Himalayan Goji Juice

Ok so someone-I think (K) sent me some Himalayan Goji Juice. After some research it looks like pretty good stuff. So I drank some today. It doesn't taste packy like some of the junk I have to take so I am fond of it already. I will let y'all know how it goes in a few days. Goji (a kind of fruit) are supposed to have amazing health promoting properties.

Put your State on my Art Map!

This is a map of all the states I have sold my art to in the past year and a half since I have been keeping track. (States with my art are black). If you want to add your state to my map just click on my online store link at the right and buy one of my paintings. Ok so that is a lame reason to buy my art. Buy it because you like it!

Finish Axis Mundi Mushroom

It is finished...I think.

HUGE Vities

A person should not have to take vities that are bigger than their paintings. Nope.

Axis Mundi Mushroom 3

Another progress scan. I finished the leaves and grass and am working on the clouds.

Axis Mundi Mushroom 2

It's raining here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. (big surprise) I am painting instead of cleaning my studio or working on the mound of laundry that is threatening to take over my staircase to my studio. Here is another in process view of my axis mundi mushroom. I have detail now on the trunk and some shading to bring the mushroom forward.

ACEO Whales and Turtles

These whales and turtles can be yours:
whales and turtles

Hummingbird

A happy little hummingbird. This one is ACEO size 2.5x3.5.

Buy the Hummer

ATC2 Pufferfish Zeppelins

I am really happy with this little painting. Pufferfish and Whale zeppelins are carrying tiny sheep amongst the clouds and sunfish.

You can buy it right now in my ebay store:
buy my animal zeppelins

Axis Mundi Mushroom 1

I found my pal Jane's in progress images so cool (plus Dancing-girl mentioned liking seeing the process) that I thought I would do it too. You can find links to their sites at the right of my page there. Do check them out-super cool art.

Here is my Axis Mundi Mushroom that you will see in my paper brain #5 post in process. Here I have already penciled it in and inked it. And done the background wash-with a salt technique. One thing I do in a kamikaze kinda way is that I paint large background or sky washes around complex objects. If you have ever watercolored you know how difficult this is. And I don't use any mask fluid (rubber goo that resists the watercolor that some artists use to keep places white). These washes are made even more complicated when my little blue heeler sees me pick up the paintbrush. I swear she knows when I am going to do a sky wash...she loves to put her head under my arm and shove up quickly to make me mess the whole thing up.

Monster Crochet

Ok so I don't knit and I don't crochet but who doesn't love crocheted jellyfish, meat, and eyeballs? You have got to check out Ladylinoleum's work on her blog. Seriously. Ladylinoleum

Paper Brain #5

This is a recent page from my paper brain. You can get a peek at some of my meta themes in this page.

This Sheep is Not Lost

This is an older mini painting of mine that I am still kind of fond of.

Paper Brain #4

This scan from my sketchbook features some sketches for mini house paintings...and as per usual in my sketchbook-more notes than sketching. This page has notes on Axis Mundi, Mircea Elaide, Joseph Campbell, Carl Jung, and notes from a great book by Fritjof Capra (author of the Tao of Physics) called The Hidden Connections. Which is all about the ability to perceive the hidden connections between phenomena.

Orange Nemesis

This is the Grey cat's arch nemesis Tupelo.

Grey

This is my best little hairy cat buddy.

Ginkgo, Tree, Mushroom, and House symbolism in my work.

I frequently include trees in my artwork. They often represent an Axis Mundi~World Axis~Tree of Life. Trees (and towers) in my work represent a world axis or a center of being. This is an ancient idea like the Babylonian Moon Tree, The Sumerian Huluppu Tree, The Kabbala or Tree of Life, Tower of Babel these things all represent a spiritual centeredness and spiritual growth through which a celestial ascent or transformation is possible. A door to another world. Houses and mushrooms have the same meaning in my work. Fly Amanitas or Amanita Muscaria mushrooms that I often draw were used by ancient shaman to gain access to the spirit realm. Some believe they made use of these axis mundis as a spirit path of sorts sometimes even using a complex web of energy such as ley lines to access spirit portals at sacred sites all over the globe.

