few photos from today :)
Also, I loaded my first contribution to www.postcrossing.com (the cartoonishy fish). That little fish has a key in it's belly, on their way to Finland! I can't wait to get my first postcard. Spreading good vibes!

Today I get my juicer and that is freaking fantabulous.
Mmmmmm.... Fresssshhh Juuuuuice.

Busy day, the sun breaks are nice. I don't mind if it's rainy and a little cold still, it's supposed to be. It's very nice to have the sun breaks.

Ta ta!

34 in 30 days ?day 9?

Hey, it's 5:ish in the morning. I can't be expected to remember anything. I know it is the 9th, so day 9.

Well, I think I am done with the bug. At least the worst parts... ugh. I hope so. Either I am getting a new cold, or it's allergy time. My poor nose. Boo!

With that said, I am still on top of my game. That's right, Willis is on it.
I've got my raw and ready to stretch canvas out and my gesso is FRESH! Tight.
I also have 12 little frames I purchased at the thrift store that I a going to fill with my artsy goodness. I am thinking birds for those little frames. They are roughly 2x3 inches. Super cute.

I think the first painting I am going to start is my Spring woman. I am thinking big. A nice pig painting. I want lots of colors and lots of texture.

Today I am going art supply shopping. My living room has been rearranged to accommodate whatever crazy needs I want. Space. Now if I could only get my apartment dog hair free without having to shave my very sweet doggy. Hmmmm..... I guess I will have to be neurotic about vacuuming for a while. Yay.

I am working on a little postcard I am making for www.postcrossing.com. This will be my first contribution and I can't wait to receive my first postcard. I love the idea of sending something handcrafted to someone I will probably never meet on the opposite side of the planet. In a sense, I am delivering peace between strangers from different countries at a time when peace is needed desperately. Love. It's all about unconditional love. I can totes do that. Oh crap. I said 'totes'...

So I had a dream the other night that there was this big, black spider in one of my black SAS shoes. I needed to put my shoes on, but this spider had really webbed the inside of my (i think) right shoe something good. It really wanted me to put my foot in my shoe, webbed and all. I didn't- are you kidding? It was super condensed webbing. Like, filled with cotton type webbing. There were other parts to the dream, but I don't remember anything but the spidery webbed shoe! Ewe! I just got the chills.

So sit tight my 4 followers and randoms that might actually read this. I hope to blow your freaking mind. Just not right now.

A.

*Rough draft for Shoshone Falls painting. I am still finding my niche with landscape. Yikes!

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.