amanda blake's oil painting blog

15 people holding on to that which will determine their fate

2013-03-05T10:03:00.001-08:00

limited edition print of original oil painting
printed on 330 gsm weight cotton rag paper
image size 20 inches square
paper size 22 inches square
signed, titled, and numbered on front
edition of 30

$150.

A gold coin, a book, a cup of tea, a secret, a sibling...15 people with the thing (or person) that makes them who they are. Available in my shop.

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I also have a couple new little portraits and quite a few new prints available in my shop.

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I'm still not great at it but I've been getting better at updating my facebook page and with the new baby keeping me busy I'm always looking for the easiest way to do things and right now facebook is it. Keep up with any new work or shows by following me here.

enormous tiny art no. 13

2013-01-30T11:45:00.001-08:00

josephina
4 inches square
acrylic on wood
$150.
available through the enormous tiny art website

I've been a bit busy with other little cute things but I managed to get some tiny paintings done for the 13th enormous tiny art show. I went with a circus theme this time. See them all (along with a few pieces from earlier enormous tiny art shows) here.

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Lots of new prints in my shop along with one 6 inch square original titled "she kept them safe."

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A belated happy new year to you all.

three girls with crowns

2012-12-07T09:51:00.001-08:00

original oil painting on wood panel
six inches square
$400.

I've been working on a larger piece that will be available soon through Sebastian Foster gallery and was inspired to revisit some other themes in my work that I hadn't painted in some time. Not sure what it is exactly about a trio of girls but it's an image I've returned to again and again and crowns just always make everything better.

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I recently decided to switch my online shops around and have moved almost everything back to etsy. This makes it easier for me - managing just one shop. And I hope works great for everyone else - two of the immediate improvements are you can check out with or without paypal and I can accept etsy gift cards.

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If you are in the Seattle area I have three paintings in the POP UP arts night at the Bright gallery on December 8th - a fundraiser in support of Pacific Crest school.

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I'm still adding new prints in my shop - limited and open edition. Many in sizes that are ready for standard frames - prices range from $20 - $95. If there is an painting you had been hoping I'd make a print of let me know and I just might be able to add it to the shop.

she looked to the moon for answers

2012-11-06T10:15:00.000-08:00

"she looked to the moon for answers"
original oil painting on wood
eight inches square
$600 through Sebastian Foster Gallery

Like so many of my paintings this piece is about the search for meaning and a need to understand. And like all the people in my paintings I think she gets the answer she's looking for.

This is one of several new pieces available through Sebastian Foster.

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I also have four new prints available through both of my shops. They are all open edition and printed on standard size paper, ready to frame in store bought frames. Priced at $25 to $30. I'll be adding a few more available images over the week.

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Hope all my readers affected by Sandy are doing well. My thoughts have been with you.

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Don't forget to vote!

memories followed her

2012-10-03T07:34:00.002-07:00

memories followed her
original oil painting on wood
8 inches square
available through sebastian foster gallery

One of three new pieces on the Sebastian Foster site.

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As always there are a few new items in my shop.

there was always light

2012-08-06T11:12:00.002-07:00

there was always light
oil on wood panel
24 by 20 inches
$2400 through Nahcotta gallery

My first larger piece in awhile - bioluminescence of all sort, Northern lights, night blooming flowers and a mysterious ray of light.

This piece along with several others are part of the August group show at Nahcotta gallery - you can read about it here. The show features myself and three artists whose work I adore - Jennifer Davis, Julianna Swaney, and Amanda Kavanagh. All pieces from the show are available to purchase here.

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As always there are a few new small portraits in my shop.

carter

2012-07-17T18:31:00.000-07:00

carter - original oil on wood
3.5" by 5"
$120

It's been awhile but I am still here. I've updated my shop so the navigation is easier - easier to find my work by the category you're interested in. Along with Carter up above there are a few other new little portrait blocks available. And I'm putting all the finishing touches on quite a few new larger pieces for a group show at the Nahcotta gallery this August - I'll be sharing my pieces here as soon as I can.

abigail decided it was time to try

2012-04-04T12:51:00.004-07:00

original oil painting on birch panel
6 inches square
$400

Over the years I've painted quite a few images with abigail - that link shows just a sampling - I thought it was time for her life to change a bit. Somewhere out there is a painting titled "abigail never learned to fly" but when I started this one I thought maybe she just never tried. And what better place than the white cliffs of Dover.

