Uncorporated

"that night the poor drummer died..."

2012-01-21T15:43:00.005-05:00

Happy Saturday, everyone! I know posts have been sparse lately, but I've actually been working on quite a bit. And, while I was working, I came across my last "Findings" piece that I finished a few months back, but never posted. I'm pretty sure that was when my scanner broke, so I foolishly set it aside thinking that I'd get to it in no time. And then several months passed.

Well...finally got a new scanner, and as it turns out, the new one is a lot less forgiving with more three dimensional objects. I got surprisingly good scans of these with the old one, despite the fact that it wasn't a scanner made for anything thicker than the newspaper. This one, though it is quite nice, has no love for my paintings. This is the last of the "Findings" series, though, so I made do. This was one of my favorites to do, I think. I kept finding all of these buttons in my drawers, spare ones from shirts and pants that I'd bought. I had managed to amass quite a collection, so I sacrificed a bunch of the more common buttons for this piece. And, if it turns out one day that I lose a shirt button, and the proper replacement color happens to be in this piece...at least I'll have a good story to tell people if they notice.

New series of work is underway now, though I'm not as far along as I'd hoped to be. Maaaaaybe next week I'll have a preview.

Eastbound and down,

Amy

"adventure and shenanigans, the two go hand in hand..."

2012-01-08T23:15:00.005-05:00

So...has it REALLY been two months? Seriously, that's on me. My bad, kids. I haven't really had a lot to talk about, I guess. I HAVE been working on some new work (including a new series), but haven't had anything solid to show you until now. The holidays always take a lot of time away from working. Family parties, and the like. Also, eating a TON of cookies.

I'm here to rectify things, though! I've got an in-progress pic of a found object painting I'm working on. Finally found a use for my old cassette tapes!

The picture is of the base layer- I'm still using mostly medium at this point, working with the surface texture. Turns out that the tape inside of a cassette is REALLY difficult to work on! I'm on probably my third or fourth coat of gel medium, just trying to get the tape stiff enough to paint on without destroying it (there's a reason those didn't stand the test of time). Really excited to start working on this. I'm also in the very early stages of another found object painting, which is an ode to one of my favorite places.

I've also started a new series of work this weekend- hoping to post an in-progress picture, or possibly even a finished piece, within the next week or so. Also looking forward to developing those.

OH, one last thing! I came across a "Findings" piece that I don't think I ever scanned/posted here. Finished it a couple of months ago when my scanner broke, and just never got around to it. Look for that next weekend as well.

Eastbound and down,

Amy

"I can stomp and swagger..."

2011-11-05T14:23:00.003-04:00

I promised this post like a week ago- sorry! Haven't had time to upload my pics until today. The show at Kuhnhenn was amazing! I met some really cool people (to the engineers who tried to solve my hanging issues- thanks for the suggestions!), had some outstanding beer (their All Hallows Ale was SO GOOD, and I'm not usually a big fan of pumpkin beer), and had a great time. I didn't stick around as long as I'd intended- some issues forced my early exit, unfortunately. Also, the walls were behaving differently this time- a few of my hooks weren't sticking to the wall. Despite a couple of falls, though, I had fun.

I got a few good pictures of the work- the brewery really is a great-looking space. Had about 20 paintings up originally. Thanks to those who came out to see me and the work, and especially thanks to Bret and the staff there for being so welcoming and awesome!

In other news, I don't really have a lot to report right now. I'm starting some new paintings soon, but don't have anything to show you yet. I've got a couple of possibilities in the works, but nothing solid to talk about yet. Hopefully soon!

Eastbound and down,

Amy

"evolved from monkeys to robots..."

2011-10-22T21:57:00.007-04:00

I come bearing gifts! By which I mean I took some pics of my paintings in the Henry Ford Museum gift shop, and have posted them here for you to see. It's kind of like a gift. Or maybe not.

At any rate, pics! First one is of my page in the catalog- still weird seeing it there. Three others are sneaky pics I took of my work in the shop. I'm not sure if photography is allowed in there (some places are weird about it), so I just got it done quietly. They look really good in the shop! I'm quite happy with this.

Just wanted to share!

Eastbound and down,

Amy

"I'll do most anything cuz I don't care..."

2011-10-16T12:55:00.002-04:00

Happy Sunday, kids! I've got more news to announce, and it's my favorite type of news. I've got a show coming up! Work from my 99 Bottles series will be up at the Kuhnhenn Brewery- details neatly laid out below:

WHEN: Wednesday, October 26

WHERE: Kuhnhenn Brewery (5919 Chicago Rd, Warren MI)

TIME: I'm setting up in the afternoon, so I'll tentatively say that if you show up anytime after 5, you'll be in luck.

WHY: Having recently finished the 99 series, I wanted to do one more showing of them at a brewery. Kuhnhenn is an awesome brewery that took a chance on showing my work a couple of years ago. The beer is delicious, the place is cool, and the owners are totally great guys.

It's a one day only sort of deal- they're having their All Hallows Ale release party that day as well (one of their fall seasonal beers, which I'm SUPER EXCITED to try). It's always a good time at Kuhnhenn, and the beer really is outstanding- they've also got wine and mead if you're into that.

Hopefully I'll see you there!

Eastbound and down,

Amy

Totally amazing news

2011-10-13T23:21:00.002-04:00

Hey kids! Small bit of (totally awesome) news tonight. I believe I mentioned that my work was going to be featured in the Henry Ford Museum holiday catalog? Well, I finally got my hands on a copy today! I'm not sure how soon it will hit mailboxes and stuff, but I'm guessing soon. Also not sure exactly when the paintings will hit the gift shop, but I'm also guessing soon on that.

I will probably post pictures of my spread in the catalog soon (because I'm a crazy person), but you can also check it out online. I'm on page 16, if you were wondering.

Eastbound and down,

Amy

"you're gonna love me cuz I'm sane..."

2011-09-12T15:51:00.002-04:00

Hey kids- I'm sorry it's been so quiet here lately. In addition to working on the second round of paintings for the Henry Ford Museum (which will be dropped off later this week), my personal life has been wicked busy lately. I stood up in my best friend's wedding a couple of weeks ago, and the two charities I'm involved with have had some fundraisers lately.

Needless to say, posting new work has been a little difficult this past month. I'm hoping to put a stop to that soon, and get this thing active again. In the mean time, however, I wanted to share a little info about the charities. They're pretty near and dear, so I like to get the word out about them as much as I can. First one is one I've probably mentioned before- The Annual KDB Melanoma Walk/Run. The event was started by a good friend of mine, in honor of another friend we lost to melanoma. We're in our sixth year of the event, and this year is already shaping up to be amazing! The walk/run is on Sunday, October 9 out at Kensington Metro Park in Milford MI. Full details are on the website. We're partnering with a new group this year, Aim at Melanoma, in addition to the Melanoma Research Foundation. If you can make it out to the event, the more the merrier! If you can't, but still want to help us raise money for melanoma research, you can still donate to the event. It's always a great time with amazing people, and we're helping out a fantastic cause.

The second charity I'm involved with is the Relay for Life, for the American Cancer Society. This is my second year officially on a team, though I've been helping on the periphery of my current team for a few years now. My team, Team Dearborn, does a lot of year-round fundraising, so we've always got some sort of event in the works. We just recently had our first Charity Pub Crawl, which we hope to make a semi-annual event. The actual Relay for Life in my city isn't until May, but like I said, we're an active team. It's an amazing event, and there are events all over the place- you can find one near you on the website. Again, if you'd like to donate, here's where you can do that.

Sorry for the info/link dump, but I just wanted to fill you in on what's been keeping me occupied lately. Hooooopefully something new soon?

Eastbound and down,

Amy

"but I haven't got a stitch to wear..."

2011-08-06T16:13:00.002-04:00

Happy Saturday, kids! It's been a pretty busy summer so far, and August is looking even busier. I'm hoping to get another new painting up here soon, but that depends on how crazy my life is in the next week. I'll do my best.

As for right now, this is the third and final painting in my Greenfield Village series. It's the re-done Menlo Light- I'm really happy with how this came out. As much as I love the first one, seeing this one up next to the first two paintings is great. They work really well together. I don't have any solid info on the holiday catalog they'll be in, but I'll post that here once I know anything. Probably won't be until closer to the actual holidays. For now, enjoy!

Might not be much else going on for the time being- as always, I'll keep you posted if anything does come up.

Eastbound and down,

Amy

"there's better guys everywhere, so there..."

2011-07-22T19:46:00.002-04:00

I still kind of can't believe that I'm finally putting this up here. This is the LAST of the 99 Bottles series! I started this series in 2007, and it took a few months for me to really hit my stride and fully understand what I was doing with the work, and how it was going to look. I'm really pleased that it's done, and proud that I finished something that sounded like a REALLY REALLY massive (but great) project when I started. Though I will admit to being just a little sad that I'll never be able to see all 99 together in one space (as some have already been sold), that's how I always envisioned it- having this huge series of work split up, all living in other people's houses and on different walls all over the place. That's a more impressive thought to me- the fact that someone other than my mother would want to put something I made on their walls. Slightly confusing, but impressive.

So, #99. It's called "Well This Calls for a Toast", and the beer is, appropriately, Krait Prestige champagne lager. Title inspired by Panic at the Disco lyrics. As soon as I saw the beer in the store, I knew it was going to be the last painting of the series. I'd started it with Miller High Life (the champagne of beer), and ended it with a champagne lager was the only way to go. I also knew exactly what I wanted to do with the painting, which was a bit of a rarity with this project. Enjoy!

Think I'm gonna end this post here. New work next week!

Eastbound and down,

Amy

"he ate my heart and then he ate my brain..."

2011-07-20T21:02:00.003-04:00

For anyone in MI- holy hell, this heat we're having! Anyone else find themselves ACTUALLY missing the cold? For everyone else- I hope your weather is more pleasant than ours.

Today's painting is actually something that I'm redoing now. I've been working on paintings of the beers that are brewed for Greenfield Village (the first 2 have already been posted here). I just finished one of the third beer, Menlo Light, not too long ago. I love it, but it doesn't really fit with the other two I've done. I'm doing another painting of it now- they'll look really good together after I finish it. However, I didn't have it in me to reuse this canvas. I love how it turned out- the empty bottle (which is clear glass) next to the light bulb. Thoughts?

I've got the last of the 99 series to post later this week. Friday, maybe?

Eastbound and down,

Amy

"I can take the knocks..."

2011-07-10T21:25:00.002-04:00

Evening kids- hope your weekend has been as good as mine! Even though I had to go in to myday job on Saturday, it was still pretty awesome. I was going to post the new painting earlier this week, but things in my life were a little hectic. If it helps, the next couple of posts (with new work!) should be coming in the next two weeks or so.

This painting (#98 of the series for anyone curious) is called "Listen to Yourself Churn", and the beer is La Fin Du Monde. Translation: the end of the world. Song title comes from my beloved R.E.M. I'm really excited about how this turned out- the perspective is one I haven't tried yet in this series, and the fire in the background looks a lot better than I'd imagined. Let me know what you think!

Still haven't got official word on the start date for the Downriver Artists Market- I'll post the date once I get it. Soon, I hope.

