ground stars

love,

amanda

come to me again in the cold, cold night

I got to make some Halloween card samples (of my own liking) at work the other day, and made these black cat cards.

Coming from a family that almost always had a black cat (Mrs. B and then Blacky, aka Mr. B), black cats never seemed particularly halloween-y to me, though I did always feel like October 31 was their special night and they were in on it somehow.

Paper Source paper colors: peacock, persimmon, curry, chartreuse, and black.

and it was in the lagoon that Peter found the mermaids.

So MICE has come and gone, and it was an incredible day. I got to meet and talk to so many interesting people, many of them other artists.

I resisted the temptation to buy, but I had to make an exception for this beautiful graphic novel by Line O. Titled "Dog Sea Son," it contains three illustrated poems by the artist. "My Mother is a Fish" is my favorite.

Line O is so sweet in person; she did a drawing on the spot for anyone who bought her book.

I will post pictures of the actual day itself soon!

I got there at 8 am, the earliest we were allowed to start setting up. I am a craft fair baby through and through. My mom used to do several in the fall before the holidays started. They are as autumnal to me as back-to-school and have the same exciting feeling. I used to love getting up early to pack up the car, and, once at the show, walking around and talking to all the different exhibitors. Yesterday felt just like that.

I hope you all had a beautiful weekend!

Love,

Amanda

(above artwork copyright Line O)

MICE preview

I'm so excited for MICE tomorrow! All of the above, plus lots of prints, will be at my little table. :)

Mice is being held at the Art Institute of Boston at 700 Beacon St. (the Kenmore stop on the green line) from 10 am to 6 pm.

Say hi if you stop by!

xoxo

Amanda

home for the night

With my favorite girl.

I hope you all have an animal to cuddle.

my love has never lived indoors

About a week ago, I did Dr. Sketchy's with some friends at a bar downtown. The model was beautiful and so much fun to draw.

They usually have a contest, which is how the above drawing came about - we had to incorporate a woodland creature into her pose!

Afterwards, we ate at Sunset Grill, where I discovered that they have a FULL MENU of peanut butter sandwiches! I got peanut butter of the fluff and banana variety, and Sarah took this photo of it with her awesome phone.

Tonight, I am listening to Neko Case and getting stuff ready for MICE on Saturday. I'm so excited for it!

I hope you're all having a lovely week.

xoxox

Amanda

stars speak autumn

"all I wanted (constellations)"

black and white pencil on kraft paper

8x10"

--- So last night when I wrote about my constellation-finding tools, it was because I was making the above drawing. I love the moon, and how it waxes and wanes itself back and forth, and the beautiful organic shapes its craters make for us from our distant place on earth. I also love how beautifully black, gray, and white it is, in such a luminous way.

This drawing contains four constellations: two symbolic, and two of my favorites (a major and minor). If you're a pro, you can probably name them. :)

Ironically, today at work I got to make a large moon (with pine tree silhouettes in front of it!) for the ever-progressing Halloween window at work.

The funnest part about working on this window is how it makes all the older people (aka adults) walking by on the street smile. I love when adults get into holidays that are normally just a big deal to kids. I'll post pictures of it when it's all done.

I hope you're all having a wonderful autumn week! It's been so beautiful here in Boston.

Lots of love,

Amanda

naturally black and white

I love astronomy. I like to think of myself as an amateur astronomer of sorts.

I got the "night sky guide" book at Raven Books a few days ago. The constellation finder came from a seller on etsy.

I think I might start keeping them in my bag at all times so I am always prepared for the night.

pleated lamp shade, white iron bed

Since I was little, I've had a deep love for illustrations depicting really cozy looking bedrooms. The more personal belongings in the bedroom, the better. I loved and still love the way these illustrations embody the character who inhabits the room, and the warmth they fill me with.

illustration by Richard Scarry

illustration by Mary Blair

illustration from The Napping House by Don and Audrey Wood

---

When I was little, intricately detailed bedrooms were all I wanted to draw. I still love drawing them. My drawings are sometimes my only way to capture what I want and can't have. The strange thing is, I have always had very cozy bedrooms, yet there is still something that I long for.