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Getting ready to write my latest semi-monthly newsletter soon - if you'd like to sign up just follow this link.

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I'm almost finished with a new larger piece - bioluminescence, northern lights, nocturnal animals, and night blooming flowers. I do love it. I'll share it here as soon as it's done.

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Oops. Forgot to add - I've now made it easier to purchase work on a payment plan through my shop - this will tell you all about it. This only works in my big cartel shop.

thanks.

In her dreams even the night sky was the color of the sunrise

2012-03-22T12:39:00.000-07:00

original oil painting on birch panel
8 inches square
$600.

I once had a teacher criticize me (in a not at all constructive or polite way) in front of class for using too much pink in my paintings. I don't think his critique had the result he was hoping for.

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i've started a new series of florals. these paintings are painted on small blocks of poplar just like my little portrait blocks. the first three are in my shop and i expect them to be the first of many little pieces that will give a me a break from painting people all the time.

$85. each

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While I am not yet a convert to facebook, it's just too much for me to keep up with, I have given in to the fact that people love it and realized it's really not that hard to update my page pretty regularly and respond to people semi-regularly, so if you're into facebook here's the link:
http://www.facebook.com/thisisalliknow

thanks.

natalie searched the waters depths for answers

2012-02-27T12:36:00.000-08:00

original oil painting on birch panel
six inches square
sold

I'm often asked about what happens next in my paintings - do the wings hold them, does she get the answer she waits for, is he going to be okay - and the answer is always the same, yes. I'm interested in the beauty and mystery found in these often solitary and dark moments of searching and so I paint this same theme again and again. So many of my paintings portray the moment of darkness where things could go either way for the characters in them and while in a way I don't really care about what happens in the end (I couldn't count how many films and books I've left unfinished because the end just doesn't interest me) in my mind they always go well. Natalie does find the answers.

"Natalie searched the waters depths for answers" is one of four new six inch pieces I have available through Sebastian Foster gallery.

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My prints are now available locally here in Madison, Wisconsin at the Hatch Art House. A charming shop featuring only art, crafts and jewelry handmade in Wisconsin.

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As always there are a few new portrait blocks in my shop but as always they sell fast so if you want to make sure you know about them right away sign up for my mailing list to get emails when new work is added to my shop.

enormous tiny art 11 and other news

2012-02-01T12:36:00.000-08:00

I'm happy to again be part of Enormous Tiny Art at Nahcotta gallery in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It's a wonderful group show of original art all under 10 inches square and all pieces are available on their website.

February 1944, Anita and me - Verna
original oil painting on wood block
3.5 by 4.5 inches
$150.

For the show I did a series based on some of the vintage photos I've collected from estate sales and ebay over the years. I chose to work only with images that were written on and used that writing as the titles. The six pieces in the series (along with a few of my little portrait blocks) are available on my page of the Enormous Tiny website - here.

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After many requests the Sebastian Foster gallery and I have printed a second edition of "rebecca wore a dress of wildflowers." This version is slightly smaller - the size of the orginal piece and is an edition of 250. You can buy it here in my store or through the Sebastian Foster gallery.

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I'm thrilled to be the featured artist in the absolutely beautiful Australian magazine Frankie. There's a lot of beautifully printed images, an interview (that I've been too nervous to reread in all it's printed glory so I hope it's good) and even a poster. You can read about the magazine here.

she carried with her the sea

2011-11-28T13:33:00.001-08:00

8 by 10 inch original oil painting on one inch deep birch panel.
Framed in a custom made dark stained wood frame.
See one of the frames here:
http://thisisalliknow.bigcartel.com/product/her-secrets-were-beautiful
$800.

