upcoming Show

The Amber Field

copyright 2008 elisa ann lindstrom

I found out earlier this week that "The Amber Field" will be shown at the 2010 Chicago Art Open. I had been on pins and needles wondering if any of my pieces got accepted so when I found out it was really very exciting for me. The show will be at the River East Art Center in late April through early May. For more information you can check out the Chicago Artists Coalition Online. I'll post more about it closer to the event.

From the artists studio...

I'm working on a new landscape. It will be a winter scene inspired by an area about a half an hour from my home. Here's the rough drawing on canvas...

It is actually a lot farther along than this - I'll take another picture soon to show the progress. Hope you all had a great weekend.

From the artists studio...

Under A Western Sky

titled by: Cathy Nichols

copyright 2008 elisa ann lindstrom

I put this painting up in my living room for a while and seeing it every day made me want to make a change to it. I felt like the foreground needed more depth. So last week I took it down and I've been working on it in the studio. This was the first landscape of this series that I created so I'm not surprised or upset that I want to do a little change to it.

I'm not sure if this is normal - to re-work a painting after it has been shown in a festival and such. I'm hoping it is since I'm almost done with the foreground and it's looking a lot better. In a couple of weeks I'm going to take this landscape (which should be finished) along with a few others and some drawings to a professional photographer to get digital pics done of them. I like going to him because he gets the lighting and such just right. When I get the pictures back, I'll post the newer version of this painting and you can see and comment/critique the piece if you'd like.

Name my art Friday... on Saturday

okay let's try this one again...

"Passage"

titled by: Monica Carnesi

copyright 2010 elisa ann lindstrom

24" x 20" mixed media on canvas

If you would like to know more about

"Name my art Friday", please see the sidebar

to the right.

etsy artist you must check out: Amelie Jo

Amelie Jo says: 

I am a stay at home mother, faithfully tending to my muse, sweet Amelie Jo. Not so long ago, I owned a web boutique, where I sold American made and handmade children’s clothing by many talented Etsy artists. I had an epiphany, one sunny afternoon, when I found a vintage portrait of a wise, old owl and a blank, white tee in my baby girl’s closet. I was soon lost in creativity, carefully adding colorful buttons and a bit of hand embroidery. I fell in love with the result and had much too much fun with the process! I realized that I had just created a piece that I had been searching for since my child’s birth – an affordable, organic, vintage inspired tiny bit of heaven, punctuated with a little flair and a whole lotta love!

Regarding the materials she uses: I prefer to use organic cotton for the shirts that I make. I am very interested in living an organic lifestyle – I make my own cleaning products and purchase organic or locally grown food - and feel that organic cotton is the best material for baby skin. Plus, I tea stain most of my items and organic cotton is the perfect material for doing so. I love adding vintage buttons because they make my items one of a kind. I would like to use more upcycled materials in the future.

About buying handmade: People should buy handmade because a lot of love and care goes into each item that an artist sells. Handmade is sweatshop free, out source free and the customer can be satisfied that they have not taken advantage of another citizen of this world in order to wear a fancy t shirt. Handmade keeps art alive and growing. Most handmade artists give back to their communities in small and large ways, which helps future generations.

A few days ago, I was able to ask Amelie Jo a couple of questions:

E: You have said your muse is your daughter, Amelie Jo, which is where you got the name for your shop and blog– does anything else inspire you? 

A:I love vintage, french and shabby chic.

E: You had a web boutique before you started Amelie Jo where you sold handmade children’s clothing by other artists – what made you switch to selling your own work and do you think you’ll go back to the online boutique ever and sell your work there as well?

A: I couldn't find an audience for my web boutique and I, frankly, wasn't making any money. Once I started making my own shirts, the ideas just kept flowing and I was encouraged by Justine Smith, from Handmade Blogger, to open an Etsy shop. She is also helping me wholesale my work. I haven't seen much out there like my line of shirts and onesies, and now hats. Nothing that combines organic materials with authentic vintage embellishments and images.

 
If you would like more information on Amelie Jo:

Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/ameliejo

Blog: http://ameliejo.blogspot.com


Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ameliejovintagekids

name my art friday

copyright 2010 elisa ann lindstrom

mixed media on canvas

This image is from a series of pictures I took while on a hike

in Wisconsin (near Lake Geneva).

For more information on "Name my art Friday",

please see the sidebar to the right.

from the studio

I'm almost done with this painting. I'm excited to finish. If I haven't mentioned this before, I started this a month or two before Savannah was born - that was in December of 2008. So working on something new will be nice. I've already got a few ideas in mind for the next mixed-media landscape. Which hopefully won't take as long to create. I'm planning on cleaning this one up a little bit and then finishing it by Friday (to be named). Stay tuned...