Craftmonkeys

more Procreate and ipad

Inspired by this beautiful photo by Magic Fly Paula:

 

more ipad sketches

This time using the Procreate App. 

iphone sketches

Brushes app

 

Paper 53

I can't help feeling like I'm cheating on Steve Sprang (developer of 'Brushes') when I download other drawing apps, but I've been hearing such good things about Paper 53 I thought I should give it a try. The pencil has a great, natural feel to it--I'll give it that. But the tools and palette are too limited. And the upcharge for each individual brush makes me grumpy. I don't like being nickled and dimed. I get enough of that at the muni meter. In the meantime, I'll continue my love affair with Steve...even if he doesn't know I exist anymore.

Lonelyville

I'm back on track. Here's the new plan: crank out 40,000 tiny watercolors--sell them @ $15 a pop--buy my beloved house on Fire Island--spend the rest of my life painting tiny watercoiors. Who wants the first one? 

Enormous Tiny Art Show 11

 

I'm happy to be participating again with a great group of people. Show opens February 1st in Portsmouth NH. 

2 more for Nahcotta

new paintings for Nahcotta's Enormous Tiny Art show

6"x6" oil on wood

drawing board

My winter 'studio'. Tucked into the corner of our cozy tv room is this magnificent inlay desk that was handmade for my great (great?) grandfather by a German cabinet maker. It sat unused and neglected for my entire childhood. After my mother passed away, I adopted it and had it completely restored (including new skeleton keys). I'm happy to report the drawers are now filled with all sorts of painting materials and it's starting to take on the smell of linseed oil.

On the desk are the beginnings of a new series.

new work

working on three new small pieces

6"x6" oil on panel

grey sea

in progress

oil on canvas  24" x 24"

Enormous Tiny Art Show 10

Thrill to be invited back again to this wonderful group show at Nahcotta Gallery in Portsmouth NH (my pieces here)

 

snack shack print

new print added to my Etsy shop

not Martha

Today I made 3 batches of encaustic medium. About 30 cakes. That should hold me through the summer. Followed R&F Paints recipe: 9 parts beeswax to 2 parts damar resin. A tedious process of crushing, melting, stirring and straining, but I probably saved a good chunk of money by doing it myself. The stuff is expensive.

clean happy place

Once or twice a year my friend Carol and I swap clean-up days. Yesterday was her turn to come out here and crack the whip (I won't even post a before picture).  Thanks Carol! 

Fort Tilden in winter

8 x 10 oil on canvas board.

Just playing around with Gamblin's recycled Torrit Grey and a stack of old canvas boards I have laying around. I think I'll gesso them to kill some of the texture.

sushi peeps

I just can't stop. I'm on a roll.

 

Boo

Boo watches Tom Waits' induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

(Art Rage on ipad)

old masters palette

Now that I've finished my Old Masters oil painting technique class, I feel it's my right -- even my duty -- to pepper my conversations with words like "grisaille" and "velatura".

Palette: Blue Black, Indian Red, Yellow Ochre, Flake White, Van Dyke Brown

a special goodbye

Well it's been almost 2 years to the day, but I can finally say I sold out my first solo show. A special thanks to the lovely Erin of Clarabella for making it happen and everyone who attended the show. 

And while I'm at it, a giant thanks to everyone who checks in here and on Etsy. Your support means so much more than I could ever say. Really. xxx.

Enormous Tiny Art Show #9

 Another batch of paintings are on their way to Nahcotta's next ETA show opening next week.

 

 

11 in '11

I'm thrilled to be included with 10 other artists in Nahcotta's next show, 'Eleven in Eleven', opening on January 7th in Portsmouth NH. A really nice way to start off the new year.

Here are a few samples of the pieces I've been working on. They are all 16"x 16" oil, encaustic and charcoal on birch panels.

 

Holiday Sale

Hi everyone,

I've just listed a batch of original paintings for sale on my Etsy site. Some of these are brand new and some have been piling up in the studio. I thought it would be a good time to drop the prices and try and find them all new homes for the holidays. 

Thanks for taking a look...and thanks for all your support this past year! Happy holidays to you all and best wishes for 2011!

-Amanda

My Etsy Shop

A few new quick studies. The first two are from photos I took at Fort Tilden beach last month (6"x6" oil on wood). The third is an exercise from one of my favorite technique books "Oil Painter's Solution Book" by Elizabeth Tolley (approx 5"x5" oil on Rives paper).

 

week in review

a new coffee shop

a new pair of pink tights

a new used orange chair

an old barber shop

iphone scribble

Brushes app

quick study

 

 

 

 

last of the summer sketches

 

 

 

 

iphone sketch

using Brushes app

 

ETA 8

 

 

         

I'm excited to again be part of Nahcotta Gallery's Enormous Tiny Art Show. And especially excited that I'll be able to attend the opening next week in Portsmouth NH. I've submitted nine small encaustics, 6"x6" (unfortunately It's hard to get a decent photo with the wax) 

new work in progress

6"x6" oil on wood. After a few coats of encaustic wax, these will be going up to Nahcotta gallery in NH for their summer group show opening Aug 6. It's good to be painting again...

 

  

happy hour

Finally a few minutes of downtime and a well deserved beer in the garden at Sycamore.

 

 

 

 
 
A few more work deadlines and then I hope to get back to this sadly neglected sketchy blog. In the meantime I have been busy taking some reference photos for future paintings and drawings.

enjoy. just enjoy.

Nahcotta Show

I was thrilled to be invited to Nahcotta's Enormous Tiny Art Show again this year. There are lots of great artists and the show is up until March first so if you happen to be around that area, check it out. 

thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house

    

but you can take pretty pictures of it

 
 
 
 
 

Saturday night

 
Channeling my inner Duane Keiser

can't focus, won't focus

...and on to my next obsession (because God forbid I should actually stick with anything for more than a week). YES, it's a vintage Lundby Stockholm dollhouse. I managed to snipe it for a mere pittance on Ebay. Pick up only. One mile away. What are the odds? This puppy is so hard to find in the States. AND it's in mint condition. Thanks Universe.

 

 

  

 

  

 
 
   
  

Thanks Santa

Guerrilla Painter 6x8 ThumBox

Brown paper packages tied up with string

 

And now the fun begins...

An early xmas present to myself. Original 1970's Lundby orange kitchen. Now all I need is the dollhouse... and a second mortgage....and a life.

Here comes Suzy!

Christmas Cards of Yore

  

Mies house

 

 

Holiday sale on paintings and prints

New paintings and BIG SALE now at my ETSY site. Please stop by and have a look. Thanks!

repossession

 

Stay tuned as we pimp out our new recession dollhouse. Great idea courtesy of ohdeedoh

my garden on Design*Sponge

Thanks Grace from Design*Sponge for the nice post.

Halloween 09

 

Argyle Rd comes to life

new paintings in progress

 

I started a new batch of small oil paintings this week, mostly 6"x6". I'm hoping to use some of these as studies for larger works down the line. In the meantime these little guys will be available at my ETSY shop as soon as they are finished and dry. If you are interested in any of these (even at larger sizes) just let me know. Thanks for looking!