New work coming soon includes the last of the 99 series, and the last of my Greenfield Village beer paintings! Really happy with both of them.

Eastbound and down,

Amy

"bombs away is your punishment..."

2011-07-02T16:40:00.003-04:00

Hey kids- how's your Saturday treating you so far? My day has consisted of painting and leftover chicken tenders; I can only hope yours is half as good as mine!

Lots of new work on the horizon here at Uncorporated. New painting today, another new one later this week, and THE LAST OF THE 99 SERIES SHORTLY AFTER THAT. That's right- I'm almost done with painting #99. My mind? Is blown. Considering how long I've been working on this project, it's really really weird to be at this point. I'll have to figure out an appropriate way to celebrate when I'm done!

For now, though- new work! #96 of the series, should you care about those things. It's called "Not Fat Abbot", and the beer is Arbor Brewing's Phat Abbot Dubbel. Very nice stuff. The title is a play on on of Zach Galifianakis' bits (one where he's playing the piano). It's basically all I could ever think of when I told people the name of the beer, so it seemed really fitting. I've been working on this one for quite some time- I was looking at pictures of monastaries and I kept coming across images of some really cool old buildings that were falling apart a little bit. The look of an intricate archway set in a wall that's crumbling was too good for me to pass up, so my monk/bottle is hanging out there. Comments are welcome!

Other news...I won't be in ArtPrize this year. I couldn't get connected with a venue in time- partially my own fault, I think. Maybe I waited longer than last time to register and everything. Not a huge deal, though- there's always next year.

Still waiting for confirmation on the start date of the Downriver Artists Market. Potentially July 9, but we'll see how that goes.

Might be all for now. Sidebar, though- for anyone interested in supporting the American Cancer Society, my Relay for Life team is working on some very cool summer fundraisers. If you're in my area, trust me when I say you'll hear about it!

Eastbound and down,

Amy

Date change for Artists Market

2011-06-07T23:43:00.001-04:00

Hey kids- just wanted to let you know that the Downriver Artists Market won't be starting until probably July 9 (hopefully). We've got some more official type paperwork stuff (is it obvious that I'm not in charge of anything about this yet?) to deal with. Nothing major, just waiting for meetings and such to happen. I'll keep you posted on an official start date, but July 9 is what we're looking at right now.

Eastbound and down,

Amy

"if you really wanna see me, check the papers and the TV..."

2011-06-05T21:05:00.003-04:00

Hey kids- how's everyone weekend been? This was my first actual weekend without working (used to have to work on Saturdays, but not during the summer!), so I wasn't as productive as I'd hoped to be. Next weekend, for sure. And I actually will be busy next weekend- the Downriver Artists Market starts on Saturday, June 11! Look for the info post coming later in the week (Tuesday, maybe?) with full details.

For now, new painting! The piece is called "Who Smells of Sunflowers", and the beer is Samurai (from Great Divide Brewing Co.- love them). Title comes from "Samurai Champloo", which I'm working my way through right now. So far, really digging it. Any other anime recommendations are welcome, since we're on the subject. I think the background coloring on this is actually a little richer on the actual painting- the scan washed it out just a little bit. In addition to recommendations, comments on the work are always welcome!

Gonna keep this one short today. Nothing much else to mention at the moment anyways.

Eastbound and down,

Amy

"I wanna steal from the rich and give to the poor..."

2011-06-01T20:48:00.003-04:00

Hey kids! Anyone else in southeastern MI wondering where spring went? We went from chilly and rainy to scorching hot. I shouldn't be surprised after living here so long, but still. It's the principle.

Only real business today- new painting! I just finished this the other day, and I'm really excited to post it. This one is called "From a Bumper Sticker", and the beer is Ommegang Three Philosophers. Really good stuff. Title comes from the Green Day song "Warning". Also, for those keeping score, there are only four more paintings in the series! I'm working on three of them right now, and the fourth is actually finished. I just need to title and scan that one. Should be posted this weekend, if all goes well. As always, feel free to leave a comment!

Nothing else solid to report right now- the Downriver Artists Market is starting on Saturday, June 11th, from 11 AM to 3 PM. A separate post with address and stuff is coming soon. I've got a couple other things in the works right now- details will come once the projects are finished.

I think that's it for now. Enjoy your evening (or whatever time of day it is when you read this)!

Eastbound and down,

Amy

"pay no mind to what they say..."

2011-05-29T03:08:00.003-04:00

Happy...what do you say when you're greeting people at 3 AM, and you're not drunk? I don't know what the common protocol is here. So...hey everyone!

I don't have a new painting (yet...stay tuned for something new later this weekend), but I do have a little bit of happy news. Earlier this week, I started painting #99 in my 99 Bottles series! This has been a LONG time coming- I think the first painting of the series was completed in early 2007. I've got three other paintings to finish in this project, and then it'll be done. I'm still not sure how I feel about this. The only other thing I've devoted nearly this much time to was college. There's other work I'll be focusing on, but still...it's a very odd feeling.

So, new painting in the next couple of days, and then I'll be making the final push to finish!

Eastbound and down,

Amy

"think of me in the depths of your despair..."

2011-05-21T23:11:00.003-04:00

Happy Saturday, kids! Apart from having gone to work today, this was an excellent day!

Couple of things for today- first of all, new painting! This is one of the beers that I knew was going to be part of the series as soon as I heard the name. This piece is called "Blast the System", and the beer is Ghettoblaster (from Detroit's own Motor City Brewing Works). The title comes from some Voodoo Glow Skulls lyrics. I love how this one came out- I sat on this bottle for awhile, actually- I wasn't sure how I wanted to tackle this image. Ended up being worth the wait for me. Hopefully you feel the same way? Let me know!

Second piece of news on the agenda today- there's been a slight change of date on the Downriver Artists Market that I mentioned a couple of weeks ago. It will now be starting on Saturday, June 11. Hours are going to be 11-3 on Saturdays during the summer. There will be a separate post with more specific info once that gets closer. I'm still tentatively planning on being there most days. I'm excited to see what the other artists bring to this event!

That might be all for now. Couple more projects in the works, but I'm not sure when I'll have any details for you.

Eastbound and down,

Amy

Downriver Artists Market

2011-05-09T21:40:00.003-04:00

Hey kids! I don't know if I've mentioned it yet, but this summer I'll be part of a new weekly event that you might want to check out. It's the Downriver Artists Market, and I'm pretty excited about it! The basic details (dates, times, location) can be found on the blog that's linked in this post. I'm hoping to be there most Saturdays, unless I have some major, impossible-to-move event or something like that. It starts June 4, so you can definitely expect some more reminder posts in the future, maybe with more info. It should be a good time, and it's pretty DIY, which I'm always a fan of.

That's all for now. Hopefully more this weekend? Not sure.

Eastbound and down,

Amy

In which I apologize...

2011-05-04T10:42:00.002-04:00

Again! I know! I was at the Relay for Life this weekend, ALL weekend. Getting prepped for that and all the fundraising has been taking my time for the last month or so. Well worth it, though- at last count, the Dearborn MI Relay had raised over $109,000 (and counting)! To make up for my absence, I thought I'd post a picture from Relay. Just a little taste of how my team spent our day:

Seemed appropriate for the day!

Eastbound and down,

Amy

"not afraid to be mistaken..."

2011-03-26T21:06:00.002-04:00

Hey kids! Hope everyone's weekend is going well. I meant to post this earlier, but I didn't have work today, so I got caught up working on some projects. Nothing new painting related, at least at the moment.

This is one of those paintings that just gave me trouble, and I can't pin down why. Just kept looking...off. It's called "4 Seconds", and the beer is Crown Jewels (from Dragonmead, in Warren MI- highly recommend them!). The title comes from a bit in Futurama. Pretty early on, I decided that I wanted to go a little less specific on the actual 'crown jewels' bit of the piece. A little more like the riches displayed in the animated "Robin Hood". I actually really enjoy the look of it, even though it's not anything that clear.

I am hoping to have another painting to post soon, but (as always) it depends on how the process goes. Can never predict the roadblocks, only roll with them.

Eastbound and down,

Amy

"without these pills you're let loose..."

2011-03-09T23:30:00.004-05:00

Hey kids! Bonus midnight post because I finally finished my (Not So) Secret Project! Recently found out that Greenfield Village (in Dearborn, MI for those who don't know) has a couple of beers that are made specially for them. The names and imagery were too fun to pass up for someone who's been on approximately 2,000 field trips to the Village. They aren't part of the 99 Bottles series, but I couldn't resist. Enjoy! As always, comments are welcome and encouraged.

Maybe something new next week? It's been a long week, so I'm not entirely sure.

Eastbound and down,

Amy

"I wanna walk along with you..."

2011-02-25T16:52:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone! Hope your Friday is going as well as mine is. It's been a relatively productive day, considering I've only been up for about 5 hours (don't judge). I have a new painting to post, and I just put in my entry for the New American Paintings competitions. I'm excited about that, but also nervous. So...the usual mix.

I have been working on this painting for AGES. I am THRILLED that it's done and I'm finally happy with it. To give you an idea, the last painting I posted was #93 in the series, whereas this one is actually #88. And it's finally finished! The painting is called "The Only Time I Feel Alive", and the beer is Pinstripe Red Ale (from Ska Brewing- I love them and I wish they distributed in Michigan). The title comes from a Millencolin song. One of my favorite songs about bowling! Also one of the only songs about bowling I've ever heard, very possibly THE only. Not important.

As always, comments are welcome!

Other than eagerly awaiting news of the competition, I don't have a lot else to report on right now. Maybe another post next week?

Eastbound and down,

Amy

"but I'm perfectly good at it..."

2011-02-20T13:58:00.003-05:00

Hey kids- hope everyone is enjoying the weekend (especially if, like me, you get a long weekend because of the holiday on Monday)! I've been working on a few things lately, and haven't actually FINISHED much work. I think that'll be changing soon, though.

As for today, I've got a new Findings piece to show you. This one is "#13 (Lottery)". I work in a library, and I find things in books a lot- shopping lists, homework assignments, junk mail. A lot of the stuff is pretty generic, but sometimes I find really cool things. Not too long ago, I found a bunch of those scratch-off lottery tickets on a shelf. I checked them just to make sure, and they were all losers. I brought them home, though, and used them in this painting. It just made me kind of happy to find something so random.

Might be some cool stuff on the horizon- like I said, I'm working on some new projects. I am closing in on the end of the 99 Bottles series, but with the new work in the mix, it might be slightly delayed. Hopefully there'll be another new post next week.

Eastbound and down,

Amy

"so I say hello to wasted hours..."

2011-02-10T20:30:00.003-05:00

Happy Thursday, kids! Maybe it's only happy if you're me, and you don't work on Fridays. No matter.

I've got a new painting today. Finished it the other night, and I'm really excited about it. It's called "Taken Down By a Kick to the Balls", and the title comes from a song by the Dropkick Murphys. The song ("This is Your Life") gets in my head EVERY time I look at the bottle, so it's only fitting. The beer is Busted Knuckle, and it's good stuff. Irish reds are usually winners in my book (unless they suck). In particular with this painting, I am really happy with how the trash can in the back turned out. Enjoy the painting, and let me know what you think!

I've got two more finished paintings to post in the coming days; they just need titles. For as much as I love the paintings and beers, the titles are kicking my ass. I'm working on it, though!