It's like the way I am in love with looking in lit windows at night - the very fact that I can never see truly within them is what makes them captivating, and for that reason I am glad I cannot go inside.

The beautiful yellow glow is all I need.

I think, with the bedroom drawings, it's that the character is so content to be in their room. The comfort of that room is all they need. I dream of that kind of stable comfort.

Tonight, on my walk between work and where I get on the bus, I got to look in so many second and third-floor apartment windows on Newbury Street, high enough that I can only see what graces the window sill and the posts of a bed. It calms me and fills my imagination.

--

So with all that said, here are some of my bedroom drawings:

I hope you all had a beautiful Wednesday.

Love,

Amanda

felines and botany, but first, love

Before the cats and botany:

I learned of this through my friend Kat. Summer is asking for help for her father, who is going through a very difficult time right now.

You can read about it here and find out how to help.

I love these hand-cut collages by Stephen Eichhorn. They take something I love, animal, and seamlessly combine it with something I am fascinated by, botany.

I told my friend a couple of days ago that I love how colleges have "arts and science" departments, as though it's common knowledge that the two should be married to each other. I think artists and scientists share a deep passion and eagerness to learn more about the subjects they choose to study, and have this insatiable urge to delve deeper and deeper into small things until there is nothing left to discover. Except that there always is.

all cat collages copyright stephen eichhorn.

P.S.

country mouse, city mouse

The weather here is so beautiful now. Everything is so perfectly autumn.

I found this hydrangea today. My room is always full of dead and dry branches and flowers, but I love it that way.

Also, I'm so excited for this!

On September 25th, I will be at MICE selling prints, postcards, framed things, and some surprises if I can work out the kinks. It's being held at my alma mater this year, AIB!

--

Details:

Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo

September 25th, 2010

10 a.m to 6 p.m

The Art Institute of Boston

700 Beacon St. Boston, MA

--

I attended Dr. Sketchy's with some friends today, so I'll try to scan those drawings soon.

I hope you all had a lovely weekend!

xoxox

Amanda

soft and plaid

This is the first stuffed animal I've ever made. He, as you can tell, is an orange flannel rabbit. The flannel I chose is really soft, and I'm really happy with how he came out! I used a sewing machine to make him and then hand-stitched off the bottom after I filled him with batting. He was a present for someone.

I hope you all had a lovely day.

xoxoxo

Amanda

city and by starlight

Tonight was a really lovely night.

I went to see the work of my friends Sarah and Chris (both amazing illustrators) at a show in Boston Public's West End Library branch.

Sarah took these photos with her iphone, and I just love how they came out!

After the show, we explored Beacon Hill and spied in windows and let ourselves be awe-struck by beautiful apartments.

Sarah and Chris with some of their work!

Sarah and I :)

lamp light

Upper Crust after exploring.

with cactus flowers.

I hope you all had a beautiful day!

Love,

Amanda

a poem

I am dying from a love of bluejays.

The sleep of your eyes creates spaces for small dull aches at

the pit of my stomach, gentle ukulele strumming and

the wanderlust for your past that occurs in my mind when you aren’t

nearby to whisper

the okay things.

/

I am accustomed to men who only let me love them from a

distance, but I fit so in the palm of your hand

that this distance becomes my land and prison.

/

This seems to be the culmination of all my time spent here;

Walking empty rooms, finding and replacing past treasure

trove accommodations.

I am lost in a sea of them, my emotions become myself.

I long to differentiate,

to be only

/

the girl who touches the tips of trees

and whispers things to animals, and dreams up a time

she did not live in and wishes she were there.

/

I long to have the boy

who somehow takes me

There.

yellow on yellow

I bought sunflowers at the farmer's market by work today.

This is my favorite kind of sunflower - the vincent van gogh kind, all yellow on yellow and soft and splayed open.

They're next to my painting desk.

I hope you all had a beautiful Tuesday.

Love,

Amanda