The Ginkgo tree is not only an axis mundi tree (a connection between above and below) but it is also a symbol of hope and love.

Ginkgo Biloba Animals

I just finished this. I scanned it and put it right up on ebay for someone to buy. I love it...I thought I better sell it before I can't part with it.

Buy on Ebay

Backyard Bird Convention

There is some sort of bird convention going on in my backyard today. We have a very large Pileated Woodpecker. Two very tiny woodpeckers one seems to be male (has a bright red spot) the other does not have a red spot. I have never seen a woodpecker this tiny...I think it is about 4 inches tall? It is much smaller than the downy/hairy woodpecker we sometimes see. We also have a couple of flickers, more robins than you can count, junkos, towhees, chicadees and stellars jays. All at one time. I wonder if they are planning something nefarious against the squirrels...hmm...

How Many Vities Do You Take?!

Y'all won't believe how many vities, minerals, aminos blah blah blahs that I take. I have added two newbies to my regiment. (Note I am not a doctor and this is my own crazy regiment don't use this as advice-consult a doctor).

The two newbies are 5-HTP and L-Tyrosine. I am taking them for my wobblies and foggyness. 5-HTP (mine is from an african plant) has something to do with helping you produce serotonin...and L-Tyrosine is an amino acid that is some sort of precurser to dopamine. Hopefully it will help with my pain and my foggyness and maybe even the dizzyness. I was on what I will call a western medical happy pill for a few short weeks. It worked wonders but I just can't bare to take it. Plus my insurance does not cover it. Plus it had side effects. Let's not talk about it.

Ok other vities that I take almost every day when my foggy brain can remember are: chlorella (green protein mmnn), fish oil (I like a brand called Fisol cause it doesn't make me burp fish-yes I am certain you all wanted to know that), calcium, magnesium, an awesome multi-vitie, alpha lipoic acid, vitamin E, cinnamon, vitamin D, Coenzyme Q-10, B-6, curcumin, ginko, gotu kola, super primrose oil, a mix of flax pumkin and someother oil I can't remember. WOW! Yeah I really take all that almost every day. Oh and I forgot...my favorite Vitie is...drum roll....Vitamin B 12. Without that I am to foggy to paint. I have also added ginsing to my new regiment. In case your curious what the heck I take this regiment for. I have Fibromyalgia and a super-secret super-cool Batman-like neurological disorder.

Holbein Watercolor Review

I think every artist loves to have new paint. I just bought a few new colors of my favorite watercolor brand Holbein. I used to use a brand who's initials are W and N. I still like that brand but I have heard the company has been purchased and the paint might no longer be made in England. So I am swapping over almost completely to Holbein. The only downside I can find of Holbein is that some of the colors do not granulate (leave little deposits of minerals) quite as beautifully and heavily as some W and N paints do. Ultramarine Blue in particular.

Upsides to Holbein-Amazing luminous clarity of color. Which is obviously important to my work. Consistency-every tube is perfectly made. You won't open a tube and have it smell up the house as though something crawled in there and died (I won't mention names but DS are the initials). Also you won't find globbyness stickiness or general crap of any kind like-(I won't mention names but DS are the initials). If you have not tried Holbein you should check them out. I also love their oil paint although it is not at the tippy top of my oil paint list. (I will review oil paint at some point).

Amy's Paper Brain #3

Another page from my sketchbook. This one has sketches for a painting of mine called Axis Mundi. Also notes about superstrings, virtual particles, the temple of Marduk, King Solomon's Temple, and King Nebuchadnezzar.

Another Hansville Lighthouse mini

This is the beautiful Point No Point lighthouse in Hansville. Well...one of my versions of it anyway.