Also, I am closing in on the end of this project. Working on paintings #94-96 right now. I'm stoked to be so close to the finish line, but also a little freaked out. This has been a long project. I am considering doing a 100th piece, though, to close it out. We'll see how it goes.

Eastbound and down,

Amy

"it's time to take control..."

2011-01-21T16:07:00.004-05:00

Happy Friday! I hope everyone else is having as good a day as I am- so far mine has included painting, watching Party Down, and macaroni and cheese.

No new paintings to post today, just a sketch. This is something I've been working on lately, and I'm pretty excited about it. I started working on a 19" by 24" drawing last night. I haven't been doing a ton of drawing of late, so I've been happy to get back into it. Thoughts, as always, are welcome.

Not much else going on at the moment, just wanted to put up a quick post. Let you know I'm not dead, and all that.

Eastbound and down,

Amy

"have you seen my sis..."

2011-01-05T21:07:00.002-05:00

Evening kids! How's everyone's 2011 so far? It's been a really rough week at work, but things are looking up. If things had kept on like they'd been going yesterday, this post would DEFINITELY have waited until the weekend. Fortunately, that wasn't the case!

This painting is called "Luscious Deep Dark". The beer is Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout, and I ABSOLUTELY recommend it. If you like stouts, try this beer. I can't find it in my area, but luckily I had cause to go to New York a while back (Hint, hint- Brooklyn, please start distributing bottles in the mitten). The title comes from a description of the beer on their website, and I really just loved the phrase. It's completely accurate and the language is great. What I liked most about this bottle was the color scheme- black with silvers and golds on the label. I decided to keep the painting simple and stick with what I liked best.

I've got a few new projects that I'm working on right now, all in various states of completion. I'll try to post some previews in the next couple of weeks if I've got a chance. Beyond that, the next new painting might be a little bit- all of the pieces I'm working on at the moment are all in pretty early stages. Again, more as I have it.

Oh, and in case you missed it, you can now buy my work on Etsy. I mean, you can always just email me and do it that way, but that's an option too. Right now I'm still putting the 99 Bottles paintings on there (not all up yet, but soon). After that, I'll be putting the Findings paintings up, and then probably some older work. I haven't decided what yet, though. Check it out!

Eastbound and down,

Amy

"bustin' makes me feel good..."

2011-01-01T21:31:00.002-05:00

Happy 2011, kids! Hope everyone had a good night and a relatively pain-free day. I'll have a new painting to post (hopefully) next weekend, if not a bit sooner. For now, though, I just wanted to put this up here- the link to my Etsy page. I'm starting with the 99 Bottles paintings (putting them up in batches, so there'll be more tomorrow), then the Findings and probably some older work. Like everything else in my life, it's a work in progress.

I also need to seriously update my links, but I've put it off so long it's now a major project, complete with looking-links-up-in-magazines reference work.

So, I know it's a small update, but I'm trying to post more consistently. We'll see how that goes.

Eastbound and down,

Amy

"you're a bum, you're a punk..."

2010-12-24T17:54:00.003-05:00

Merry Christmas Eve! This post has been a long time coming, but between the holidays and a lot going on at my day job, I haven't had time to post. That should be rectified in the new year, though. I'm getting very close to finishing the 99 Bottles series, which is both exciting and bizarre.

This painting is called "Suddenly Everybody is a Theology Scholar", and I've been super excited to do this one since I found this beer. It's Holy Moses White Ale, from Great Lakes Brewing Co. (they are awesome, I recommend any of their beers). The title comes from one of my (many) favorite parts in "Dogma". I was quite nervous about painting this sky, as it's been some time since I've done anything like it. Really pleased with it, though. Comments, as always, are welcome.

I don't have much to report right now- the next painting probably won't be posted until after the first of the year (although if I find time before then I'll put it up). Still looking into places to show, so any suggestions are also welcome. I'm also thinking of putting some of my older work (from college) up on Etsy. I still like the work, and it deserves a better home than my basement. More on that as it happens.

Have a good Christmas, if you celebrate! If not, have a good Saturday!

Eastbound and down,

Amy

"and I'm more Atari..."

2010-11-19T17:10:00.003-05:00

Hey kids- I'd like to say "Happy Friday", but this day has been nothing but bad so far. I've resolved to do nothing but stay in the house and ignore the world for the rest of the evening.

Despite all that, there IS a new painting! I was going to post it last week (as mentioned in the previous blogpost), but I didn't feel 100% about it, so I kept working. Now, though, I feel 110% good about this piece. I kind of love it, you guys. Maybe you will, too? This is called "I'm a Slayer, Ask Me How!" and PLEASE tell me you get the reference? Those who are unsure, feel free to comment/email about it. The beer is Giant Slayer, from Tri-City Brewing (Bay City,MI!), and it's delicious. Russian Imperial Stouts are always a good decision. I'm told my monster is both scary and kind of cute, which is okay with me. Thoughts?

That's about it for now. Might not be a new piece for a couple of weeks, with Thanksgiving and all.

Eastbound and down,

Amy

"I need a doctor, kinda sorta..."

2010-11-07T19:28:00.002-05:00

Hey kids- who else totally loved the extra hour of sleep? Thanks, daylight savings!

Only one bit of news right now- there's a new painting! I'm very pleased with this one- everything came together really quickly, and I never had any really long periods of frustration over it. Which sometimes happens, but luckily not all the time. This one is called "Maybe Going to Russia?" and the beer is Red Rocket Ale. Really good stuff, if you can find it in your area (I can't; this was purchased during an out-of-state trip). Bonus points to those who get the title!

I've got one more piece finished right now- I'm thinking that will be posted on Friday, maybe. I'm starting a different job this week and might be too overrun with information to manage a new blog post.

Eastbound and down,

Amy

"I'm getting my soul reapplied..."

2010-11-03T20:12:00.003-04:00

Evening everyone! I was going to do a separate post for this first bit of information, but it seemed silly when I had new work to post. I finally got around to creating a Facebook page. Not that I'm new to Facebook or anything, but I like to keep my personal FB just that- personal. I created a fan page for my artwork, so if you're into that particular bit of social media, check it out! It's still pretty sparse- definitely still adding things and working on it. Any suggestions for that are totally welcome- in the comments here or there.

Now, the work! This is another from the Findings series, "Findings #12 (Bavarian Inn)". The Bavarian Inn is in Frankenmuth MI (Michigan's Little Bavaria!) and is probably one of my favorite restaurants in the world. By extension, Frankenmuth is one of my favorite places in the world. If you haven't been, I highly suggest it! You get a little decorative pick when you order ice cream there (in the shape of lederhosen-clad boys and girls). True fact: I enjoyed this one so much I'm actually going to be doing another one all about Frankenmuth. Haven't started it just yet, but hopefully that'll be underway soon.

Another new 99 Bottles painting should be going up this weekend. Not much else going on at the moment, unfortunately. For now, check out the Facebook page and enjoy the work!

Eastbound and down,

Amy

"but things aren't what they seem..."

2010-10-29T17:22:00.002-04:00

Hey kids! I know I said the next post would be on Wednesday, but I was just about finished with the painting you're about to see, and I really wanted to finish it. I'm pretty excited to be done with it, since I've been working on it for AGES. I kept screwing up the background and having to redo it. I have another from the Findings series to put up here next week, but this one really needed to be posted.

This one is called "Suitably Royal", and the beer is Newcastle. One of my favorites for hanging out and playing video games, actually. The title comes from the little blurb on the back label. I just really enjoyed the phrase, and it seemed fitting with the castle in the background and all. As always, feel free to leave a comment, some love...whatever.

As I said, next painting will be up next week. I had a job interview this week, so my time got away from me a little bit. I don't have any other interviews or anything on the horizon, though, so there shouldn't be anything delaying me after this.

Have a great Halloween, everyone!

Eastbound and down,

Amy

"I'm having such a good time..."

2010-10-24T14:35:00.002-04:00

Hey kids- happy Sunday! I guess it's not totally happy since I have to work tomorrow, but still. Not a bad day so far.

Not a whole lot in the way of news right now, but I do have some new work! I've got, I think, three new paintings to post. Hopefully those will all be up within the next week or so. The first one is from the Findings series. This is "Findings #11 (Rx)". Lot more dimension on this one than some of the previous ones. Personally, I'm digging it. Although I must say, scanning it was difficult, since it wouldn't sit flat. Managed to get around it, though- enjoy!

As I said, nothing much of note right now. I'm within the last dozen or so of the 99 Bottles series, which is pretty exciting. Hoping to have more of those to post soon. Next one will be up probably Wednesday, I'm thinking.

Eastbound and down,

Amy

"I've liked you for a thousand years..."

2010-10-13T23:11:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone- sorry for the absence! Lots of real life things decided to get in my way- some necessary (job applications!), some productive (places showing my work! PS details below), and some amazing (5th Annual KDB Melanoma Walk was last weekend). At any rate, I've got a couple new pieces to put up here.

Today's piece is called "Brewing Metropolis", and the beer is Hofbrau Original. Perhaps my favorite German beer. Visiting Hofbrauhaus is definitely on my to-do list. For now, this will have to suffice. This is based on a picture my sister took there when she was in Germany. I really really loved the lamp and the cool stuff over the doorway. I was struggling with what exactly to put in the painting, but once she showed me the photo, my decision was made. Enjoy!

Ok, information time! The Starkweather Arts Center in Romeo MI is having a Halloween show called La Grotesque this month. I'm not in it, but a couple of my thematically appropriate beer paintings are in the gift shop! I saw some of the work for the show when I was out there, and it looks like it'll be an amazing show. Closing reception is on Saturday, October 30. Full info on their website!

I think that's all the news I've got for now.

Eastbound and down,

Amy

"there is no one on earth I'm afraid of..."

2010-09-23T00:13:00.003-04:00

Evening kids! I was going to post this a little earlier in the day, but I got busy painting and working on some new projects.

This is the latest in the 99 series. The painting is called "In the Loop", and the beer is Goose Island 312. Very good beer. I was sort of dreading painting a cityscape, but once I figured out how I wanted to do it, it came together pretty quickly. Little more abstract, which always makes me happy. Title is because 312 is the area code of the Loop in Chicago. Thoughts?

There'll be another new painting this weekend!

ALSO: get ready for the 5th Annual KDB Melanoma Walk! It's on Sunday, October 10, so if you're in the Metro Detroit area and want to help us raise money for melanoma research, check it out! It's always a good time.

Eastbound and down,

Amy

"ten o'clock, and I know I gotta hit the road..."

2010-09-19T18:35:00.002-04:00

Hey kids- happy Sunday! PS I'm not all that happy about it being Sunday. STILL! As promised, new painting! I've got another from the 99 series to post, but I thought I'd alternate those with my other body of work.

This one is called "Where My Feet Have Taken Me", and it's actually in a show right now! Out at OCC (Orchard Ridge campus), it's part of From Our Perspective. The show just opened last week, and it's really amazing. If you're in the area, I highly recommend it!

This is the second piece I've done where I've taken the concepts from my Findings series, and scaled them up. Really pleased with this one- it's got a lot of texture. Some of the texture is from the items glued on (address labels, ticket stubs, receipts), and some of it is from different mediums (my new favorite is extra coarse pumice gel).

