the sparkling weekend

(my new favorite picture of me and Tiger, taken by Mom)

So another holiday weekend is upon us. The minor holidays always make me want to be near my family. I am not sure why. I think I wrote here once that New Year's Eve makes me feel more thankful than Thanksgiving does. There's something about subtle holidays that strikes a chord in me and reminds me of how much I love my family.

However, I will not be home for the fourth of July.

I will be in NYC with my good friend Nicole. We both have pieces at Charmingwall for their July 6x6 show. I'm looking forward to spending the weekend with her and exploring the city!

Mom, Dad, Court, AP, Grampa, and Tiger, I love you!

I hope everyone has a wonderful 4th of July and that you get to spend it with the ones you love!!

xoxoxo

Love,

Amanda

Sloop John B on 30 stringed instruments

The other night, I was in Harvard Square with my friend Nicole, and we stumbled upon this.

It was really sweet and beautiful, so I took a video.

Does anyone else love the Beach Boys? :)

nesting in a literary journal

Tattooed lady (printed in purple) is inside the pages of the University of Redlands' 2010 edition of their literary journal, the Redlands Review.

Being an enormous lover of literature and all of its traditional and untraditional history, I feel very honored to have a reproduction of my art living inside a collection of writing.

(especially since tattooed lady's title is the first line of one of my poems).

I hope you're all having a wonderful week!

xoxo

Amanda

flappers and philosophers

new business cards!

"a concrete idea."

Just a lady from my sketchbook. :)

summer and smoke; clothes for a summer hotel

I just really love this portrait of Tennessee.

I've been reading more of his essays. They are really well-suited for hot summer nights. What are you reading lately?

I hope the weather is being nice to all of you. :)

Love,

Amanda

willow tree green

One of the things I love about rain

in the city is waiting for the bus.

The bus stop wait areas are protected by glass ceilings, and when it rains they fill with pools of water. When you look above you, it feels like you're below the surface of a pond.

It makes me feel the way I feel when I've been underwater for a long time, and the water becomes warmer than the air itself, like being in a blanket that you don't want to get out from under.

Tessa dressed in Tattoos

New paper doll: Tessa dressed in Tattoos

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I made her special for The Tattoo Show at Starkweather. Prints of her will be available at the show, and are currently available here in my etsy shop!

I hope you all had a wonderful tuesday.

xoxo

Amanda

butterfly safari

The "new" job I've had the past few months has been at Paper Source, and I couldn't be happier.

The above photos are an example of what I get to do at work: design and execute window displays! I had to make a travel-themed display using giant versions of the Paper Source paper dolls. I got to design the outfits, layout, etc. It was so much fun!

I hope you're all having a wonderful week.

xoxoxo

Amanda

feeding hour

This is "backyard chip," one of the chipmunks who lives in our yard (named for where they come from, kind of like royalty). He's been around since last year, and lets us pet him!

It's been nice to be home for a few days.

I made a new paper doll for the tattoo show, which I'll share later today. :)

xoxo

Amanda

juniper, spruce, and hemlock

"it caused, in my heart, a forest"

acrylic on masonite, 9x12"

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This is the new painting I did for The Tattoo Show at the Starkweather Arts Center in Detroit. She has a forest of evergreens tattooed across her chest.

I'll have this and lots of framed/packaged prints in the show. I wish so much that I could go to the opening on July 1st!

Anyway, I hope you're all having a great week and lots of beautiful weather.

xoxo

Amanda