Feeling Wobbly

I have been feeling wobbly the past couple of days so I don't have as much new stuff on my blog as I would like. Some of you who know me-know that I have a neurological problem and my left arm often acts up. Many of the paintings you see on my blog were created with one hand. Your probably thinking well who uses both hands to paint anyway? Try painting something under 3 inches only using one hand. I have to tape everything down. Try cutting one handed...or inking anything without a hand to hold down the paper. bleh...So my left hand is acting up and my brain is funky. If I have typos forgive me.

6 More Micros

Pufferfish Zeppelin

Three Micro Mini Homes

It's beginning to look a lot like~SPRING!

It is begining to look a lot like Spring here in the Pacific Northwest. We have a pair of squirrels who are quite busy collecting food and scurying into our woodpile. One is VERY fat...hoping for some tiny squirrels!

You can find this little ATC2~ACEO 2.5x3.5 painting in my store on ebay:
My Ebay Store

Amy's Paper Brain #2

Another page from my paper brain/sketch book. This one features notes I took on Pythagoras and the tetraktys. Also a ginko leaf I collected...and a little vellum envelope with a piece of paper I burned during an eclipse.

Note from a former student

I got a tiny little envelope in the mail today. It had no return address. I opened it and there was a simple little note and it said:



It says ...Thanks for convincing me that it was a good idea. Also included was a business card that simply had the former students name and the word -Designer-.

I won't name any names, but I had a student a while back. She is uber talented. Uber. Where I worked students could-if they chose to-double major in Fine Art and Design. She is an amazing painter. But...many of us know how hard it is to make a living painting. She was only going to major in painting but she was a natural designer. Great at it and it came easy, but she didn't think she was interested in design.

So I bugged her to double major. And bugged her. And showed her cool design work. And bugged her. I was relentless. She was so talented and could be a designer with more ease than the average bear!

That student is the one who sent me that note. I am all teary. -sniff-

Amy's Paper Brain #1

A page from my sketchbook. It had been a long time since I drew anything photorealistic so I thought I would see if I still could...

Baboon Contemplates the Meaning of Life

I am sure some of you have days like this. When the light seems far away, really it is just over your shoulder.

Addicted to Podcasts

I am completely addicted to podcasts. For those of you who don't know what a Podcast is they are sort of like radio on demand. Or like a radio Internet...Anyone with a mic can make a Podcast. (And wow are some of them bad.) But there are some amazing Podcasts out there. The cool thing about Podcasts is that programs like Itunes download the Podcasts for you automatically when you subscribe. And you can listen to them whenever you have time.

If you have Itunes you can look around and find Podcasts you are interested in then subscribe. I only subscribe to free ones. Podcasts rock I highly recommend y'all check em out.

My favorite Podcasts to paint to are: (Lots and lots of NPR and APM podcasts)

Kim and Todd Maffin's podcast about Multiple Sclerosis. An interesting podcast-plus they seem nice. And Kim is learning to paint! Go Kim! You can find a link to their podcast on their blog Mandatory Rest Period

Cast-on. Yup a knitting Podcast. And I don't knit! Hosted by Brenda Dayne this Podcast is genuine and terrific. She plays the BEST music. Really. This podcast is great to play if you are doing any kind of artwork or craft work. Plus she one of her mottos is saving the world from mass production one sweater at a time. How great is that?!! Cast-on

I just started listening to this pretty cool craft podcast. Sister DG has a whole show on glue. What more could you want? If you are looking for good technical info on crafting this is the Podcast for you. Crafty Pod

And one of the first Podcasts I listened to that got me addicted to Podcasts. Kathy Cano Murillo's the Crafty Chica Podcast. This is a link to her groovy website. Crafty Chica

Thank you katat0nik

Now that I know how to make a link in text I have to give thanks and credit where they are due. I could not have created this blog without the help of my ebay art pal JaneKL. katat0nik

If you have not seen her art yet you must follow that link and also check out her art on ebay. She is a fabulous person and artist. Thank you Jane. :)

Trio of Tinies

Three of my tiny paintings. The two on the right are smaller than a penny.

My Blue Heeler

Ok I just had to share a pet photo...now I really am a blogger.