I'm thinking the next post will be Wednesday, maybe. Depends on how my day job goes. As always, comments are welcome!

Eastbound and down,

Amy

"is this real or just a dream?"

2010-09-16T23:58:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone! I hope your day was as awesome as mine was. If it wasn't, then I hope your tomorrow is.

Had the opening reception for From Our Perspective at OCC tonight- great show! Some really amazing work, and some very cool people (even if I can't remember ANYONE, despite my very best efforts). I'll be posting pics from the show, and of that painting, soon. Probably early next week. Also, to make up for the lack of posting, I'll be putting up another 1 or 2 new pieces AFTER this one! My scanner is happily working again.

This piece is called "'Special Ingredients'", and the beer is 13th Century Grut Bier. Suggested and requested by a friend of mine (hey Mary!), the beer is kinda crazy. Not like any other brew I've had (but I wasn't around in the 13th century, so that's to be expected), and pretty tasty. The painting is just how I imagine beer was made back then. Probably not all that historically accurate, but I like my version of things! Title comes from something on the bottle (and my childish sense of humor). Enjoy!

As stated, couple of new paintings to post in coming days. Might make it a bit of a posting blitz, just to make up for lost time!

Eastbound and down,

Amy

Good intentions, bad scanner.

2010-09-12T20:16:00.002-04:00

Hey! I swear I was going to post a new painting today! I've actually got three to post! But my scanner decided to crap out on me today. It does that sometimes, so I'm giving it a bit of time and space, see if it decides it wants to work again. I've got high hopes it'll stop being a jerk later this week. Hopefully by Friday, at the VERY latest (scanner's emotional state notwithstanding).

Also, since I'm here, just a quick reminder. From Our Perspective, the show I'm in at OCC, is opening on Thursday! Info below for your convenience.

From Our Perspective

Sept. 16 through Oct. 8, reception Thursday, Sept. 16 (starts at 7 PM)

Smith Theatre Gallery, at OCC (Orchard Ridge campus)

If you're in the area, check it out!

Eastbound and down,

Amy

Small Works exhibition

2010-09-01T19:38:00.002-04:00

Hey kids! Time for some show information.

Small Works exhibition, at the Riverside Arts Center Gallery
76 N. Huron St, Ypsilanti MI, 48197
September 2-25
Artists' reception: September 11, 5-7 PM

I didn't see a whole lot of the work when I dropped off my piece, but what I did see was pretty cool. Should be a great show, so if you're in the area, go check it out!

Eastbound and down,
Amy

"I'm freaking out, but it'll go away..."

2010-08-27T23:11:00.003-04:00

Hey kids- I know it's been a couple of weeks, but there are new posts coming next week! I've got a couple of new paintings to post, and information about two shows I'm in next month. Yes, you read that right- TWO SHOWS. One's in Ypsilanti MI, and the other is at Oakland Community College. Full information in the coming days! I would post this weekend, but there is A LOT going on in my life over the next two days. All fun, no worries (not that you were).

Just wanted to let you know- get ready.

Eastbound and down,
Amy

"never ran away for the sake of scars..."

2010-08-07T21:52:00.003-04:00

Hey kids! It's been some time since the last post, I know. But there are a couple of reasons for that. One, my schedule at the day job got a bit busier, so I haven't had quite as much free time as usual. And two (this is the more important reason), I've been working on some submissions for shows. Did it pay off? Keep reading after the images to find out (SPOILER ALERT: yes)!

On to the new work! This is one I've actually had done for quite some time, but I'd submitted it for judging in a show. Didn't want to post it in case I jinxed myself. Turns out I shouldn't have worried (Was that a clue? Or a red herring?). Seemed like the right time to put it up here. It's called "Cheers!" and it's something new I'm trying. I love how the "Findings" pieces come out, but I've been wanting to scale up for some time now. I finally gave it a shot, and I LOVE the bigger format. This one is about 21" by 21". The second image is a detail shot. Feel free to leave a comment!

Now, for some news! I just found out today that I've had a piece accepted into a show out in Ypsilanti in September. It's a small works show, and I'll put up details once it gets a bit closer. I'm pretty excited, it's been awhile since I've been in a show.

Still waiting to hear back on the last show I entered; there will be more on that in a couple of weeks, I think.

Eastbound and down,

Amy

"that thrill in my heart that starts inside your eyes..."

2010-07-10T16:12:00.003-04:00

Hey kids! I'm back again with another painting. Don't know when the next one will be up, hopefully soon.

This one is called "Taylor Left Me Twistin'", and the beer is Troubadour. The title comes from an episode of "Gilmore Girls". I just love the fact that this weird little town has a troubadour- kind of amazing. I'm really happy with how the wood on the building came out- finally seem to have figured out how to do that! I wanted a pretty simple background for this, and I think it works.

I've still got a couple of deadlines I need to meet this month, but, like I said, I'm hoping to have another new one up pretty soon. Nothing's finished just yet, but I've got a couple that are coming along nicely. Enjoy the weekend!

Eastbound and down,
Amy

"lost and found, trouble-bound..."

2010-07-05T15:20:00.002-04:00

Happy day-off-from-work day, everyone! Working for the city does have perks.

New painting! The title is "Delicate Palate", and the beer is Lindemans Framboise Lambic. Lambic is a Belgian style of beer- I suggest checking out what BeerAdvocate has to say about the style. The framboise (raspberry) is pretty sweet and fruity- definitely not my everyday beer, but a nice treat once in awhile. The title comes from the snippet about the beer on the Lindemans website. I really like the phrasing they use in it. Admittedly, though, the title does serve a dual purpose. There's a tendency among some craft beer drinkers to assume that, if a woman claims she doesn't like beer, this beer (and others similar in style) will be the one they'll actually dig (on account of how sweet it is).

That stereotype just pisses me off. I won't bog anyone down with the full rant here, but needless to say, that's part of why I chose the title "Delicate Palate"- a little tongue-in-cheek nod to those who would assume my gender has anything to do with my drinking preferences.

If you like wild/sour/open-fermented beers at all, I'd suggest looking into any type of lambic, if you haven't already. They're good, and they've got a pretty cool story.

Next new painting might be end of the week.

Eastbound and down,
Amy

"starting to slip, i'm losin' my mind..."

2010-07-02T20:38:00.004-04:00

Hey everyone- who has two thumbs, speaks limited French and is thrilled it's Friday? This moi! (If you get that I love you)

Anyways. I think my work is finally back on track after a really slow June. I've got a couple other new pieces that just need to be titled, and then they'll be posted. As for this one...I can't lie. I've been looking forward to painting this since basically the beginning of the project. It's called "Mostly for the Money" and the beer is Coors. I would like to believe that every single person in the world will get the reference, but sadly, I don't think that's true. It's a line from "Smokey and the Bandit", WHICH IS PRETTY MUCH THE BEST MOVIE EVER (It's actually my #3 favorite movie of all time, if you're curious). This painting is an homage of sorts.

I think that's the only news for right now.

Eastbound and down,
Amy

"I can't remember a word that you were saying..."

2010-06-25T15:33:00.003-04:00

I AM SUCH A LIAR.

June has been full of deadlines (potentially promising deadlines), and I haven't had time to finish a whole lot of paintings. I do have a new Findings piece, though. Very pleased with it. This one is called Findings #10 (Chucks). I got this amazing new medium I've been playing with- course pumice gel- and I got some great texture on this one. It's a bit easier to see in person, but I think this gives you a pretty good idea. Comments, as always, are welcome.

Like I said, I've been working on stuff with deadlines. There are three shows I'm entering this summer (won't be hearing about any of them for like a month), and I'm feeling really good about the new work I've got going.

You heard me. New work! I'm still working on the 99 project (almost finished with a couple of those, I was SERIOUSLY stuck on them for a bit), but I've also started working on some other ideas. I don't want to post any images just yet, in case I somehow jinx myself or something with the shows. When I feel good about it, though, I will.

That's all that's going on right now. Hopefully I'll have some news or paintings to post in the coming weeks.

Eastbound and down,

Amy

Louise Bourgeois

2010-05-31T19:07:00.002-04:00

Hey kids- hope everyone is enjoying the holiday. Despite the on and off rain we've had here, it's been a lovely day.

No new painting, but I just heard about Louise Bourgeois passing away- very sad. She was a fantastic artist. Loved her work, and I also really loved that she was making outstanding, important work until she died. It's really inspiring. I just wanted to post a couple of links about her. There's some good info and images on the Guggenheim site, about her 2008 retrospective. I also like the Art:21 page about her. If you're not familiar, she's worth looking into.

Eastbound and down,
Amy

(PS New painting later this week?)

"it was perfect now it's awful..."

2010-05-19T15:06:00.002-04:00

Hey kids! As promised, new painting today! I'm REALLY kind of in love with this one. This one is called "Run For the Shadows". The beer is Gulden Draak, which is Dutch for Golden Dragon. The title comes from the song "Golden Years", since that's the part of the name I decided to focus on. Once the idea of painting this beer in a gilded frame hit me, there really weren't any other options. Getting the frame to look the way I wanted actually took longer than the bottle! I chose not to do any harsh shadows on the bottle because I just love the white bottle. I didn't want to make it too dark. Comments?

Don't know when the next post will be- should have a new Findings pretty soon, so maybe next week? We'll see.

Eastbound and down,
Amy

"all the things you bought for her..."

2010-05-14T18:11:00.002-04:00

Hey kids! I know I said the other day that I was enjoying the rain, but I'm actually really glad the weather is nice again. Even I can only take so much of the gloomy.

I tore myself away from my world tour (...in Rock Band) to post this! That's how much I love you. This one is called "Nothing Was Our World" and the beer is Famosa. It's a Gautemalan beer that my sister introduced me to. She spent some a few weeks there, and really enjoyed it- only there, it's called Gallo. Finally managed to find it at my local beer store, which was exciting. I don't know how they got from calling it "Rooster" in Guatemala to calling it "Famous" here, but...whatever works, I guess. Comments, as always...you know the drill.

Probably not posting the next one until Wednesday. I'm stuck on my current batch of paintings, so there might be a delay after that. Hopefully not too long of a wait, though.

Eastbound and down,
Amy

"forget me nots and second thoughts..."

2010-05-12T15:45:00.002-04:00

I'm going to tell you right now- this post will be brief. My PS3 just came in the mail. Even though I swore I'd get this painting posted before I hooked it up and got majorly majorly distracted by Rock Band 2, I only have so much willpower. Good thing the laundry is in the dryer at this point, or work tomorrow would be awkward.

New painting! This one is called "Copper Glow" and the beer is Sundog (from New Holland Brewing). It's a really tasty amber ale, and the label has this very awesome sunset on it, with a silhouette of a dog. That's always been what I remember most about the label, so I decided to play off of that for this piece. When I got about halfway through the piece, I wasn't so sure it would work. In the end, though, I was really digging it. Hopefully you are too? Feel free to let me know!

Should be another new post on Friday, if I can pull myself away from the video games. Don't judge me.

Eastbound and down,
Amy

"I don't think I'll ever learn..."

2010-05-05T15:53:00.003-04:00

Hey kids! Who else is enjoying the rain in southeast MI right now? I actually am- it was warm enough to be driving with my windows down, and a little rain was NOT about to get in the way.

New painting! I have definitely been on a roll here. I've got two more finished pieces, but I'm going to stagger them a little bit over the next week or so.

This one is called "Darkness There, and Nothing More". The beer is The Poet, from New Holland here in MI. It's an oatmeal stout, and it's probably one of my favorites. The title is (probably obviously) from Poe's "The Raven". I have to admit, as I was working on this, I was afraid the background would be too dark and muddy to tell everything apart. Turned out much better than I'd anticipated, though- exciting stuff. I'm also really pleased with the moon- my moons so far have seemed kind of flat to me (I like them, but wanted to improve it a little bit) and this came together nicely. Enjoy- as always, leave a comment if you want.

Eastbound and down,
Amy

"it's not for me I ask these questions..."

2010-04-30T16:10:00.003-04:00

Happy Friday! Before I get to the new painting, I have to mention the American Cancer Society Relay for Life. It's happening in Dearborn MI this weekend- starts Saturday May 1st at 10 AM, ends Sunday May 2nd at 10 AM. It's a fantastic event for a great cause, and a lot of fun! Full details on the website- go check it out!

Ok, new work. I have a new piece from the Findings series. This is "#9 (Tickets)". This color scheme presented itself almost as soon as I started working on this one, and I kept coming back to it during the process. Since the paintings in this series are only 4" by 4", keeping all of the detail I want is sometimes difficult. Much easier to lose stuff like that when there's not a lot of surface to work with. I like the challenge, though! Comments are welcome!

Should be a new 99 painting next week (or possibly this weekend, depending on how busy I am taking my sister coffee at the Relay for Life). Nothing much new other than that. I did finally upgrade this blog to the new layout, so there's a couple of new things going on. The links are in a different order (and have been edited a bit), and now you can see my list of followers. PS I had no idea I had followers- thanks!!

Eastbound and down,

Amy

"we ain't stayin' silent..."

2010-04-23T15:27:00.002-04:00

Meant to get this posted on Wednesday, but my day got away from me. New painting from the 99 Bottles series- titled "No Mercy For the Rotten". The beer is Pete's Wicked Ale- good stuff. The title comes from a Living End song ("Read About It"). I'm really pleased with this one, especially the lettering on the bottle. My handwriting is pretty terrible, so when I can paint the fonts from labels with relative accuracy, it makes me happy. As always, comments are welcome!

I've got two other paintings that are almost ready to post- one from the 99 series, and one from the Findings series. You should see the next one up here by the middle of next week.

I'm starting work on a couple of new pieces for shows I'm entering this summer. I'm taking the Findings series and scaling them up, trying my methods out on a bigger surface. Not sure yet how it'll go, but I'm looking forward to it. I won't know anything about the shows for a few months, but if/when I know anything, I'll post it.

Eastbound and down,
Amy

"I hear you talking again..."

2010-04-14T15:39:00.005-04:00

Finally, a new painting!

That seemed like the best greeting I could give you. At least from my point of view, since I'm excited to put this up here. Good news- I love this one. Bad news- NOTHING I did while scanning it could make the color of the sky look right in this one. It is SIGNIFICANTLY more muted than it is in the scan. Consequently, if you have any suggestions on how to fix this issue while scanning (my scanner is sort of old, by the way), feel free to post a comment!

As stated, I love this painting. I may try to take a picture of it to see if I can get the colors to look more accurate- that will be posted if I manage to get a good one. For now, here's the preliminary image. The painting is called "Year With a Yeti", and the beer is Yeti (from Great Divide- excellent brewery, I've enjoyed all that I've tried). Enjoy!

Seriously, the blue is KILLING me in this one. I'll work on it.

Eastbound and down,
Amy

"I think it's so stupid..."

2010-04-03T21:04:00.002-04:00

Happy holiday break, kids. It's been a week or so, and I DO have a new painting to post. I just...haven't thought of a good title for it.

It's sad, I KNOW THAT. But that's how it is- I've got this fully finished painting I'm really stoked to put out there, and I'm stuck on what to call it. Sometimes the beer paintings title themselves, and sometimes it takes some work and research. This is obviously one of the latter times.

PS If you know any really great/funny/interesting references to yetis, please send them my way.

That is all for now.
Amy

"in space, cuz space was what you needed..."

2010-03-24T21:52:00.002-04:00

Hey kids- I've been very anti-social today, but that's no reason not to post the latest painting. Been sitting on this one for a few days, trying to work out the title. Finally got it, thanks to the brilliance of my twin.

This one is called "Something D-O-O Economics" and if you don't get where that came from, we might not actually be friends (I'm joking, but not really). The beer is Dixie's Blackened Voodoo, and I really enjoy it. Not a bad session beer, and the artwork and name are basically awesome. Enjoy!

I'm currently looking into galleries outside of the state, so if anyone has any suggestions of cities and/or actual galleries you think I might dig, feel free to leave a comment or send an email (uncorporated.art@gmail.com).

Eastbound and down,
Amy

"and we find ourselves in the same old mess..."

2010-03-17T23:38:00.002-04:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day! To anyone celebrating as I was earlier, hopefully your tomorrow is as pain-free as I'm hoping mine will be.

New painting! The beer is Hobgoblin, from Wychwood, out of England. Really tasty dark English mild- good stuff. I actually remember the exact circumstances surrounding the first time I tried this beer- weird. Anyways. The painting is called "Odd Jobs Around the House". It's from a definition of 'hobgoblin' and I thought it was a really great phrase. PS I love the trees in this piece. LOVE.

Again, that's all I've got for you.

Eastbound and down,
Amy

"it's time we stop all the fightin'..."

2010-03-14T23:25:00.002-04:00

Anyone else REALLY hate "springing forward"? I mean, the extra daylight is nice, but losing a whole hour of sleep just upsets me.

I was going to post this next week, but I felt terrible today and nothing else of consequence actually got done. I figured at least I could do a new post! The painting is called "With Michigan Style", and it's one of my favorite IPAs, Crooked Tree (from MI's own Dark Horse). The title comes from a bit on their site describing the beer. I like things that are done with Michigan style.

I wish I had some really cool stuff to add down here, but I don't. Hoping for another new painting later this week, if not a couple. Alas, that is the news for now.

Eastbound and down,
Amy

"standing in a lonely room..."

2010-02-19T15:35:00.004-05:00

Can we talk about the lovely weather for a minute? I'm not terribly inclined to spend time outdoors, but the sunshine is a really nice change of pace after all the grey skies and snow.

New painting! Hoping to have a new 99 piece pretty soon, but it depends on how the final details go. I've got 4 paintings right now that are all at about 80% finished, so it shouldn't be too long. For now, here's a new one from the Findings series. This is "#8 (Identification)". I'm really enjoying the texture on this one- since the materials attached were all smooth and shiny, it took a little more time than usual to build up what I wanted on the surface. Digging it, though. As always, thoughts and comments are welcome!

Not sure there's anything else to report at the moment.

Eastbound and down,

Amy

"I'm having fun, don't put me down..."

2010-02-09T22:22:00.004-05:00

Nothing much to post, just a quick request. I've noticed that my hitcount on this site has been going up by leaps and bounds, and I'm pretty sure my friends and family don't spend that much time visiting on a weekly basis. If you somehow found my site and you're digging the content, even a little, could you go ahead and leave me a comment, or email me, or something? I love hearing from people about my art, and I always respond (unless you're creepy about it, but even then I'd respond to tell you that you were, in fact, being creepy). I have no idea how so many people are stumbling onto my corner of the internet, but I'd love to know the answer to that!

Eastbound and down,
Amy

"I've waited for hours and hours and hours..."

2010-02-04T21:14:00.003-05:00

Does anyone else think January went by REALLY fast? Or is that just me?

New painting! This one is called "Movin' to the Country". The scan doesn't actually do this one full justice- the orange/pink background is actually much warmer (and a bit deeper) than it is here. No matter, though- I'm loving the simplicity of this one. As much as I dig doing the intense environments in some of the paintings, sometimes the simpler ones are necessary. The beer is Dogfish Head's Festina Peche (one of the beers I look forward to most in the summer), and the name gave me some serious options. I had some rather complicated sketches going on, but none of them felt right. Enjoy!

Should be another one up soonish- depends on how well the details come together. You'll be the first to know, though!

Eastbound and down,

Amy

"you're in a strange part of our town..."

2010-01-18T20:27:00.006-05:00

Hey kids! Meant to get this posted on Friday, but a weekend full of work and errands made that difficult. Here are some pictures of the show at Livonia City Hall. They have a pretty great space there, and I'm very pleased with how it turned out. I may try to get some more pics when I go back to take it down, but I think I got some good ones. Enjoy!

Not much else to post right now- working on new paintings, hoping to have some stuff to show you in the next couple of weeks.

Eastbound and down,

Amy

"hello world, I'm your wild girl..."

2010-01-11T23:27:00.004-05:00

Evening kids! I'll have some pics of the Livonia exhibition up later this week, but I have some Pretty Awesome News to share right now.

My show is listed in the Events section of the Metro Times website. HOW AWESOME IS THAT? I have absolutely no clue how it got there, but I am super pumped! It looks really great, and I was surprised at how much space they give the artists, considering it's the Livonia City Hall. But I don't have much cause to be in ANY City Hall (even my own city's), so my surprise could be unnecessary and possibly embarrassing. But I digress.

I'm on the Metro Times website, and THAT made my day a hell of a lot cooler.
Amy

"kick-start my rock and roll heart..."

2010-01-05T23:06:00.003-05:00

Evening, kids! Just wanted to throw out a quick message about the Livonia show- I'm setting up on Friday, so any time after that for the next month, you can stop in at the Livonia City Hall and check it out. I'll try to get specific hours when I go (since I'm guessing it's not the kind of place that you just HAPPEN to be at sometimes). I was gonna try to push and finish another painting this week, especially since I have tomorrow off, but will instead be spending it putting hanging wire on the paintings, and making labels. Was that sentence awkward?

I'll hopefully have some pics up this weekend of the show, and details.
Amy

"and then they took my blood type..."

2009-12-27T15:20:00.003-05:00

SERIOUSLY, I SWEAR I'M NOT DEAD.

The holiday season always throws me off, with family and friends in town. I finished the latest painting a few days ago, but haven't had time to scan it in or post it until today. The beer is one of my favorite IPAs, Hopslam (from MI's own Bell's), and the piece is called "Tongue Bruiser". One of the descriptives from the bottle, it's really appropriate (and a great phrase). Took me forever to work out the label, and how I wanted it to look. Finally happy, though. Enjoy!

In other news, I've got a little show coming up in January. I'll be showing some paintings at the Livonia MI City Hall. More details coming in the next couple of weeks, when I get closer to setting up.

That's about all I've got for now. Should have another painting in the next couple of weeks, before I set up for the show. And then hopefully a much smaller gap between posts after that.

Eastbound and down,
Amy

"Mona Lisa in the motorcycle gang..."

2009-11-20T14:59:00.003-05:00

I'm not dead, I swear! I know the updates have been nonexistent this past month or so, but I've been in a bit of a painting funk. I hate that phrase, but it's accurate. I went to a gallery opening last week, though, and that seemed to help. Very cool place in Romeo MI called the Starkweather Arts Center. Really gorgeous building and some great art. Talking to people and seeing some new work cleared my head a bit, so painting will be resuming later today. Not sure when there'll be new work up, but you'll be the first to know when there is.

I also have some potential exhibition news to share in the coming months- nothing for sure yet, but some possibilities. And I do love possibilities.

So, again, not dead. That is all.
Amy

"there's a brand new day I'd like to greet with you..."

2009-10-12T16:11:00.002-04:00

I don't remember ever getting Columbus Day off before, but I'm not working today, so thanks for taking that trip, Columbus! It's actually really convenient, because I got back from a trip to Indiana yesterday, and I'm still a little out of it from the long days (congratulations Suzi and Chris!).

Real reason for post: there are too many to post here, but I just finished uploading the rest of my new paintings to my online portfolio blog, The Art of Amy Stegner. There are, I think, 4 paintings up there that I didn't get a chance to post before ArtPrize. I may post one or two here later this week, if I'm feeling motivated.

Nothing major to report other than that- I may have a lead on a show in a few months, but nothing solid yet. Hopefully more on that in time.

Eastbound and down,
Amy

"I don't wanna change the laws..."

2009-10-02T14:53:00.009-04:00

Hey everyone! Sorry for the delay in posting about the ArtPrize event- work has been wearing me out this week, so today was the first chance I had to upload and post. The strolling brunch was AMAZING- thanks to all who came out and saw the art! Also, to any new viewers here, thanks for the support! It was really great to talk to so many people about my work, and get so much positive feedback. It was so fun, I almost don't even mind not making the top 10. Speaking of which, if you haven't seen that yet, head over to ArtPrize and check out the finalists.

Pictures! Here's me with some of the work-you can't even see how exhausted I am from getting up so early!

The sign on the door at San Chez- I kind of dig seeing my name in official print like that, I have to say.

Most of the paintings were arranged so that visually, they looked good together and formed a cohesive image. There were some little surprises hidden in the setup, though. This is my favorite- the painting "Untouchable Cold Justice" was tucked in the corner by the doorway. The beer is Untouchable Pale Ale, and the bottle has eyes on the neck. Putting it out of the way like that made me so happy- it was keeping an eye on things for me.

More official signage- my ArtPrize voting info!

I always try to take interesting photos of my setup, and this is one of my favorites from the day.

So those are the highlights! Again, it was so amazing, and thanks to San Chez for having me. The food was seriously amazing, and it makes me wish I lived closer to Grand Rapids, no lie.

Not sure when the next show will be- I've got nothing in the works right now, but once I get everything at San Chez disassembled, I'm gonna start work on finding the next one. Also not sure when the next painting will be up. There are a couple that are about halfway done right now. I took the last couple of weeks off from painting, just to get my head back on straight after stressing about ArtPrize so much.

Eastbound and down,

Amy

Obligatory Reminder Post About ArtPrize!

2009-09-26T21:29:00.002-04:00

You know it's Important cuz it's capitalized. Sitting here wasting time on the internet, trying to calm my nerves about the ArtPrize event tomorrow, and I realized it was the perfect time to put the info out there again! Anyone near Grand Rapids MI, you should hit up the Strolling Brunch event taking place tomorrow (Sunday, Sept. 27) from noon to 6 pm. Venues are San Chez Bistro (my venue, and where I'll be most of the afternoon), Bar Divani, the Children's Museum, One Trick Pony, WMCAT and UICA. Complimentary appetizers, lots of cool art and the chance to talk with the artists- I'm not sure what else you'd be looking for in an afternoon!

It should be an awesome time, and I promise to try to be interesting and entertaining and answer any questions you have. Also, while you're in the area, you should register to vote (if you haven't done it already). The closest registration site to San Chez looks like the UICA, and it's pretty close. San Chez Bistro is at 38 W. Fulton (between Ionia and Division), and UICA is at 41 Sheldon Blvd.

Hopefully I'll see you there,
Amy

"and fight for what we believe..."

2009-09-22T21:39:00.005-04:00

Hey kids! Tomorrow is the big day- ArtPrize starts! I won't be back in GR until Sunday, but from what I've seen around so far, it's gonna be an amazing show. You should check out the ArtPrize website for a full list of events going on. There's also a list of registration venues and rules, which you should hit up if you're going to be voting. For now, here's a little preview of what my space looks like. This is the biggest installation I've had yet during this project, and it looks AMAZING. I know I'm biased, but still. I'll have lots more pics to put up after the show, including more detailed shots. Enjoy!

I can't wait to see how this goes! Hopefully I'll see some people at the Sunday event- come say hi if you're there!

Eastbound and down,

Amy

ArtPrize!

2009-09-11T13:30:00.003-04:00

Ok! Sorry for the absence, but I've been super busy trying to get everything set for ArtPrize! And all the information I have so far will be posted below the new painting! I actually have 3 new paintings finished, but if you want to see the others, you'll have to come to see ArtPrize. They'll be on the site after the event kicks off.

First business- painting. This one is called "Passing Fell and Wrath", and the beer is Oberon. One of my favorite summer beers, made in Michigan (Bell's Brewery- check them out if you haven't already). Though I haven't yet read the entirety of "A Midsummer Night's Dream", I'm somewhat familiar with it. I like the whole king of the fairies business, so that's what I went with. Getting the fairies to look the way I wanted basically took forever. I'm pleased, though. Also, I have to say, one of my favorite things about the Oberon label is the color scheme- that's what I tried to focus on for this piece.

Now, ArtPrize. It officially starts on Wednesday, September 23. There are going to be events at a ton of venues throughout the show, all over Grand Rapids. I'll list the San Chez Bistro event info, but for a full list, check out the events calendar on the ArtPrize site.

There are a couple of events happening that I'll be a part of, but I don't have all of the information on both yet. I'll post that as soon as I have it. For now, here's what I have: San Chez and several other venues will be having a Strolling Brunch on Sunday, September 27. Each venue will have tasty food for you to eat, and artists for you to talk to (including me!). It's happening from noon to 6 pm, and maps will be available to tell you which artist is where. More info can be found here. The other event should be on Thursday, September 24. As I said, more when I have it.

Voting info! This is important. For full info and to get answers to any questions, I'd hit up the ArtPrize website proper. What I do know is that you have to register first, in person, and you need valid state ID to do so. There are places all over the city to register, and a full list can be found on the voting site. Then, you can either text or vote online- again, full info is in the link. Voting starts on the 23, and the first round of voting ends on September 30. You CAN vote for more than one artist, but only once per artist.

To vote online, you go the website, search for the artist you want to vote for (say, Amy Stegner), and vote on the profile. To vote via text, send all text messages to 878787. Here's where it gets tricky: during the first round, you can vote someone up or down. Each artist has their own up and down voting numbers. Mine are as follows: to vote me UP, text vote25721. To vote me DOWN, text vote25720. This information will be readily available, as will numbers for all other artists. I'm assuming standard text messaging fees apply.

I think that's all the necessary info for now. Any and all questions about this can be directed to me at uncorporated.art@gmail.com, or left in the comments. If you'd like to just bypass my answers and go to the source, I'd hit up the ArtPrize website. They have FAQ and contact info.

Also, if you live in or near the GR area, or know anyone who does, tell them about this! It's gonna be massive and crazy and awesome, with plenty of great events. Go see some art!
Amy

"cause you can't afford the ticket..."

2009-08-22T21:38:00.003-04:00

Two paintings in three days?! Holy crap! What website is this? If it makes you feel better, it'll be a few days before I've got another one finished.

This painting is called "If I Were You I'd Really Run From Me", and the beer is Magic Hat's Circus Boy. It's a tasty hefeweizen, even if the imagery freaks me out. The title comes from the R.E.M. song "Circus Envy", and it describes my feelings about circuses (circi?) with surprising accuracy. I'm not a fan, I've never been a fan (circuses frequently have clowns, which...no). The song is awesome, though, as is the brew. Both are recommended. Clowns are not.

I'm trying to make a list of all the stuff that needs to get done for ArtPrize, which will hopefully keep me organized and on track for the next month. No major details yet, but I'll share anything important that comes up.

If you're a Quentin Tarantino fan, I'm also going to use this post to recommend "Inglourious Basterds". Good stuff.

Eastbound and down,
Amy

"chew on a big wad of gum..."

2009-08-20T22:45:00.002-04:00

Hey kids- who else is excited for the weekend? I get to go to the comic book store tomorrow, so things are already looking awesome. There should be a new 99 painting up soon, but today, I've got a new Findings! I really like how this one came out- between the layers of color and texture, it's really working for me. This one is called "#7 (Raffle)". Maybe it's just me, but I'm really digging the little white highlights I got on this one. Feel free to leave some love in the comments! You could also leave some hate or apathy if you're so inclined, but it seems a waste of time.

As stated, more new work coming this weekend/early next week. ArtPrize is like a month away and I'm starting to freak out about everything that has to get done. I know it'll be a great show and a great experience once I get everything finished and on the wall, but until that happens I'll probably be a bit of a wreck.

Also, bears are hard to draw. But that's another project for another day.

Eastbound and down,

Amy

"and now you're looking like I used to..."

2009-08-15T14:39:00.003-04:00

Hey kids- taking some time out of painting and watching movies today to post this! Pretty excited- just finished it on Thursday. I would have posted it last night, but I was at the movies, and Dunkin' Donuts, and playing Rock Band. You know how it is.

This painting was fun to do! It involved lots of looking at the Clue board game. The beer is Stoudt's Scarlet Lady Ale, which is tasty.The piece is called "Ms. Scarlet in the Conservatory With the Candlestick". I know that it's a little incongrous with the game, since the character you name is the one that did the killing, and blah blah blah go with it. Look at how bitchin' my conservatory floor came out! Comments not pertaining to that fact are welcome! Hell, even those comments are welcome, actually.

I'll be posting a new Findings painting in the next few days, and the next 99 Bottles piece should be done within the week. I've just started a new 99 painting that will be debuted at ArtPrize next month! More on that in the following paragraph...

ArtPrize starts on September 23 in Grand Rapids MI, and it ends October 10. Venues all over the city will be showing work, so you're pretty much guaranteed to see some art anywhere you go. You have to register to vote, and you have to actually be at the show to do that. So, if you're anywhere near Grand Rapids during that time period and would like to see some art (some 1200 artists will be participating at more than 150 venues), check it out! Specifically, you should hit up San Chez Bistro and see my work. Also, you should eat some seriously tasty food while you're there! There's going to be some sort of event happening there, which I'll be at, but the details haven't been worked out yet. You'll be the first to get the info when I have it!

Aaaand there's a spider hanging out on the lamp next to me now, so that'll do it for this post!

Eastbound and down,
Amy

"just a little courage to lift him off the ground..."

2009-08-02T16:17:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone! This is the first of, I hope, several posts in the next couple of weeks. Not only should there be another 2 or 3 paintings being finished and posted, but I'll have official ArtPrize news. It's gonna be a good month, kids.

First order of business- new work! Finished it yesterday- this one is called "Enniscorthy Ruby". The beer is Killian's Irish Red, and Enniscorthy Ruby Ale was the original name of the beer ages ago, before it was bought by other people and whatnot. I thought that was a pretty badass name for a beer. Thus, title. I used a lot of alizarin crimson in this one, and I freaking love that color, so this makes me happy.

I should have a new "Findings" piece up here within the week as well. As mentioned above, I'm working out the details for ArtPrize, so there will be plenty of info about that in the coming weeks. The event starts September 23, so mark your calendars. From what I've heard, it's gonna be a seriously bitchin time. Also, if you're in Grand Rapids, go check out San Chez Bistro, my venue- really really good food. I promise you.

I think that's everything crucial at the moment. Enjoy your Sunday!

Eastbound and down,

Amy

"what your life can truly be..."

2009-07-26T23:15:00.003-04:00

Evening, kids! I WILL have ArtPrize news coming very soon- I'm still working everything out, but for now, I can tell you this. I will be showing work at the San Chez Bistro in Grand Rapids! Very tasty food, very cool people, awesome space! Also they have a great beer selection! More details coming when I have them!

So...here's what else I've been doing with my time. My Rock Band band, The Candy Thieves, made a video for the MTV Rock Band contest. Enjoy the video, and PLEASE go vote for us! This will NOT be the last reminder to vote. :D

Comments on any of this news is welcome!

Eastbound and down,
Amy

Just a quick note!

2009-07-22T16:56:00.002-04:00

Hey kids! Sorry for the absence- I'm hoping to post a new painting soonish, and I should have some ArtPrize news within the next couple of weeks (exciting stuff, let me tell you!). For now, just wanted to let you know that I'm alive and working. And that I feel like On Kawara with this post. I was out of town for a few days earlier this week, had some family things going on. I'm back now, though, and painting will resume!

Eastbound and down,
Amy

"just blame the limelight..."

2009-06-28T17:11:00.002-04:00

Before you say anything, I know. I know I've been gone for like a month. I know I left you with nothing new to look at, just promises of "a new painting soon". If this were a relationship, you would have already deleted my number from your phone and "accidentally" bumped into me with your friends, so I could see how much fun you were having without me. But I was REALLY stuck on the painting you're about to see. The details on it were kicking my ass in a pretty serious way. I don't usually struggle with my work quite this much, but I really think the time paid off. The good news is that it's finished now.

The painting is called "Who's Your Tiger?", and it's named for one of my favorite Detroit Tigers campaigns of recent years. The beer is Tiger beer- fairly enjoyable stuff, if you like lagers. Besides being about the beer, I like to think of this as a little homage to my favorite team. I certainly hope some of you get the visual reference.

I'm not even going to leave you with a loose timetable for the next post. There are a couple that are feeling about 75%, but I have no clue how long the remaining 25% will take on either one. I'm currently working M-F between my two jobs (and since one of the last posts says something about my NOT working a standard M-F job, the irony is not lost on me!), so there isn't usually a whole lot of painting time during the week. We'll see how it goes, though.

I just hope this means you'll metaphorically put my number back in your phone.
Amy

"You stopped wearing blue and brown..."

2009-05-29T17:53:00.002-04:00

Happy Friday! If my work schedule was a standard M-F gig, that would probably mean more to me.

I have never been happier to finish and post a piece of artwork in my life. I have been working on this one for MONTHS. I'd paint part of it, and it wouldn't look right. I think the only part of this to never be repainted is the window on the left side. Everything else went through at least one other version. As it stands, though, I'm actually happy with how it came out. The beer is Sam Adams Winter Lager (as you can see, I had hopes of posting it, you know, during the winter). Tasty beer, first Sam Adams I ever tried. This is called "Nights Filled With Longer Hours". Song lyrics from a song I heard on Rock Band. Very cool stuff.

I'm not sure when the next post will be- the other paintings are all mid-process right now. I may have some older work to show you at some point- depends on what I find.

Eastbound and down,
Amy

"So glad you could make it..."

2009-05-26T14:47:00.003-04:00

How can it be scorching hot one day, and then chilly the next? Sometimes I hate Michigan weather.

Enough complaining, though- here's the new painting! It's the lastest in the "Findings" series. This is "#6 (Paper)". Trying something a little more minimal with the finished look, and I'm really excited about the possibilities this opens up. The texture is really nice and defined on this one. As always, comments are welcome!

Hoping to have the next "99" painting done by next weekend. I'm just doing the edges right now, so it won't take long to finish. Mostly it's waiting until the days I don't go to work (which will be tomorrow and Friday, so there shouldn't be any delays).

If you haven't checked it out yet, hit up http://www.artprize.org/. Massive art competition in Grand Rapids this fall.

That's all I've got for now. Time to get ready for work.

Eastbound and down,

Amy

"I am a killjoy from Detroit..."

2009-05-19T23:15:00.001-04:00

Evening, kids! I don't have anything new to post, but I wanted to post an old painting in the interim. This is one that I actually thought I posted ages ago, but a quick look through the archives proved that wrong. I only kept two figure paintings from all four years of college, and this is one of them. The painting is 3' by 4', and I'm incredibly proud of it. It's called "Calm", because the one thing that I remember from every session of this painting is how chill the model was. He was always relaxed, even with the lights in his face and everything. Pretty impressive. Enjoy!

I think the next painting should be done within a week or so- I'm still figuring out my work schedule, so I'm not exactly sure how much painting time I'll get this week. At any rate, it shouldn't be too much longer.

Eastbound and down,
Amy

Good news for a good day.

2009-05-15T16:19:00.002-04:00

Hey kids! This has been a pretty bitchin' Friday so far! Got the new Green Day cd "21st Century Breakdown" (and am in love with it), finally got a great milkshake at Baskin Robbins (they have been very subpar on my last two trips, so this is very exciting news if you're...well, me), and I have a new painting to post. I was going to try to get it up here last night, but I got home late from work and was too tired to deal with it.

It's been a while since I had this beer, but from what I remember, it was pretty enjoyable. The beer is Buffalo Bill's Orange Blossom Cream Ale. Not too fruity or sweet, but very pleasant. The painting is called "Smooth, Bright". Getting the leaves to look the way I wanted took a very long time and many attempts. I'm digging them now, though. Sorry the edges are a little fuzzy on this one- paintings with white backgrounds always scan a little odd around the top edge, despite my best efforts. I may try re-scanning at some point- I'll re-post if I do.

Next painting is getting close to finished- I'm struggling with some final details, but I'm hoping to have it finished within a week or so, posted shortly thereafter. More on that at a later date.

Also, everyone think good thoughts about "Dollhouse" getting renewed.

Eastbound and down,
Amy

"there's devils on each side of you..."

2009-04-27T21:31:00.004-04:00

I was going to do this post tomorrow, but I've got time to kill before "Castle" starts. Would have been yesterday, had I not been waylaid by Rock Band and drinking with friends. Can't say it was a bad idea, though, since I got my first 100% score playing bass on expert. Awesome. Also I'm learning to upstrum. Is that one word or two? Either way, I'm working on that.

The painting! The beer is Presque Isle Pilsner, and it's pretty good. It's been some time since I had it, but what I remember was favorable. The painting is called "Noble People". The title is to do with something on the Erie Brewing Co. website, in reference to this beer and the locational namesake.

Not sure when the next work will be done- I'm hoping soonish.

Before I end this, I wanted to mention ArtPrize.org. Found out about it the other day, and it's this massive art contest- the biggest art prize in the world. It's open to any artist anywhere, and it's going to be in Grand Rapids. It sounds very cool, so I've started the process in applying to that. No solid info yet, but I'll post more when I have it.

Also, still working on some sketches of my new idea- when they're ready to be seen by other people, I'll post that as well.

Eastbound and down,
Amy

"we take the road less traveled by..."

2009-04-22T15:28:00.002-04:00

As promised! Since I'm working tomorrow, and I'm usually too lazy after work to do anything but watch tv, I wanted to get this posted today. It's the latest in the Findings series. This is "Findings #5 (Stickers)". First is the scan of the painting, second photo is a shot of the painting on the easel. I particularly enjoy the layering of the stickers in the top right corner, but that's just me.

Still hoping to have a new 99 Bottles painting done soon- maybe this weekend, we'll see how productive today can be. Since my errands are done for the day (and by errands, I mean supply shopping at Blick where I got to spin the prize wheel. I won a free t-shirt!), I'm thinking this might be an afternoon of beer and painting. Very enjoyable.

Eastbound and down,

Amy

Some updates, or, why there haven't been any new posts lately.

2009-04-21T15:01:00.003-04:00

Afternoon, kids! No work to post yet, although I should have a new Findings finished within the week. This is just to let you know that a) I'm not dead, and b) there are a couple of new links on the right sidebar. First one is the link to my Twitter feed. I tried putting it in the sidebar, but it looked pretty cluttered and dumpy. Which some might argue is fitting for me, but I didn't like the look of it on the site. So the link is there if you're interested. If you're on Twitter, feel free to follow me- I follow most people that follow me, but it might take me a few days. For as often as I update Twitter, I'm not great at keeping on top of that.

Second, two new artists. Mr. Jago and Shepard Fairey (ie Obey Giant). Recently discovered Mr. Jago and love the work- really great paintings. Not sure why Shepard Fairey wasn't in the links ages ago, though- oversight on my part. Both are great, you should check them out.

As for news on the 99 Bottles paintings, I have to say, I've been having some major blocks lately with the ones I'm working on right now. The past couple weeks, nothing has looked right. Things have been feeling good the past few days, though, so fortunately I seem to be past that. I'm hoping to have a new one finished in the next week or so- when I post the next Findings, I should have a slightly better timetable in mind.

Eastbound and down,
Amy

"out of style and out of class..."

2009-04-04T20:33:00.002-04:00

Evening, kids. Would have posted this earlier in the day, but errands kept me out of the house. However, there's some beer, painting and Buffy the Vampire Slayer on the menu for later tonight, so no complaints here.

I love this beer. I need to say that before I say anything about the painting- the beer is Raspberry Ale from Dark Horse (in Marshall, MI!), and it's one of my favorite fruit beers. I'm picky about those, since a lot of them can be too overly sweet (if I wanted that, I'd just have juice). This one is awesome. But enough gushing. The painting is called "Beer First, Fruit Second". Enjoy!

If anyone cares, my Twitter feed and new links should be up here by the middle of next week. I'll post when that happens.

Totally unrelated: can anyone tell me how difficult singing in Rock Band is if you're not a singer? Or at all musically inclined? I'm trying to improve my versatility within my band, and singing is the final frontier. Thanks!

Eastbound and down,
Amy

"tried to give you summer, but I'm winter..."

2009-03-29T20:39:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone- happy almost end of the weekend? Oh wait, that's no fun. Sorry.

Finally a new painting! If I hadn't been gone all day yesterday, I would have posted it. But I was busy seeing Sweeney Todd downtown and going to the bar with my friends. Totally bitchin weekend, I must say. Anyways, here's the latest. This one took me ages to get right, and I'm not sure why. Every time I try to think of what took so long, I come up blank- weird. The painting is called "Nine Step Process", and the beer is Stella Artois. Cool looking bottle, I have to say. If you're not familiar with it (which I wasn't until I googled this), there is a nine step process to be followed to properly serve this beer on draught. For real. I'll wait while you google it yourself.

