Drowning in Lies

I finally finished the collage I’ve been working on, thanks to the rubber cement I picked up last week.

It’s called “Drowning in Lies” and is 16″ x 20″ mounted on canvas.

Since you cannot clearly read the small print in the photo, I’ve included it here.

If you want to stop being: fat, ugly, alone, unpopular and rejected then all you have to do is:
lose weight, get liposuction, have your stomach stapled, purge after every meal, get lip augmentations,
get breast implants, enlarge your nipples, exercise hourly, count every calorie,
eat organic, drink mineral water, recycle, be a conservationist
don’t snack, don’t eat, use anti-wrinkle cream, remove crow’s feet and laugh lines, stop aging, get a face lift,
get a new nose, get a new chin, get an eye lift,
buy brand name: clothes, high heels, bags, makeup, jewelry, cars,
use diet pills, follow all the trends, wear the newest styles, never wear the same outfit twice,
wear makeup but look like you don’t need it, wear fake nails, wear fake eyelashes, take vitamins,
wax your bikini area, wax your legs, wax your eyebrows, wax your toes, get laser hair removal surgery,
exfoliate hourly, cleanse hourly, moisturize hourly, condition daily,
memorize the Kama Sutra, be a sexual gymnast, act like a goddess, act like a porn star, act like a diva,
act like a princess, own a life time gym membership, have a career,
get married, stay single, use birth control, have kids
and finally be unique like everyone else;
only by conforming to this routine will you become:
sexy, popular, successful, loved, respected, desired
and admired as

the pinnacle of femininity.

drowning in lies

The above text is scattered throughout the collage and will be glued to the back of the piece for easier reading.

Cheers,

Amanda

7 styles of—

I’ve taken a break from the “Curvy” series and started a new series focused on shoes.

More specifically, stilettos.

The series will be called “7 styles of  ————–”

Why the blank? Well that’s because I’m not telling just yet.

I want to see what you, the viewer might think it is.

What comes to mind when you think of high heel shoes?

The series will consist of 7 watercolor and ink paintings each 9″x12″ with a stiletto as the subject.

Here is #1.RED

And as per the norm, I was too impatient to wait for the ink to dry.

Let me know your thoughts.

Cheers,

Amanda


Sarah’s Prayer

I’ve been working on this piece for a few months now off and on.

The idea came to me and I instantly knew I had to paint it. This will be the largest canvas (asides from murals) that I’ve done.

It is 2ft high and 4ft long.

It is like a triptych but is painted on one canvas.

The inspiration came from the Biblical story of Sarah & Abraham.

For those of you who might be unfamiliar with the story please see Genesis 17.

The key elements that I wanted to express in this piece are:

the feeling of incompleteness or defectiveness from being barren,

the  longing desire to become pregnant

and 

the transformation and growth that occurs when you become pregnant.

All stages that Sarah might have experienced.

Sara's Prayer

The headless-ness  also adds a slightly whimsical quality (as it reminds me of those touristy photo stops where you stick your head through the hole to have your picture taken)

and adds a universal quality to it as every woman who has struggled with getting pregnant can relate to some degree.

As always, I’d love to hear your reflections/opinions on the piece, so please  feel free to comment.

Fujiwara no Sato

Cheers,

Amanda

Art News

I won’t begin to list the reasons why I haven’t posted lately (primarily illness) but I will tell you some news.

We (hubby & I ) went out shopping Saturday since it was FCBD (Free Comic Book Day) but before we hit the comic shops we stopped into a local craft sale.

I thought perhaps I might find some gift ideas for mother’s day.

Anyway as I was browsing  Jonathan came across a lady that was selling a variety art work and other artsy/crafty items.

He being the proud hubby he is mentioned that his wife also was an artist and was having trouble breaking into the local art community.

That’s when he discovered that it wasn’t her art she was selling but artists that she represented.

Turns out she’s an Art Dealer and has her own small gallery.

She was interested in seeing my work and came by our place on Sunday to have a look.

Long story short, she liked my work and was interested in representing me.

So our simple shopping excursion ended with me finding an Art Dealer.

Crazy world.

And as it turns out, the annual Art walk is happening this week so I’ll have some of my work on display

and for sale. I’ll also be painting in the Axis building downtown on Saturday.

Fort Saskatchewan Downtown Art Walk
Tuesday, May 5 through Saturday, May 9, 2009
See what local artists have to offer at downtown’s annual Celebration of the Arts.
So ya, you never know what could happen when you walk out your front door each day.
More to come!
Cheers,
Amanda