Christmas time is here!

hello, everyone! I've been spending much time listening to Charlie Brown Crhistmas music and admiring my pretty silver tree. Aside from the fall, this is my favorite time of year. Or perhaps the feeling is my favorite. Either way, it is nice.
That's the new Venus Zine (you can get it at Borders and other stores that carry a good variety of magazines). It's the best issue yet! They named the winners of their yearly Best DIY Business award, and two of my favorite artists got first and second place! The Black Apple and BoyGirlParty are numbers one an two. There's also a great photo shoot with Dita Von Teese and a ton of vintage-y dresses, interviews with Jason Schwartzman and Miranda July, and a profile on author Samantha Hunt, who I'd never heard of before but now am dying to read. And of course there are cute projects in the back involving vintage sewing patterns, plaster deer busts, and rings made out of resin. On this cozy magazine-reading day, the sky was a looming almost-purple. Lovely!
I also "finished" a new painting tuesday night. Or rather, the wee hours of wednesday morning. I think she needs more work and I plan to go back into her. None the less, here she is so far - my John Currin-inspired Mushroom Girl!
She's a little washed out. Tomorrow morning I'm heading into school to get decent scans of everything I've done this semester. Perhaps I'll do a post with some of my favorites. I hope you're all enjoying the end of November! <3

there is a chance I'm falling quite hard over you.

Black swan has been finished! I haven't thought of a title yet. She is a combination of many things, one of them being the myth of Leda and the swan. She's acrylic on masonite.

It's so good to be home for Thanksgiving break. My sister and I visited our cheesy highschool mall last night, which recently acquired a Forever21 (score!). The problem is that home causes me to sleep late. In the city, there is so much motivation to wake up at 8 or 9 on the weekends and go see what is going on. Also brunch starts at 10. Here...here it is more fun to stay in bed with my cat and do nothing. Tomorrow I will definitely get up early to help my mom cook. At least that is what I want to do! We will see what happens. I hope you all have a wonderful thanksgiving!!!! <3

Black Swan in progress...

I am currently in the midst of a painting which you will see soon, seeing as it is due monday. Our Friday night: dress up and phony gallery openings!
Taryn and our friend Teo created collaborative art for submission to the Museum of Bad Art, and had a gallery opening in Reed House.


AND I have been making SOME things. Here is a stage set diarama, or part of it at least, which I made for Natural History Drawing. I wasn't pleased with it as a whole, but I do love these painted tree branches.

fort bandit, elephant love.

I am finding interesting things that I did not know before in my research of e.e.cummings for tuesday's presentation. Did you know that he and T.S.Eliot competed for the heart of their leading lady when they starred in "The Little Minister" in 1910? On opening night, Eliot brought her a bouquet of roses. Cummings, however, wrote her a poem and won her heart. This is a beautiful valentine (which I have always loved) that he painted in his later years for his wife Marion Morehouse:
I also built a fort today! Kelly Burgess, a junior photo major at AIB, is having people build forts which she then photographs them in. Emily was excited because my fort looked like my paintings (stage set-ish).
I have been trying and failing at going to bed early. Now I am honestly off to bed. More actual paintings soon!! <3 Amanda

Mermaids in New York City.

I made my way to New York City with Taryn and Emily where we met up with Em's sister Rebecca and her roommates, had mexican food for the second day in a row, and saw the Mythical Creatures exhibit at the Museum of Natural History (it was spectacular!)


More art soon! <3

He's a tramp, but I love him.

Today I walked a lovely girl named Nikko in a very Lady and the Tramp-esque neighborhood. I brought her to a park where we ran and rolled in the grass, and then to the bakery where she got a delicious roll. I took the bus to and fro (it was a lovely day for the bus), went to the Curious George book store, began the process of what will be my first mailing, and went out to dinner with Emily and Taryn at the Border Cafe. All in all it was a wonderful day.


PS - I highly reccomend this: