A mixed media doodle in my sketchbook. Little ghost ships...
Friday, July 24, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
Crafty McCrafterson
Check out my friend, Merriam, who makes awesome, colorful pendants and beautiful hats... and more!
I love her handmade pendants and am going to get 2 of them in the mail soon. Yes...
I needed some new bling!
Have a great Monday!
http://mrscampion.blogspot.com/
I love her handmade pendants and am going to get 2 of them in the mail soon. Yes...
I needed some new bling!
Have a great Monday!
http://mrscampion.blogspot.com/
Sunday, July 12, 2009
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."
Friday, June 26, 2009
RIP Strong Love Souls
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."
Friday, June 19, 2009
Ship Away
My entry for Illustration Friday, aka "Drifting".
http://illustrationfriday.com/index.php?medium=0
Happy Weekend!
Amy
Thursday, June 18, 2009
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
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
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
You make music, too?
Why, yes, I do!
Many moons ago, in Eugene, Oregon, I started tinkering with my ex's turntable and a little hand me down program called "Fruity Loops". My ex, at the time, had literally gone loopy mental. Long story.
Anyhow, to pass the time and probably to de-stress from the situation, I started dabbling in making electronic music. I had a few friends that were "DJ's" and they had mentioned to my ex that if he got some tunes together, they'd let him open for them. Well, he was too busy being a little nuts, so I went ahead and threw together some tracks myself. I presented 5 fresh tracks, all made on Fruity Loops with an added touch of samples from records. I completed them all within 48 hours basically. I took them to Jevon and let him have a listen. He acted cool, like most "DJ's" do, and said "Yeah, these are cool, make them a little faster and we'll add you to the next show...."
So I went home and came up with 13 "faster" tracks.
The rest is history... I was hooked on making music, playing shows (even if they were a bit rough) and entertaining people.
There is, of course, more to this story. But in the last 6, 7 ???? years I've made about 200 songs and with them I have relocated, changed, grown, etc.
That doesn't seem like much, but it really is. I've played a handful of great shows, been asked to play across the country, and my music has had a pretty good UK presence. I've been played in clubs and remixed by peers. I haven't struck gold, my two year battle with West Nile pretty much kicked my butt out of anything creative. I am also on computer no 3, and that has caused a little chaos with with retrieving older programs and songs. They are now embedded in history by way of other people's memory. But I did it and pretty much everything I had was hand me down. Ghetto awesome! I didn't read the manuals (who has the time or attention for that, not me!) I basically tinkered and learned all I know today by way of curiosity.
Anyhow, today I got a nice message from a random guy in the UK. He heard my music on Last.fm and added it to his library. He fancied the song "Hypnotique". I am always completely caught off guard when I get a compliment. Music hasn't been a priority in so long, sometimes I wonder if I even know how to make it anymore, as dramatic as that sounds. I thought I would share my music links with you peeps, viewers, random blog readers, friends, creatives, and fellow electronic music lovers... Everything is FREE to download and I hope you'll find something you like, or even , LOVE!
All I know is I have made the hippies, the punks, the post punks, the squares, the nerds and geeks, the techno folk, the hula hoopers and the break dancers, the humans and the aliens all shake their money makers. That's the best part about it.
Be well~
Amy the ghetto beat making, paint throwing, veggie growin and eating Ninja!
http://www.last.fm/music/ASP+(asmallsimpleplan) Free music, hurray!
http://www.myspace.com/aspasmallsimpleplan
Many moons ago, in Eugene, Oregon, I started tinkering with my ex's turntable and a little hand me down program called "Fruity Loops". My ex, at the time, had literally gone loopy mental. Long story.
Anyhow, to pass the time and probably to de-stress from the situation, I started dabbling in making electronic music. I had a few friends that were "DJ's" and they had mentioned to my ex that if he got some tunes together, they'd let him open for them. Well, he was too busy being a little nuts, so I went ahead and threw together some tracks myself. I presented 5 fresh tracks, all made on Fruity Loops with an added touch of samples from records. I completed them all within 48 hours basically. I took them to Jevon and let him have a listen. He acted cool, like most "DJ's" do, and said "Yeah, these are cool, make them a little faster and we'll add you to the next show...."
So I went home and came up with 13 "faster" tracks.
The rest is history... I was hooked on making music, playing shows (even if they were a bit rough) and entertaining people.
There is, of course, more to this story. But in the last 6, 7 ???? years I've made about 200 songs and with them I have relocated, changed, grown, etc.
That doesn't seem like much, but it really is. I've played a handful of great shows, been asked to play across the country, and my music has had a pretty good UK presence. I've been played in clubs and remixed by peers. I haven't struck gold, my two year battle with West Nile pretty much kicked my butt out of anything creative. I am also on computer no 3, and that has caused a little chaos with with retrieving older programs and songs. They are now embedded in history by way of other people's memory. But I did it and pretty much everything I had was hand me down. Ghetto awesome! I didn't read the manuals (who has the time or attention for that, not me!) I basically tinkered and learned all I know today by way of curiosity.
Anyhow, today I got a nice message from a random guy in the UK. He heard my music on Last.fm and added it to his library. He fancied the song "Hypnotique". I am always completely caught off guard when I get a compliment. Music hasn't been a priority in so long, sometimes I wonder if I even know how to make it anymore, as dramatic as that sounds. I thought I would share my music links with you peeps, viewers, random blog readers, friends, creatives, and fellow electronic music lovers... Everything is FREE to download and I hope you'll find something you like, or even , LOVE!
