All Hallow's Eve

Happy Halloween from the Doubtful Guest and I!

My mom and I visited a relative on the Cape today and made a spontaneous stop at Edward Gorey's house.

And visited a familiar beach.

What did everyone do for Halloween this weekend? What are your plans for the evening itself? And more importantly, what are you dressing up as?!

I went in-costume dancing tonight, and tomorrow I think I might wear the orange dress and see The Great Pumpkin at the Brattle and all the wandering trick or treaters. I love Halloween!

xoxo

Amanda

"He'll come here because I have the most sincere pumpkin patch and he respects sincerity." - Linus

black and white photo of lovers #5

Patricia Neal and Roald Dahl. What a wonderful pairing.

I was out of your league, and you were 20,000 underneath the sea waving affections.

"where I keep you (seabird found)"

acrylic on masonite, 9x12"

I hope you all had a lovely monday!

Love,

Amanda

Autumn Sale!

I decided to have a sale in honor of Autumn, my favorite season (and in anticipation of holiday shopping). Everything (prints, paper dolls, original drawings and paintings) in the shop is 20% off until 11 pm on November 15th!

I was able to create all the discounts immediately with this application, so everything is already marked at its sale price (no paypal refund delays, yay!).

I hope that everyone had a lovely fall weekend! Did anyone do anything fun?

Love,

Amanda

maybe I'm meant for the sea.

Blue is my favorite color to wear, and I haven't been wearing it enough lately.

So I got a bright blue sweater.

I hope you all had a beautiful Saturday!

I went to a really nice housewarming party tonight. Disposable camera pictures and new painting soon!

xoxo

Amanda

my never ending foxtrot

"tenderfoot (too gentle for your predisposition)"

acrylic on masonite, 9x12"

My love of foxes runs deep. I remember seeing them at a wildlife refuge on a 4th grade school field trip, and coming home and creating a 'family' of foxes I would draw and write stories about. I also love the fox that Antoine de Saint-Exupery created for The Little Prince (one of my favorite books). They are just an enthralling and beautiful animal, and I think all types of artists appreciate that.

Considering how much foxes are used in literature and art, I think it's amazing that they seem to mean something different to each artist who chooses to use them. They have never been defined by literature the way that albatrosses and wolves and herons have. They remain free, untamable.

I'd wanted to do a solely fox-tattooed girl for a while now, and last night I finished her.

She's available as a print here in the shop.

Have a beautiful Wednesday!

xoxo

Amanda

underwater camera obscura

Today I developed the underwater disposable camera I had bought back in August for a lake trip with Abby and Becca.

I used up its leftover exposures at the arboretum the other day.

The above photo has two water birds in it. A blue heron on the left, and one with brown and green feathers in its nest towards the middle. They were so beautiful!

underwater photos from the lake

I love the faded/saturated quality to them! It reminds me of how my holga photos come out. I for some reason don't remember disposable cameras giving photos this neat effect. Maybe it's because this was an 'underwater' camera?

Have a wonderful Tuesday, everyone!

book covers in sepia

I've always had a thing for intricate patterns. I love creating the wallpaper backgrounds for the girls in my paintings.

I usually lean towards more organic shapes, patterns that are kind of floral or toile-inspired. Lately, however, I've become increasingly drawn to the beautiful graphic quality of black and white (or more-so black and yellowed-white), especially when these patterns have a sort of art deco quality to them. (I played with that slightly in the border I painted for "with grace I learn the art of air").

I've wanted to read Flappers and Philosophers since I spotted it in the literature section when I was working in the bookstore last winter. However, now that I have seen this cover, I will only be satisfied to have a copy from this edition. :)

Virginia Woolf's sister, Vanessa Bell, did woodcut illustrations for all of her book covers.

"The Lark Shall Sing" by Elizabeth Cadell and "The Song of the Lark" by Willa Cather, both yellow

print archived by Francesca.

I was thinking of maybe making a postcard package of some of my ladies in sepia tone for my shop/Mass Market.

