Long time no see!

I thought it was about time I posted something on here to let you know that I have been posting mostly via my "Artwork by Amy Short" page on Facebook. Mostly for ease of posting. I hope to continue posting here too but plan to do a whole website overhaul in the new year. For now please 'Like' me on Facebook and feel free to share my page too for new works in progress and other musings. It would be greatly appreciated!

With my new year will come lots of changes. I will be teaching a beginning sculpture class at Sweetwater Center for the Arts. It is a new adventure for me and I really look forward to it. I think of myself as a lifelong learner too so I plan on learning from my students as much as teaching them. :)

This past April, I joined the West Hills Art League and it has been fantastic! I also won my first
Best of Show award! What an honor!

I have had numerous exhibits this year too. Now that our children are getting older it has been a bit freeing to get myself out there.

At Christmas this year I found myself making some sculptural necklaces and was pleased with the reactions. I will be posting those that didn't sell yet on my etsy site very soon! Here are some examples.

Also found myself painting dogs this year.
This particular one is special to me because he is my dog, Fozzy.

 

Some fun sculpting, painting and repainting.

 

A few special commissions too!

 

 All in all, it has been a wonderful year and I look forward to 2015. 

Thank you for your interest in me and my art, it means so much to me!

I wish you all health, love and prosperity in the new year!

Happy 2015!

XOXO Amy

Before and After

Remember these?

Before

  

After

Halloween, Hurricane, Humping and Harry Potter

Halloween - Today is Halloween, my favorite holiday. I love it for so many reasons. I love the crisp smell of the air. I'm never too hot. I'm from Cortland which is in the heart of apple country. It is also the name of the most delicious apples on the planet...yes, it's true. The Cortland apple...learn it, remember it, taste it, bake with it and pat your belly when you finish a big one.

I also love costumes. It's a chance to become someone you're not or someone you want to be, if only for the day. And let's not forget the candy...oh the candy.

Anyway, since my kids are still technically little (6, 8, and 10) I figured that we should do a footprint project since they may not let me do that again for a while.

This is how it turned out:

What did I learn from this? My kids feet are HUGE!! Just to give you an idea. My husband's foot is the biggest one in the middle and his foot is a size 14. Mine to the right a size 11. I am really hoping that I won't have to order my boys shoes over the internet in the future. LOL

Hurricanes: Hurricanes, on the other hand, are NOT my favorite. What an awful week for the northeast. I am so very fortunate that my family was spared, though one of my brothers still has no power. We got crazy wind and rain but seem to have just missed the horror of it all. I am grateful that many lives were spared due to early weather predictions and my heart goes out to all of those affected. Horrible.

The only positive thing that came about due to the hurricane is that our local trick or treating has been moved to Saturday. This gives me some time to carve the pumpkins that I haven't had a chance to carve yet. Phew. ;o) (no disrespect meant, just looking for a silver lining)

Humpers: Our puppy is growing up so fast. He is now 12 weeks old and has started enjoying humping his towel. It's funny. My boys think he is dancing...that's funny. The satisfaction he gets from it is funny and his fuzzy butt dancing is funny. Sorry, but it is and I have to share:

 

Anyway, here is my WIP for this week: 

 

Lastly, Harry Potter. Why Harry Potter? Because there is a marathon on TV today. I want to sit in front of the fireplace and watch Harry Potter all day...if I had a fireplace that is and if it weren't so late in the day. ;o) Happy Potter makes me happy.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

TTFN.

Mommying is a WIP

So it's work in progress (WIP) Wednesday. I can't believe what a hectic week it has been...heeeeectic. Being a mom is TOUGH! Yes, it's rewarding, yes, best job in the world...yada yada, but unless you are a mom you just don't get it.

This is the first year that I actually have a little time to myself, or so I thought. My boys are all in full-day school now, so in theory I can achieve everything I want. Reality is a different story. So here are some THEORIES and some REALITIES from my point of view...and my life:

THEORY: The boys are in school, so I will have so much time for myself.
REALITY: The school just called and I have to pick up a sick kid. Sick child does not want me to leave his side to even go to the toilet. I have to pee.

THEORY: I will be able to complete so much art.
REALITY: I have piles of laundry and the kids have no underwear for tomorrow and I left a load of laundry in the washer for the third consecutive day, it smells, so I have to rewash it...again.

THEORY: I will make an awesome healthy meal tonight that everyone will enjoy.
REALITY: Hurry up and throw something together because the boys have cub scouts. Cereal for dinner boys!

THEORY: Everyone will like what I cook.
REALITY: I have picky eaters who don't like pasta. How can they be my children? I think the Italian portion of their genes got tread upon by their English side.

THEORY: If I go to bed early I will get eight hours of sleep.
REALITY: Two out of three had bad dreams last night and it's all my fault because I forgot to shake out the dream catcher. Or maybe it was the early Halloween candy that I let them eat just before bed. (yes, they brushed their teeth)

THEORY: I will have to clean less since no one is here to mess it up.
REALITY: We got him...

©2012 Sharon Dominick Photography

THEORY: I will resent my family for driving me to drink.
REALITY: I can't help but recognize that they are a troop of fantastic human beings and I couldn't love them more if I tried. Even the puppy.

Here is my WIP:

 

For now I will leave you with this:

©2012 Sharon Dominick Photography

TTFN.

WIP Wednesday

Whoops...WIP Wednesday almost got past me! Time flies! Here is another bust that I am currently working on.