All I know is I have made the hippies, the punks, the post punks, the squares, the nerds and geeks, the techno folk, the hula hoopers and the break dancers, the humans and the aliens all shake their money makers. That's the best part about it.
Be well~
Amy the ghetto beat making, paint throwing, veggie growin and eating Ninja!
http://www.last.fm/music/ASP+(asmallsimpleplan) Free music, hurray!
http://www.myspace.com/aspasmallsimpleplan
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Ooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmm
Oooohhhhhhhhhhhmmmmmmm or something like that.
There's nothing new under the Sun, kiddies. As a blogger, I do feel it is my responsibility to update my blog. So, here goes...
The weather has been freaking outstanding. I love it. My garden is planted and doing alright, thus far. Success has been met by way of cleaning out a pile of dirt and garbage and turning it into a vegetable, herb and flower garden. I have given myself a personal time line, one that is measured by the growth of my garden. A personal time line for changes I need to make and "things" I need to figure out. I am in quite the odd spot and I can't figure out exactly what to do about it, being that "it" is something I also can't figure out. Something is off and something is about to change. I hope to be in a better space (whether that's physical, mental or emotional is still uncertain) by the time my garden has finished growing. Growth and growth.
However, if you happen to be reading this and also happen to be gifted (aka psychic) then please, for the love of my head, help a sista out and let me know what is going on. I am a bottle of frustration with nowhere to explode. Which brings me to the only release I have right now, art!
I am working on a Mermaid painting. I hope to be done with it next week, and if it is liked by a certain person, it will be sold. I also have 2 other offers for paintings right now. I need to finish and frame them and they will also have homes and be sold! Yay!
I just have to keep focused and keep my head on, just breathe.
Life is really strange right now, and I am very confused about so much of where I am and what I am doing. I try really hard not to think of it too much, and just live life "in the now". But I am a avid thinker and a big time feeler; it's hard to constantly block the "what if's" and the "why's". So I paint. I spend time in my garden, I spend time outdoors, and I paint. That's my life.
Oh, I do have a pretty kick butt part time job working for an awesome and absurd company. I love absurd. It's my new favorite word.
That's all I got.
Be well.
"Mermaids and Unicorns.... what would Freud think?"
There's nothing new under the Sun, kiddies. As a blogger, I do feel it is my responsibility to update my blog. So, here goes...
The weather has been freaking outstanding. I love it. My garden is planted and doing alright, thus far. Success has been met by way of cleaning out a pile of dirt and garbage and turning it into a vegetable, herb and flower garden. I have given myself a personal time line, one that is measured by the growth of my garden. A personal time line for changes I need to make and "things" I need to figure out. I am in quite the odd spot and I can't figure out exactly what to do about it, being that "it" is something I also can't figure out. Something is off and something is about to change. I hope to be in a better space (whether that's physical, mental or emotional is still uncertain) by the time my garden has finished growing. Growth and growth.
However, if you happen to be reading this and also happen to be gifted (aka psychic) then please, for the love of my head, help a sista out and let me know what is going on. I am a bottle of frustration with nowhere to explode. Which brings me to the only release I have right now, art!
I am working on a Mermaid painting. I hope to be done with it next week, and if it is liked by a certain person, it will be sold. I also have 2 other offers for paintings right now. I need to finish and frame them and they will also have homes and be sold! Yay!
I just have to keep focused and keep my head on, just breathe.
Life is really strange right now, and I am very confused about so much of where I am and what I am doing. I try really hard not to think of it too much, and just live life "in the now". But I am a avid thinker and a big time feeler; it's hard to constantly block the "what if's" and the "why's". So I paint. I spend time in my garden, I spend time outdoors, and I paint. That's my life.
Oh, I do have a pretty kick butt part time job working for an awesome and absurd company. I love absurd. It's my new favorite word.
That's all I got.
Be well.
"Mermaids and Unicorns.... what would Freud think?"
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
It's not always pretty
Sometimes, artwork is sad. That said, I have a few new items (I have added above).
Two new items, to be exact. One on mat board with crayon and ink (Untitled) and a colored pencil and ink work in progress (Shapely).
New idears every day, I tell you.
In other news, I am working on ideas for a food blog soon, hurray! I love making food. It's going to be helpful, fun and improvisational. Tips, how to's, healthy ideas, etc.
Gotta share the good stuff. (which explains the veggie lasagna photo...made last week!)
As always, Be Well. ( ;-) Shelli )
Saturday, May 09, 2009
34 in 30: As it turns out...
Well I have been needing to update the final stretch of my art 34 in 30 extravaganza. I was procrastinating, because I hadn't really been keeping count and I was afraid of being disappointed. But, as it turns out, I started/completed 29 new pieces of artwork. Illustration, painting, photos mostly. A few doodles that will become paintings. As it also turns out, being creative every day isn't easy. Oh no it's not easy, at all.
I am going through a lot right now, and I am not really going to get into it here.
I have been very quiet, contemplative, and really haven't had much to say. The World is fairly open right now and I have no idea of what I am doing. Maybe this is a temporary state of being, maybe a fluke, maybe a shift in gears, a new path... It's nerve wracking and I am trying my darnedest to balance everything out. Mostly I feel a bit "deer in headlights", but I am doing my best to keep positive. One day at a time.
Anyhow, I have a few new starts to share with you (above). Something different, using felt and fabric and a few photos from my trip to Oysterville, Washington (which was really cool and lovely-and creeeeepy!).
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
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.
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.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
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 :)
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