I hope that you all have a beautiful start to your week.

I went to the Arboretum today, but was unable to take any instant photos because my digital camera is broken. I did get a disposable one, though. I can't wait to have the pictures developed! That's a thrill I haven't really known since high school!

So pictures and paintings soon.

xoxo

Amanda

west coast

Karen Finneyfrock took this photo of her book in the Elliot Bay Book Company shop in Seattle, Washington. Poetry end cap!!

Enjoy the weekend, everyone.

xoxo

Amanda

a request for postcards

My mom was recently informed of this:

a little girl named Reagyn who is undergoing some health problems right now. Her 5th grade teacher posted a letter to her website saying that Reagyn, whose family has temporarily moved to a new state in order for her to undergo treatments, wants to have a collection of postcards from places all around the world. (You can read more about it here).

I just thought this was really nice and that some of you might like to send her a postcard.

The address to send them to is:

Reagyn Semler

c/o London Elementary

380 Elm St.

London, Ohio 43140

--

I'm home with Le Tigre for the night.

Have a great weekend, everyone!!

P.S.

I don't get why this commercial was on the news for being scary. I think it's hilarious! (and that this play by play was unnecessary seeing as they could have just shown the commercial, but that the play by play is also hilarious.)

photos from mice

Twenty days later, some pictures from MICE:

Me, Kate, and Barbara with our table.

Candy!!!

I love how "us" our little sections were. :)

I decided to make a bunting garland, since so many of my paintings are inspired by old fashioned circuses.

Val with her monster pins!

Devin! I love that shopping cart.

The famous Ellen, whose art also happened to be on the cover of Boston Comics Roundtable's current Inbound anthology, which was for sale at the BCR table next to Kate and I.

Me, Kate, Babs, and Val.

I wish I had gotten more pictures of the crowds and all the people in attendance, but I was glued to my table for the day.

It was such a wonderful time. I miss AIB and love going back for things like this.

xoxo

Amanda

winter markets and blue trains

Ellen, Kate, and I loved doing MICE so much that we got a table at Mass Art's Mass Market 7. It's Sunday, December 12th, from 11-5 pm in the Mass Art gym. I can't wait!

Also, Kate is having a show of her work at Cafe Japonaise on Commonwealth Ave. The opening is Monday November 1st from 6-8 pm.

I really love being in shows with my friends and seeing them have their own shows.

I remember the first after-college group show I did that didn't have any of my friends in it - it made me realize that the sharing of the excitement with friends is really what makes these things fun. A little boy who came into the store today made me this train drawing. He even asked what my favorite color was and made the train blue! It kind of made my whole day.

I hope you're all enjoying the autumn! New painting soon.

Love,

Amanda

hemlocking pages

(even though we aint got money, I'm so in love with you, honey.)

I've always liked that line. :)

my desire to wear natural history

butterfly blouse by tucker for target.

I've wanted one since Betty Draper wore this.....

If you like Mad Men, it's probably safe for me to assume you love the clothes.

I personally have been obsessed with vintage clothes since I was 10. I fell in love with full, high waisted skirts with poodles on them and my mom made me one for Halloween that year. The love has reinvented itself many times over the years but remains, and I know it always will.

I could never get this blouse of Betty's out of my head. So since I know a lot of you watch the show, I was wondering, what outfit or article of clothing on Mad Men has stuck with you (and if you've tried to personally recreate it, how did you do so)?

I hope you all have a beautiful monday!

xoxo

Amanda

happy birthday, concord!

Yesterday, my mom and I went to Concord for a few hours.

Concord is by far the most beautiful in the fall, so we're going to try and go back in a week or two when the leaves have changed more.

This is my favorite tree (circa 2010).

Here it is dressed in yellow in fall of '09.

at Thoreau's grave: a twist-tie heart

...and my favorite, a pony in a bed. I think some very heartfelt thought went into this offering. :)

I hope you all had a beautiful Saturday!

Love,

Amanda