About My Work

I attempt to make art that has some value in this world beyond a monetary one-to make art that does something about the current problems/issues in the world. If all else fails I like to make work that illustrates the beauty and simplicity of a centered connection with that which is eternal.
My miniature paintings are a sort of representation of my internal being/soul/mythos. In a world that seems chaotic and unstable these tiny paintings almost create themselves. Painting them for me, is meditative and spiritual-connecting me to that which is timeless and constant. The mushrooms and houses are symbolic of humanity or consciousness. The space between the objects in the paintings is as important as the objects themselves. The space represents the interconnectedness of all things. If there are absolute or universal images the home seems to resonate powerfully-a perfect representation for our soul.

My Full Bio

As a child I toted crayons, and markers everywhere. Described as a freakishly quiet kid who saw things others did not see-I was always drawing. I realized early on that I wasn't good at anything else and became obsessed with art.
I earned my B.F.A. degree in Design/Illustration from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle; and an M.F.A. in Illustration from Syracuse University in New York.
I taught fine art and design classes for over six years at the college level. I have worked as a fine artist and freelance designer since 1992. I have sold my art both nationally and internationally. My illustrations have appeared in numerous products and publications all over the world, including Magic: The Gathering and one of my favorite magazines-The Utne Reader.
I live on the water in a rural area of the Pacific Northwest in what my friends describe as "the middle of nowhere" with a blue heeler, a beagle, two cats and a writer-in a land of real mountains, tall trees and those that hug them, serious coffee, rain, and the salty smell of the sea. I attempt to make enough money from my art to exist and create a lot of work that will have a positive effect on this home we call Earth.

Hansville Lighthouse mini

What is an ATC2?

Another form of art that I create a lot-ATC2s.

ATC ~ Artists' Trading Cards: Generation 2 (ATC2) is an Ebay group for Artists and Collectors of Artists' Cards done in a variety of formats and with a variety of media. The most common and preferred size for an ATC2 is the standard business card-size of 3.5 x 2 (horizontal or vertical)~so that the Artists' Cards can be presented in a business card holder or rolodex. This inclusive group does, however, encompass a range of sizes~anything from average tarot card sizes under 6 inches to small square artists' cards~but not smaller than 2 x 2. This particular group's focus is on original or limited edition print Artists' Cards.

The idea for this great group came from my art pal JoE. I lead the group and soon you will find links to the blogs of other ATC2 members here on my site.

I worked as an illustrator for the popular collectable trading card game Magic: The Gathering so this small format is something I am familiar with and fond of. You can find some of my original Magic art and sometimes artist proofs with original art on the back in my Ebay store. Just follow the link to my store at the right under my profile.

Okapi ACEO

This is one of my favorite ACEOs I created last year. It sold right away (sorry).

What are ACEOs?

Last year a lot of the art that I created was 2.5 x 3.5 which is the size of an ACEO. Or Art Cards Editions and Originals. This is a group of artists/a movement/artwork...that is always 2.5 x 3.5. To see a lot of cool ACEO art just search ACEO on ebay.

Micro Mini Spirit

One of my favorite micro minis that I sold last year it is called Spirit.

How to purchase my work

If your interested in purchasing my work you will find a link to my Ebay store to the left under my profile. Some of the work I show on this blog is available but some has already been sold. For the most part I will be posting new work that I have just created. So if you like my work you can get a sneak peek by checking this blog.

Caran D' Ache Museum Lead Review

Well, so far this blogging thing is pretty easy. I have an art pal to thank for it...and as soon as I can figure out how to link this to her blog I will thank her officially. :)

I thought I would focus this post on reviewing my new Caran D' Ache Museum water-soluble leads. They make art supplies that ROCK. These are thick leads without wood. They come with holders that are really nifty-they even have sharpeners in the end. The leads are not too soft and not too hard. They are Just Right. Yup.

The pigment moves around well once you add water with a brush and they work nicely with traditional watercolors or Caran D' Ache's Supracolor II Soft water-soluble pencils.

My New Art Blog

Welcome to my new art blog. I am new at this, but am going to give it a whirl.