Genesis Re-visited

Alright, so the company that I was planning on getting my canvas from for the Genesis inspired painting sadly does not ship large canvases.  😦

This is upsetting because all the local stores are twice or more the freaking price.

Bah!

So, this leaves me with two options

1-suck it up and accept the price gouging

or

2-build and stretch my own canvas

Either way, it’s going to take longer than I had anticipated.

I’ll let you know what I decide; in the meantime, here’s a peek at the concept drawing for the piece.

You’ll have to wait until I start painting to see it in color.

Cheers,

Amanda

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

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

As Promised

Late yes, but here all the same.

Over the next few days I’ll be posting some paintings/pieces that I’ve been working on and have finally completed.

The first of which is not yet named.

I had originally started this piece in the style of Despair but had changed my mind mid way through.

This was the result.

back

The textured on this piece is great, hopefully you can get a sense of it in the photo. It was a midnight inspired piece, by which I mean, I was tired but was in a painting mood until the early hours. It was also one of the many pieces sitting around the house that was in need of finishing. For the summer months, I’m working two jobs to help pay the bills so needless to say time is sparse.

We have just finished hammering out the contract details with my Art Dealer so it will be interesting to see if any sales come from that.

In the contract negotiations, my husband (who is handling the majority of the details for me) came to a point  where he had to explain to my dealer that not all artists see their work as a mere commodity to be sold, and that I was one of those that didn’t.

The reason I mention this, is because it gives a little insight into where the inspiration for my art comes from.

So here it is:

“I think one thing needs to be clarified.  To you, art is a commodity…. To Amanda, every piece is a small portrait of where she has been in her life.  She doesn’t paint to be connected to something.  She doesn’t paint to tell anyone else anything about the world.  She paints to put her emotions to rest.  Art is not a hobby or a pastime for my wife.  It isn’t a job.  Art is the cathartic process of release, and certain of her paintings were created as the only means she had of keeping from going crazy or worse…… but please be aware that this isn’t actually about the money or fame although both would be nice.  Amanda wants to know what people think.   She wants to know how people react.  She wants to know if people look at Despair and think, “Yeah,  I’ve felt that.”  Because that’s when she knows that it’s all been worth it.”

Cheers,

Amanda