Blue Snow

The snow is piled so high against my studio window. I can just see the snow, the yellow sky and rhodies peeking around the corner.

Blue Snow, 6x6", Acrylic on Canvas, ©Amantha Tsaros 2013

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Untiki

I have been working on a second tiki-type painting. I turned it upside down and abstracted it. I like this one much better.

Untiki, 6x6", Acrylic on Canvas, Amantha Tsaros 2013

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Roses on Black

I was told to never ever use black in a painting. I always want to mix clean colors and not muddy them up by adding black to the mix. But lately I have discovered the joy of adding a color to black to create a wonderful black tone - I want to paint with it all the time.

Roses on Black, 12x12", Acrylic on Panel. ©Amantha Tsaros 2013

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Snoh

Another white day here.
I have done a lot of painting over the last day. My impulse is to paint impressions of each day right now.

Snoh, 6x6", Acrylic on Canvas, ©Amantha Tsaros 2013

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Tropical Orchid

I am painting so much. I have three incomplete pieces on the easel. For now, I will post an anthurium.

Tropical Orchid, 6" x 6", Acrylic on Canvas, ©Amantha Tsaros 2013

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One, Two, Three-ki

Day four of painting every day and I am in a TROPICAL mood!
Totally terrified to take on these bad boys. But ah, it is just paint.

One, Two, Three-ki, 7"x5", Acrylic on Panel, ©Amantha Tsaros 2013

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I am so looking forward to doing their individual portraits. Will forage for umbrella picks tomorrow.

Rose for the Brush Gallery

Today's painting will be a part of The Brush Gallery's Four by Four for Education Fundraiser for their Art Scholarship Program.

The entire exhibit consists of 4x4" paintings created specifically for the exhibit. The exhibit is from Thursday, February 28 to Saturday, March 2, 2013.

Rose, 4x4", Acrylic on Canvas, ©Amantha Tsaros 2013

This painting is not available for sale but you can get a print of it here.

Appropriately, today's painting is a rose. It figures. 

Love,

Amantha

Brush Bouquet

"I hate flowers - I paint them because they're cheaper than models and they don't move."

-- Georgia O'Keefe

I came across this quote today. I don't hate flowers but I am very adept at killing them and all plants. 

Well, brushes and some of the crazy tools I paint with also don't move. So I made a little painting of them. 

Brush Bouquet, 6"x6", Acrylic on Canvas, ©Amantha Tsaros 2013

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Art Frenzy!

I am embarking on the painting a day habit.

Here is  how I came to this decision.

I recently saw the TED talk by Matt Cutts where he encourages you to try something new for 30 days.
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I know I have not been painting as much as I used to.
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I have wanted to try this a-painting-a-day trend.
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So,   "Lets give it a whirl!" .
Today was the first official day of "daily painting".

Two White Roses, 7x5", Acrylic, ©Amantha Tsaros 2013

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Daily Painting is the practice where the artist creates a completed painting every day (or every weekday) they are usually small format works. 6x6" seems to be the favored format. I initially was skeptical - shouldn't an artist paint every day anyway? Sure. But I haven't been - but now I am.

I will post the paintings here on my blog and will offer them for sale in auction format on the Daily Paintworks website. The small 5x7's open bidding at $30.

Let's see if I can make it a whole 30 days!

The bidding starts!

Auctions get me going. I love trying to get something wonderful for a delightful price.

In the interest of fun and paint exploration, I have started a Daily Paintworks account and will be selling small paintings there in auction format. I am really excited about this new venture and can't wait to paint as much

Because Valentine's Day I am starting with a lovely floral painting.

Amantha Tsaros, Evening Flower, 7x5", Acrylic on Panel

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Happy Valentine's Day!

Got something to say?

I plopped my small illustration on his desk. It was bold but short on content - who would know? He was a writer after all! My brilliant studio-mate cackled and said,

"The willow bends to the gentle breeze.
The wise man fears the bandit.
I thought that is must be profound.
For I could not understand it."

I got it. I made a new piece of art that was clear and connected to his project.

An artist statement also should be clear and connected to the project. Artists drive me right out of my mind when they do not speak clearly. I know why they speak in riddles - because it is horrifying to write an artist statement. It is the worst task. We put it off until the end and then come up with some lame crap. Maybe if I use enough big words no one will notice? Or maybe the artist really talks like that? - oh, dear.

I am in the middle of rewriting my artist statement. There is the quick way and the slow way. I am going with the turtle on this one because this is a race I want to win. Alyson Stanfield's The Relatively Pain-Free Artist Statement is helping me along the way. The Relatively Pain-Free Artist Statement provides daily writing exercises to help you dig into your work and  really connect with your audienceIt is going to take time to get it right and I don't want to hear snorting, cackling or clever verse in response to my statement.

If you really short on time, you can use the Artist Statement Generator which will whip up a statement for you instantly! It comes up with statements that sound an awful lot like legit statements I have read. Cackling guaranteed.

Amantha Tsaros Half Past Midnight, 24x24", Acrylic on Canvas, ©2012

Mystery = good for paintings. Not for Artist Statements.

Babapapa and Baba-art-a

Babapapa was my kind of show. I was crazy about those shape-shifting brightly colored sweethearts. But me oh my, Babamama is the loveliest mom- she is so pretty. And we have the same wardrobe of jet, ebony and onyx attire.

I have missed them.

My beloved Babapapa tv show.

And 35 years later, I was so surprised to find them appear in a recent monotype.

Amantha Tsaros, Ipnee, 8x10", Monotype, ©2012

You never know who is going to pop up in your work.