Life is a Great Big Canvas

 --This piece was originally published in 2015 but has been updated for the new blog format. Early 2015, I received an invitation from Crossroads Carnegie Art Center, to come tour the Baker Heritage Museum. I, along with many other artists, went, and found inspiration for art in the artifacts, exhibits, stories, and people dressed and in character, at the museum. Upon entering the museum, one of the first people I met was a woman wrapped in a red feather boa, with a feather fan in her hand. Her real name is Elaine Logsdon, but her character's name was Diamond Lil. I imagined she had been a burlesque dancer in her youth, and now perhaps ran her own saloon and theater. I am sure she could tell some very interesting stories! I knew I had to paint her, and knew her personality would shine through on the canvas. I decided with the other paintings I made for the museum, to be more creative in the composition. Instead of painting the entire object, I chose to crop it in a way that would b...

  Here are some more of my marbles. These were painted on 8x8" wood boards for the Little Big Show in Baker City, Oregon. Some of these sold, but some are still available at  www.etsy.com/shop/AmyVanGaasbeckArtist  . It's the perfect size canvas for these marble paintings. It's always so fun to see each marble turn from just shapes and colors to marbles. This one is called Big Blue. Many of these marbles were from a collection owned by one of my oil painting students, an elderly woman, who had a large jar full of them and they had been in her family for decades. This particular one was very old, and not perfectly round...just a little bit off. As an artist, I have to judge when to idealize and perfect something, like remove a blemish, leave out a few wrinkles, make someone thinner, or leave it in and embrace the imperfection. I decided to leave in the flaw in this marble, where you will see my others appear perfectly round, this one feels just slightly off, just by a hair...

Do you want to see more of my art? Well you are in luck! Find me and/or my art at these events in June: June 5 , Baker City: First Friday Art Walk will be going on, from 5:30 to 8pm, and the display lasts through the month. My art will be displayed at:  Crossroads Carnegie Art Center, 2020 Auburn Avenue  Short Term Gallery, 1829 Main Street  Cabin Cowboy Designs, 2013 1st Street. June 12 , Nampa, Idaho: Nampa Art Walk begins at 5:00 pm, and the display lasts through the month. I will be featured artist at:  Third Hand Antiques, 1212 1st St. South June 27 , Boise, Idaho: The Community Progressive, Julia Davis Park This is a one day event running from 11am-7pm. I will be there in my booth, with plenty of art, prints, cards, and wearable art.