The problem with the format of my blog - post a painting and something about how it was done or what it's all about - and the order in which I post all my work on line - flickr, my shop, twitter, very occasionally on my neglected facebook page and then eventually here - is that when I finish a piece if I don't come up with something to say about it fairly quickly it often sells and then I've moved on to the next piece without ever getting around to showing it here. So while I currently can not think of anything to write about this piece I'm just going to go ahead and share it anyway so that I get a chance to and so that I get something posted here at least once a month, which is nowhere near as often as I'd like to post but at least it's something.

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I have new paintings, block portraits and prints in my shop as well as new paintings available through Sebastian Foster.

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If you are in the San Francisco area I now have some of my prints available at press: works on paper.

they took with them all that mattered and lit fires to remember their way home

2011-10-14T07:31:00.000-07:00

"they took with them all that mattered and lit fires to remember their way home"
original oil painting on birch panel
14 by 18 inches
$1800.

I don't usually have quite as clear of a final painting in mind when starting paintings of this size and larger so it's not really the best example of how I work, generally quite a bit more things come and go in the composition, but I still thought it would be fun to share.

2011-09-28T13:18:00.000-07:00

she always saw beauty
signed limited edition print of original oil painting
image size 8 inches square with a one inch border
$45.

I've added two new prints to my shops, the image above and "the flowers she carried reminder her of the places she'd left behind".

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After way too long I've updated my website with new images and a page about commissioning a custom piece.

she taught her children the language of the seas and the skies, the animals and the flowers

2011-09-16T21:31:00.000-07:00

original oil painting on wood
eleven by fourteen inches
$1600.

Just realized I never posted this painting that I finished a few months ago.

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I've added custom blocks back to both my shops.
http://thisisalliknow.bigcartel.com/category/custom-paintings
http://www.etsy.com/shop/thisisalliknow?section_id=6728943
As always if you are interested in larger custom work just send me an email and I'd be happy to fill you in on how it works.

they built a life out of hope and flowers

2011-09-08T13:47:00.000-07:00

original oil painting on birch panel
14 inches square
$1500

I've been playing with idea of how to paint thoughts and time for a bit now and suddenly it seems to be my main theme when I look around my studio at the work I have in process. This painting started with a drawing from my (too big for me to complete) project I tried last year and with many many sketches and tossed out ideas came to this image. The people are wearing clothes of light, air, life, water and earth (there's a very small fifth figure in the garden). If just felt right that anyone who could build a home of hope would wear clothes of made much more that just cloth.

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As I have been for some time now I'm one of the artists participating in the wonderful Enormous Tiny Art Show at the Nahcotta Gallery in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and as always my work for the show is available online.

mitzi

2011-09-03T07:20:00.000-07:00

original oil painting on wood block
approximately 4.5 by 3.5 inches
$120.

After a lot of time spent packing, a wonderful cross country drive and a bit of time to settle in I've made it to my new home in Madison, Wisconsin and back to work. I'm starting my jump back in to business with adding a selection of ten new portrait blocks to my shop. If you'd like email updates when new items are added to my shop just click here, thanks.

he would always be close to her

2011-06-09T13:18:00.000-07:00

original oil painting on birch panel
10 inches square
sold

The last in my series of superstition paintings (for right now). Hair knit into clothing will make a stronger connection between the knitter and the wearer and for sailors the hair will remind them of home.

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I've been a bit behind when it comes to some things as of late. I'm busy preparing for summer shows and I still have Frances at home with my full time and now I'm packing up for a huge move. This August my family and I will be leaving our beloved Portland, Oregon for Madison, Wisconsin. My husband will be returning to school and we're all pretty excited about the move - although I do fear the cold.

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I've had quite a few people ask about commissions lately - I removed them from my shop because I just don't the time right now but will be adding them back as soon as I'm able - at the earliest October. I'll be sure to post here when I have the time to work on them again.

Ivy and Parker drifted through black seas with only candlelight to guide them

2011-05-31T11:13:00.000-07:00

original oil painting on wood
six inches square
$400.

This piece is one of several new smaller originals available through Sebastian Foster gallery.

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Since I last posted I have quite a few new original oils, acrylics and portrait blocks in my shop.