Crazy, right? There's a competition and everything. So that's why the title is what it is. Enjoy the painting!

Not sure when the next painting will be up- possibly next weekend? I will let you know. Also, I'll be putting up a new link or two later this week. And maybe adding my twitter feed somewhere, if I can stop being a dumbass and figure out how to do it. I'm sure it's easy, I'm just lazy.

Eastbound and down,
Amy

In case you missed it...

2009-03-24T13:29:00.005-04:00

Afternoon, kids! I wanted to post a few pictures from the show this weekend. It was a little slow at times, but I met some cool people. Fun times. I had a mix of old and new work at this show- quite a bit of it, actually. Some stuff has been posted here before, but I know some of these haven't. Any questions or anything, feel free to leave them in the comments section!

This was the first wall you saw when you walked into the space- mostly older work, apart from the beer bottle. That was done before I started the "99 Bottles" series, to see what sort of scale I wanted to work on. Also one of my prints- the black and white one in the middle.

This was the middle wall- all older work. I finally got a chance to display the naked guy! I love that painting- one of only two figure paintings I kept after graduating.

This was the third wall- 18 of the beer bottle paintings! It looked great in the grid pattern. Usually I go with a more random layout of these, but it was nice to do something more organized for once.

Finally, this is a shot of my whole section. I think it looked amazing, and I'm really glad to have been a part of the show at Russell. (Thanks for the space, Mary Ann!)

Not much else to talk about right now- I'm adding a new link or two later this week, and I think I figured out how to get my twitter feed on here. More on that when it happens, though.

Eastbound and down,

Amy

Additional show info!

2009-03-20T16:05:00.003-04:00

Hey kids- I have the rest of the information for you. As far as I know, the show will be running from 12-5 both days. I've heard that some people might stay longer, but since I don't know who is and who isn't, I'm just going to go with 12-5. If you need help finding my specific spot, here goes:

When you come in off of Clay Ave, stay in that first parking lot. Facing AWAY from Clay, I'll be in the first building on the right (past the security booth and loading dock). I'm on the 2nd floor. When you get off the stairs/elevator, turn left- use the second door to the right. There's some studios back in there, and I'll be in one of them. Hopefully this helps? There should be some cool stuff going on, so check it out if you're in the area!

Eastbound and down,
Amy

Show news!

2009-03-18T19:43:00.004-04:00

Hey kids! Hope everyone had a good St. Patrick's Day- I certainly did! I would have posted this info sooner, but I didn't have details until this afternoon. I'll be showing some work at the Russell Industrial Center this weekend! It'll be a mix of new work and old work, so it should be pretty cool. Maybe even some stuff you haven't seen on the website. I'll be in the building with the people at Michigan Hot Glass- cool guys that know how to put together a party. Details!

Saturday, March 21 and Sunday, March 22
Russell Industrial Center, 1600 block (I think the building is 1604, if that helps anyone)
I'm still trying to find out what time everything is happening- should have that info posted tomorrow.
Address is in the 1600 Clay Ave. block, in Detroit- it's right off of I-75, so it's easy enough to find.

Further info coming tomorrow, hope to see some people out there!

Eastbound and down,
Amy

"a gentle Irishman, mighty odd..."

2009-03-15T19:15:00.003-04:00

Hey everyone! Brief post today. I was sick last week, so I didn't get a lot of painting done. Thought I was almost done with one today, until I realized that my shading was totally wrong. So...it'll be a few days while I fix that! Feel like a dumbass, but it's cool.

Second piece of information- I may have a show next weekend! Nothing big, possibly not even new work. I don't have all of the details yet, and I don't want to put anything down here until I do. Keep an eye out for info next week, though.

In unrelated news, I'm totally excited for St. Patrick's Day! That is all.
Amy

This time change is seriously throwing off my day.

2009-03-08T16:22:00.002-04:00

Hey kids- sorry for the lapse in posting lately. My schedule has been a little crazy these past couple of weeks, but things should be calming down now.

This is the latest painting- it's a commission I just finished. I like how this one came out- the palm tree in the background was a request- doing paintings that have significance for someone is pretty cool. Plus, I've discovered I enjoy painting palm trees. The beer is Michelob Light.

If you're interested in commissioning a painting (or buying one you've seen on the site), hit me up at uncorporated.art@gmail.com.

This is a short post, but the only other things I have to say are "Rock Band rules!" and "I'm thinking about having a beer". Not exactly riveting material, I know.

Rock Band really does rule, though,
Amy

Pre-update update

2009-03-06T14:41:00.002-05:00

Very quick post- I have a new painting finished. However, it's a commissioned piece, so I'm waiting until I hear back from the soon-to-be-owner before I call it finished. Hoping to have it posted before the weekend is up.

PS if you want to read about all of the minutiae of my day, you can follow me on Twitter.

Eastbound and down,
Amy

"we're all young and dumb and reckless..."

2009-02-23T20:59:00.002-05:00

Evening, kids! I meant to have this up a couple days ago, but I had trouble naming it. I know that sounds silly, but the titles are really important to me, so I couldn't put it up here untitled.

This one is called "Cheetahs Never Prosper", and the beer is Lion Lager. The title is absolutely my favorite line from "The Lion King". It's tasty beer, too- I haven't had Lion Stout, but I may have to pick it up the next time I go shopping. I really love how the mane turned out on this- that's part of what took me so long on this painting. It kept looking funky, so I had to keep redoing it. Finally nailed it, after doing some more sketches of lions.

Minor news- I'm on Twitter now. Find me here- I'm still new to Twitter, so I haven't figured out how to get it on the site yet. If/when I get to it, I'll let you know.

That's about all I've got for now. Thoughts on the work, beer suggestions and adoration are always welcome in the comments!

Eastbound and down,
Amy

As promised!

2009-02-13T14:56:00.003-05:00

Happy Friday! Man, this has been a good day so far! My dad unexpectedly took me out for lunch to get Thai food (something he usually claims not to like, but it looks like he really does like, so that also goes in the plus column for the day), and now I've got new work to post! Also, it's finally warm enough outside that I can just wear my hoodie and NOT my winter coat! Here's hoping it lasts longer than a few hours.

New work! This is another ass-kicker of a beer (13% abv), from France- Belzebuth. Strong, but enjoyable. The painting is called "A Devil Put Aside", and if you don't know where the title comes from, I'm not sure we can continue to be friends. I always enjoy working with hellish themes, so this was a fun one to work on. Comments welcome!

It'll probably the middle of next week for the next post, unless something really cool comes up.

PS go watch this video. HILARIOUS.

Eastbound and down,
Amy

FINALLY A NEW PAINTING

2009-02-10T15:59:00.002-05:00

It's true! I have a new painting up today! AND the next one will be going up later this week! Seriously, my signature is drying on that one as I type this! I'm pretty excited about this, it's been a funky few weeks for painting. Between dealing with my car issues (hopefully I get it back tomorrow!) and getting used to my new job, finding time to paint has been difficult. I'm hoping that once things settle down, my painting schedule will return to normal.

So, the latest! The painting is called "Dog Star", and the beer is Sirius, from Lagunitas. It's a tasty beer- a high gravity cream ale. I must confess, I don't totally understand the gravity thing about beer- something to do with density, that's all I really know. At any rate, enjoy the painting!

As I said, should be another new painting up later this week- maybe Friday. No real news to report, unfortunately. Maybe in the next post?

Eastbound and down,

Amy

Ugh.

2009-01-30T13:31:00.003-05:00

So...I know you don't want to hear this, but it'll be another few days before I post new work. On Tuesday, I was going to training for my new job when I got hit. I'm totally fine, no one got hurt, it was on a side street so there wasn't any major speed involved. However, as you can see by the photo, I'm currently missing a bumper. And some pieces of the passenger side. So I've been dealing with that all week- getting this sorted out and rescheduling my training session. It's driveable, but...quite frankly, I got looks all day when I was running errands. Fun times.Anyways, I'm hoping to have a new painting done within the next week- this current batch of work has been a struggle, not sure why. Nothing is turning out the way I want.

Sorry again, kids. I hope to have something way better to post next time!
Amy

...is anyone still out there?

2009-01-21T11:49:00.002-05:00

I know, it's been a week and a half! I suck. I'm totally stuck on a couple of my paintings right now, and I haven't had much time to work through them in the past few days. My sister got home from three weeks in Guatemala, and then we had a lot of catching up to do, and then I had a job interview yesterday. Time has not been on my side. Hopefully this week will turn into something more productive, though, so stay tuned. Just wanted to drop a quick post to let you know that I'm still alive.

Unfortunately, that is all.
Amy

When's spring?

2009-01-11T14:02:00.003-05:00

Sometimes I hate Michigan winters- I had to dig my car out of an icy hell this afternoon before work.

New work today! It'll be a few days before the next one is done, unfortunately. I love this one, though. The beer is Wells Banana Bread Beer, and I'll be damned if it doesn't actually TASTE like banana bread! It's kind of freaky, really. Not as freaky as those buttered popcorn Jelly Bellies (those are so accurate I can't eat them), but still. If you like that sort of thing, it's a tasty brew. The painting is called "Doorknob", which comes from a quote from the show "The Big Bang Theory". I'm seriously digging the blue on this one.

Not much else to mention at the moment.

Eastbound and down,
Amy

In between errands this week...

2009-01-07T14:07:00.002-05:00

More snow outside! I know it's January and snow is the norm here in Michigan, but still. I was really enjoying not having any.

New painting! I'm particularly excited about this one- it's called "Logan". The beer is Wolverine beer, and it's pretty good stuff. I try to drink local beer when I can; fortunately, there's a ton of great breweries here, which makes it easy. The painting is named after my favorite character in X-Men. It came together pretty quickly, once I figured out what it would be about.

Next painting should go up this weekend sometime. I've got some stuff to take care of over the next couple of days (sale on canvases at Blick starting on Thursday! Also I'll be continuing my job hunt).

To end, I'm really sad about Ron Asheton.

Eastbound and down,
Amy

"a most uncommon commentary..."

2009-01-05T14:27:00.003-05:00

Did you know that they now make TINY donuts at Krispy Kreme? I'm not talking donut holes, I'm talking actual donuts, just tiny. It's amazing! I love that place.

The real reason I'm posting today, though, is to show you a new painting. I've been working on this one for quite some time- more than a month, which is odd for me. I kept redoing the label- took several tries before I was happy with it. Also, I have to tell you, the orange background looks a lot more...violent in the scan than it actually is. More yellowy orange, as opposed to the pinkish orange I've got here. This is called "Summer Better", and the beer is Hop Sun from Southern Tier. It's tasty stuff- a wheat beer, but with a nice hop bite in it. Also, if you like chocolate stouts, you should definitely try to find Southern Tier's Choklat. Very good brew.

I have two more paintings that are done and ready to be posted- next one should be up on Wednesday or Thursday. All of the paintings I've been struggling with just came together over the last few days, which was nice.

I'm putting together a couple of submission packets for galleries right now- trying to get everything organized. Getting the proper DPI on my images is the current bane of my existence- even when I scan it at 200 DPI, as soon as I crop the image, it changes to 96 DPI. WTF? Anyone who would like to offer up some advice on this, feel free!

Eastbound and down,
Amy