Happy Hump Day! :o)

WIP Wednesday

I've decided to start posting Work In Progress (WIP) on Wednesdays. So here's today's WIP:

Yo! S'up? WIP

Really thought it was about time I update this blog. If you have stuck with me until now...thank you thank you thank you. If you are new to this blog, thanks for stopping by.

This has been one crazy year and I am hoping that it has now chilled out. Surgery, braces and puppy...oh my!

Here is a Work In Progress for you:

Christmas with Creative and Curious Kids

I have had my friend Jennifer, writer of the blog Creative and Curious Kids, on my blog roll for years now. She's on my blog roll under "Jen who raises creative kids".


Jennifer just did a lovely post of my art in her blog and I would like you to know about her also. Aside from being a wonderful and talented person she also home schools her children (which automatically makes her my hero) and is extremely creative. Check out her blog for some great crafty ideas and activities that you can do with your children.

Here are a couple of my favorite ideas:

 

 Thanks again Jennifer.

The Last of the Snowmen

Thanks to all who support artists. I, for one, am especially grateful. 

I didn't make a lot of ornaments but I have two snowmen left.

This one:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/86325574/ooak-snowman-ornament

and this one:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/86325188/ooak-snowman-ornament

PS. If you are a local I can bring it to you. :o) Just let me know before you buy and I will reserve it under your name minus shipping costs.

New WIPs aka My Minions

Here are some new works in progress (WIP). I had to change the blog title because according to my good friend Carla, I have created an army of minions. Too funny!

 

A bunch of busts because I felt like sculpting a lot of faces.

Have no fear they will not be bald and bland when finished.

More photos coming soon. Back to work now. :o)

And the winner is...

 Lisa Dempski!!

Thanks to all who participated and shared my blog! It is very much appreciated!

A Halloween Giveaway!

I have been bugging my kids for weeks to tell me what they want to be for Halloween. You'd think that I am jumping the gun but actually I am trying not to wait until the last minute to make their costumes. Nightmare!

Thinking back to Halloween when I was a kid, I am reminded of my favorite costume. I was a gypsy, a ghost (tripped a LOT), Raggedy Ann, skeleton, etc. but by far my favorite costume was when my mother made me into a tea bag.

Me as a gypsy circa 1970s

It was the night of Halloween and I didn't have a costume or have any idea what I wanted to be. My clever mother told me to run upstairs and put my black leotard on and to get a white pillowcase from the closet. She proceeded to cut out two holes for my legs to fit through. I put the pillowcase on and we went outside and she stuffed me full of leaves. Then she stapled across the top of the pillowcase across my shoulders. Then she cut out a hexagon from a cardboard box, drew a red rose on it (Red Rose Tea), she was an artist too, and cleverly placed it on my head. The final touch was a string from the Red Rose Tea tag to my shoulder and voila...I was a tea bag. I won 3rd place in the Halloween parade that year.

That last minute costume worked out.

So this brings me to my giveaway. I am giving away one of my latest Halloween creations from my etsy shop.

All you have to do is comment on this blog below, Artwork by Amy Short on Facebook, or @amyshortart on Twitter and tell me what your all time favorite costume was when you were a kid. Then on October 17th I will draw a name from all of the names and send you this decoration just in time for Halloween.

Tell your friends too because I need some good ideas for my kids costumes! Good Luck! :o)

Skulls and Pumpkins and Crows...Oh My!

I have been busy working on some fun sculpts for Halloween. As usual I am experimenting. I wanted something lightweight and creepy fun and it seems to have worked out. Here's a peek at what I came up with:

You can find more in my etsy shop. They are in limited supply and I won't be making anymore this season. I have to start working on some other things.

Oh, and as usual, my favorite part is a funky angle. Here is my favorite view:

I know, but I'm diggin' the crinkle. :o) Hope you like them too.

Doesn't it feel great to be appreciated?

Been a crazy crazy busy busy summer but I wanted to share this post with you. I was interviewed by Karla from Dreamaginarius. I am very flattered! Thank you Karla! People, keep an eye on her because I believe that she has some amazing figures coming out of her dreamagination.

http://dreamaginarius.blogspot.com/2011/08/tea-for-three-guest-amy-from-etsy-shop.html

More soon. :o)

Fancy chairs and blisters

For years...I've had an old chair in our garage that I have been meaning to refinish. It was given to me by a neighbor when she moved. I liked the look of it because it reminded me of Jane Austen. So I took it...and there it sat in our garage. It was always in the back of my mind that I would take the time and redo it.

Every once in a while my husband would say something like..."When are we getting rid of that chair?" To which I would reply, "We aren't, I'm going to redo it." This was usually followed by the roll of his eyes and a heavy sigh.

Well, I have finally fixed it up. I stripped it, repaired it, sanded it, painted it and reupholstered it. Oh and I have gave myself a painful blister with my glue gun. OUCH! It was more difficult than I thought but, like my husband says, 'it's done now'. ;o)

Here are the before photos:

Here are the during:

Here are the after photos:

 

 

 

Just one more Before/After shot:
 

So now the question is where am I going to put it since it doesn't match our decor. lol  Oh and fyi I won't be reupholstering anything again. ;o)

New Sculpture

In a continuing effort to finish all of the work on my bench I just finished this guy.  He stands 16" tall and I'm digging his expression from different angles. Hope you like him too.

spiritual swirl

angel wings

serious side

happy side

wassup?