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I'm currently preparing for July shows:

Cherry Creek Arts Festival
Denver, CO
July 2, 3 and 4

Salem Art Fair and Festival
Salem, OR
July 15, 16 and 17

Bellevue Arts Museum Arts Fair
Bellevue, WA
July 29, 30 and 31

in hope of changing their fate

2011-03-24T14:30:00.000-07:00

original oil painting on wood
36 inches square
sold

sometimes it's rather difficult to decide what to say about a painting when i post it here, how to sum it up in a few sentences. i could easily provide a list of the meaning of every detail but i don't want to kill the mystery. i worked on this piece off and on for two years - the lists of possible characters and stacks of books with marked pages can all finally be put away - and last night i decided on the title and now it's all done and just explaining it all away seems rather anticlimactic. so i'll say this - often the most difficult part of painting is knowing when to stop but then there's also the moment when it all suddenly comes together and you know one brush stroke more would be too much and that's what happened here and that moment is wonderful and i hope that feeling comes through in the finished piece.

there's my sappy blog post for the month.

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i added another original to the shop (i'll feature it here later) "she taught her children the language of the seas and the skies, the animals and the flowers" it's another piece i worked on for a year before it finally came together and i'm pretty in love with it.

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i have several new prints in my shop and one more to come - tomorrow maybe?

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and one last bit of news - i'll be at the best of the northwest show at magnuson park, seattle. do stop by and say hi if you're in the area.

she longed for visions of love

2011-03-11T15:33:00.000-08:00

8 inches square
original oil painting on birch panel
sold
burning letters to see visions of her true love in the smoke

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i have one new print in my shop - every night she sent out messages and waited for an answer

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i have a few more little block paintings in my shop. you can read a little bit about some of them in a recent feature on the my love for you... blog

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to my readers in japan - i hope you and your families are safe, take care.

they took apart the world they had to make a better one

2011-02-25T11:08:00.000-08:00

original oil painting on wood
18 inches square
$1800 through sebastian foster gallery

i recently took part in the group exhibition re:form school. the artists were given several themes to choose from, this is my piece based on the idea of community.

brick by brick the people tear apart their buildings and come together to make something new.

tonight her dreams would be beautiful

2011-02-14T14:45:00.000-08:00

original oil painting on wood
eight by ten inches
sold

as i near the final stages of a 36 inch square piece about superstition all the time spent researching ideas for it left me with many ideas that didn't fit into the larger piece so i'll have many new smaller superstion themed pieces to share over the coming weeks.

this piece is about the superstition surrounding dreams and nightmares. some of the imagery - keys under the pillow, boughs of fir decorating a bed, a necklace of peonies... are ones found in books and some are my own inventions. while studying art history in college i was often frustrated by the presumptions made about the meaning behind so much of the work we studied but then one day it all clicked the other way for me - i love that just by painting something it gives it meaning and much of my work has been about that idea. the importance given even the most simple things just by adding them to a painting is so fascinating to me.

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working on some new prints - should have three new editions to share soon.

eugenie

2011-02-10T16:01:00.000-08:00

oil painting on wood block
approximately 3.5 by 4.5 inches
sold

eugenie is one of many new blocks in my shop right now. which isn't really news enough for me to generally post on my blog (for little updates like that it's best to just sign up for emailed shop updates). the actual news is that i had made a little coding mistake and had made it impossible for people to purchase anything in my shop for the past few days, oops. it's all better now.

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also happy to announce i'll be at the best of the northwest art show in seattle march 26 and 27.

suddenly the color of the sky reminded louisa of all the dreams she had ever forgotten

2011-01-31T16:37:00.000-08:00

original oil painting on birch panel
eight by ten inches
sold

several months ago i turned over one of my panels and saw this title scribbled on the back. i'd been sure enough of the concept that i skipped my usual places to jot down ideas while i think them over (on my easel, on my desk, on my wall, in the margin of one of my dictionaries of superstitions or occasionally in my sketchbook) and had gone straight to writing the title on a panel, an action i generally reserve for finished pieces but then somehow i forgot completely about it, which i guess is rather perfect. now that i've finished the piece i have to wonder if i'll ever remember when the idea came to me.

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i added an email subscription box on this site and in my shop so you can have my blog posts or the latest additions to my shop emailed to you.

i added one more little block to the shop today - maureen.