Tag Archives: painting

New Life and New ART

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I’ve been thinking about my 2019 exhibit(s) and the theme I keep having come to mind is a series of mixed media paintings based on scriptures that incorporates florals, botanicals and natural elements. There’s so many verses in the Bible that talk about life and growth using plant based analogies that I think it would make for a rich and vibrant series. I have a ton of ideas for paintings and art objects which I will share with you over the next few months. Til then, I’ll leave you with this work in progress flower that will soon be added to my Tree of Life painting.

floral

Washed Away

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Good Day Everyone,

Just wanted to share with you my newest painting.

I picked up this Gallery style canvas of a flower at a yard sale last summer (that somebody had bought at one of those home decor places) with the intent of recycling it into a painting that wasn’t mass produced.

Like most things I stash away in my studio with grand ideas of Artistic Expression it sat there for over a year.

But the other night, I wanted a break from my “Tree of Knowledge” painting since I’ve been working on it pretty steadily so I grabbed my Liquitex Acrylic paint markers and just started painting.

When I began, all I knew was that I wanted to use Teals & Blues and next thing I knew I was painting an Abstract expression of Baptism and from there it turned into a very meditative piece.

It’s rather fitting actually, washing away of the old mass produced into something new and unique.

I plan on adding gold elements to it at some point but here is how it’s sitting at the moment.

Cheers and Have a Spirit lead Day!

Amanda

New Tree of Knowledge Progress

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Good Morning,

So not terribly surprising but I fell off the posting wagon again.
I need an app that let’s me just think my posts into existence lol

So what’s new?
Glad you asked.
I spent most of January off, took a trip down East to visit family and of course spent scads of time doing year end & inventory so that sort of justifies my lack of presence 😉

I’ve been more active on Facebook so you should like my page to keep up to date on my Etsy sales and current jewelry creations, & upcoming venues.
A Milke Custom Art & Jewelry

I’ve also been working on scads of projects, some old and some new including picking up work on my Tree of Knowledge 4 foot painting which I thought I would update you on the progress of in this post.

When last I posted about this piece this is where I left off.

DSCF7283 DSCF7308

I’ve spent the last few weeks working on it and I’ll post the progress gallery below but essentially what I did was build up lots and lots of texture and layers using a variety of products including Golden’s Pumice Gel, Glass Beads, Heavy Gel, Fiber Paste and other acrylic mediums.

For the “Good” side once my layers we built up I painted that half of the tree with Golden’s Pearl paint and highlighted in silver and outlined in Gold. This gave it a gorgeous iridescent effect that is awesome in person but hard to capture with my cell camera. Once it’s all done I get proper photo’s take.

For the Snake I based with glass beads which gave a very nice smooth but bumpy snakeskin feeling and highlighted with gold flecks.

And for the “Bad” half I used heavy gel to give pointy texture and pumice for the roots that gives a rough sandy feeling and highlighted with a metallic dried blood colored red for the tree outline, I had originally based that half of the tree in black with gray highlights but I found the detail too dark so I later reversed them and am happier with the outcome.

I’m hoping to finish it this week but I like to let things mellow for a few days so I can step back and get of feel of what I want to do next or call it good.

Well that’s it for today.

I promise I have a few more posts coming this week so check back with me.

Cheers,

Amanda

Reject/Face-lift/Painting

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So I got my “Thank-You but…” letter in the mail yesterday for my submission for the city hall art project.

The letter listed all the mediums Artists had proposed and one was metal work.

My money is on that artist getting it, something about small cities trying to look bigger and metal art fixtures seem to go hand in hand.

Mind you I could be wrong and it was just another wet media artist but I doubt it, time will tell.

Either way, it wasn’t me and that kinda sucks but what are you doing to do right, meh.

So I’ve been crazy busy this week babysitting munchkins along with my own so I haven’t gotten a chance to do a whole lot except in the evenings after my monkey has gone to bed.

Those observant among you, (and I hope that’s all of you seeing how you’re on an Art site) should have noticed the change in webpage appearance and the new address.

I am now amandamilke.com  which is pretty cool and the site is morphing into something I hope is a bit more suave.

Lately, I’ve been spending my limited spare time in the evenings placing orders for supplies or working on my new jewelry line, but tonight I just wanted to paint.

So I finished my electric guitar commission, just have to put it all back together and clear coat it a bazillion times and it’s good to go!

I also went back to work on my Tree of Knowledge painting.

So here is a peek at how that is coming along.

Also above it you can see my new Studio motto 😉

I thought it was fitting.

BNLFVlhCQAAYWvV

Well I should go pass out because I have one more day of munchkin sitting before I’m free for awhile.

Cheers,

Amanda

80’s Galaxy style Electric Guitar

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Well I started the Electric Guitar commission order from my Etsy site and it’s seems to be getting an 80’s Galaxy feel.

It’s not complete yet but I thought I would share a sneak peek.

guitcomm

I still have to re-assemble it and paint the front plate and put all the shiny silver hardware back on.

Speaking of silver, I plan on adding some silver flecks through out to give it a bit of glint.

Splash paint guitars are fun to paint and guaranteed unique though I have done other styles in the past like these two pieces.

color-of-music-copy color-of-music2 blue

 

 

These are also commission able and I currently have 2 electric guitars, 1 acoustic and 1 miniature guitar in stock  just waiting for someone to commission them.

Commission one here:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/153469857/custom-abstract-electric-guitar-found?ref=shop_home_active

Also apparently the decision as to who will do the City Hall Public Art project has been moved to Tuesday so there’s still hope 🙂

Cheers,

Amanda

 

Homecoming Commission

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One of my favorite things is being asked to commission a piece of Art.

There’s just something fascinating about seeing what painting really captures someones attention plus the pressure of a deadline keeps me on task.

So yay for me 🙂 because I have a couple lined up at the moment.

One is an electric guitar that someone would like done abstracted,

and the other

is a rendition of my “Homecoming” abstract painting but in a different color scheme.

Homecoming 16"x20"

Homecoming 16″x20″

So that is what I’m working on this evening 🙂

Well less chat more paint.

I’ll be sure to post both pieces once they are complete.

Cheers,

Amanda

Creativity is switched ON

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Ever have those nights where you’re laying in bed and you have something come to mind and you KNOW that if you don’t get up that instant and write it down it’ll be gone in the morning.

That happens to me ALL the time. I don’t know how many nights I have scribbled on a piece of paper in the dark hopping by morning I’ll understand what the heck it was I wrote down.

Well last night I didn’t have my idea book by the bed SO after Blinding myself with my cell phone I typed my thoughts out on my notepad.

What were they? It had to do with my Genesis Tree of Knowledge painting and I’d tell you my ideas for the piece but as they say “Spoilers Darling”.

Needless to say I went back to working on it tonight and though I didn’t work on the really exciting bits I did block in my next layer.

Transforming the painting from this:

DSCF7283

 

Into this

DSCF7308

 

It may not seem like much but Trust me It’s all Clear now!

Prior to my epiphany last night I worked on a few earrings for my new jewelry line I’ll be starting.

earring back copy DSCF7163 copy DSCF7151

DSCF7303 DSCF7301 DSCF7300

 

and a couple of rings

DSCF7292 DSCF7290

If you know me at all then you’ll know it was the Bright bold colors that sold me lol

http://www.etsy.com/shop/AMilkeArtStudio?section_id=13693866

http://www.etsy.com/shop/AMilkeArtStudio?section_id=13706419

My love for color extends beyond my artwork.

Though oddly enough I still love my jeans and a black T lol

Anyway enough chattering for tonight.

Cheers,

Amanda