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These days, I am of two minds. In one of these minds, I am doing just fine. I paint, teach, and do my best to be on the side of good. Thailand surrounds me with warmth, color, and kindness…not to … Continued

Boulder, Colorado. It’s my second visit with my daughter Kelsey, The last time I was here we slept in the same bed like girlfriends do, but now she has a partner and I’m on the couch. I don’t mind. Things … Continued

“Jackie’s room” Watercolor and Collage. In the Mirror Series The goal of the traveler is to fully experience. The goal of the artist is to express that experience. My “In the Mirror” series is a journal of sorts. Whenever I … Continued

Contrary to popular opinion, an art exhibit is not the culmination of the work, but rather the start of something. The next something.  While it is tempting to take a break, there is little time for celebration, or even the … Continued

For me, the painting process has three distinct stages.  The first stage is my favorite. It’s a honeymoon where everything is new and full of possibility. There is an intention, but not a fixed destination. As a matter of fact, … Continued

Occasionally I complete a drawing or a painting in one fell swoop. Start to finish, without pause.  But this is the exception, not the rule. In my studio, there are always multiple pieces in progress. Stacked against the walls, paintings … Continued

What IS collage anyway? In addition to the defining elements of paper and glue, collage conjures up images of bold and colorful shapes-hard edged forms juxtaposed with texture, pattern, and line.  I’m currently living in a collage.  The visual landscape … Continued

After years of sitting on the bottom shelf, unopened and brand new, I released the Gelli Plate from its packaging. What is a Gelli Plate you ask? A Gelli Plate is a “reusable printing surface made of non-perishable gel.” In … Continued

What makes painting a mural so different from other kinds of painting? You might think it’s because of scale, although murals aren’t necessarily big. In fact, they come in all shapes and sizes. I’ve done a few over the years, … Continued

A monsoon rain poured down, leaking through the roof. Papers left in the danger zone became a soggy mess and mold threatened the honey based watercolor paint. On one side of the room, jungle vines snaked in between the screens … Continued

Chiang Mai is messy…in a good way. Despite being an ancient city, there is an ever present fertility that expresses itself in weedy plants, rotting garbage, and thatched roofs in need of overhaul. While temples may feel like fortresses, the … Continued

Living a creative life requires two opposing forces, freedom and discipline. The freedom part comes easily to me, although I can’t take much credit as it agrees with my natural state of being. Any discipline I possess has been hard … Continued

I arrived tired, and in many ways spent…artistically and otherwise. Rather than give myself time to acclimate to my new surroundings, I jumped right in, sketching one charming scene after another.  Too charming it turned out. Everything I did looked … Continued

Not every subject appears worthy. My “In the Mirror” series often requires making magic out of the mundane. It also forces me to work when I’m decidedly not in the mood. In this case, a delayed flight left me stranded … Continued

“Are you packed yet?”  I’ve been getting this question a lot lately and the answer is no. Art supplies take up most of the space in my suitcase and I’ll be needing those until the last possible second. My desk … Continued

Artists, whether or not they admit it, benefit from limitations. In fact, they thrive on limitations. A teacher of mine once referred to this idea as “freedom within a harness.” And he nailed it.  Feeling safe and buffered by a … Continued

Writing about art is tricky business.  I could easily cook up some fancy language to describe this image, but is that really necessary? Would some well chosen words make you see it better? Like it better?  How about some shop … Continued

At Janine’s, Bainbridge Island, Washington, USA How interesting to be a traveler. It’s hard not to compare.  In Asia, everything feels fertile and chaotic. In Europe, timeless. Old. And then there’s America (which sounds better, but less accurate, than saying … Continued

At Hotel Stella Maris, Blanas, Spain Sometimes the only available mirror is in the bathroom.  This was not the case at Gala’s castle, where I toured the final home of Dali’s feminine counterpart. Every corner, every object, felt like an … Continued

Note from Amy! Thanks for reading my friends. Interested in taking an art class? Click here for info!  At Hostel Marina, Cadaquez ,Spain The room was white. This seemed fitting as we were in the “white city” of Cadaquez, situated … Continued

At Carlos and Kim’s, Valencia, Spain Pre-dawn, and the house is asleep. I snuck out in the hall to sketch before setting out to explore the old city. Street lamps were still lit and it was very quiet but for … Continued

AT Nicoline’s, Saint Pere de Ribes, Spain  I was enveloped in yellow and blue. We curled around the edge of an amber colored coastline, looking down at an unfathomable expanse of blue Mediterranean. Blonde haired Nicoline sat behind the wheel … Continued

Note from Amy! Thanks for reading my friends. I have some new classes coming up for you or someone you love. Link here!  Ina dropped me at the train station with plenty of time to spare.  After waving goodbye, I … Continued

AT INA’S in Santa Lucia, Portugal At the start of this trip, I had convinced myself I didn’t need internet on my phone. There’s WiFi everywhere in Europe right? Coffee shops on every corner! Who needs GPS anyway? In my … Continued

Hotel Alnacir, Faro, Portugal When it comes to this blog, my goal is to make a long story short. I’m doing great but obviously you’ll have to take my word for it.  At last the time had come to head … Continued

Vincci Baixa, Lisbon Even the most seasoned traveler comes up against the unknown. In this case, it was my next lodging. I had enjoyed my three days of relative calm, but it was time to pack my bags again. Booking … Continued

At the Flores Guesthouse, Lisbon, Portugal Where were we? Or should I say, where was I?  When last we talked, I was leaving London, my sister, and covid behind, heading for parts unknown…at least unknown to me. The original plan … Continued

At the W12, Shepherd’s Bush, London Swiping our Oyster cards like locals, we took the Tube across London, eventually arriving at Station Where the Heck are We? Our new location was quite lively (in a sketchy sort of way) and … Continued

Too much luggage. The dress clothes, art supplies, electronics, toiletries, and coffee fixin accoutrement had gained weight apparently…or had I gotten weaker? The answer turned out to be yes. I had picked up a case of Covid on the boat, … Continued

At Geoff and Lorri’s We drove from the port of Southhampton to a small town outside of Guildford, getting lost along the way. I didn’t mind one bit because the passing scenery looked like every pastoral painting of England I’d … Continued

On the Queen Mary 2 We’re on the Queen Mary 2, the world’s last ocean liner. For the curious minded, an ocean liner is built specifically for long and rough voyages, as opposed to a cruise ship which I can … Continued

At Luke’s I slip into the kitchen, quietly, after everyone has gone to sleep. The light is dim and I need to sit on a high stool in order to see myself in the small cupboard mirror. Queens, New York … Continued

It is rare to find anyone, other than myself, in these “In the Mirror” drawings. Only a handful of cameos appear and this is one of them. My big sister Rita holds the sweet spot in the composition for several … Continued

Ah, the Jersey Shore.  It’s time for our annual family reunion. We fill the beach house to bursting with anticipation and good will…along with big personalities, creativity, Tasty Cakes, board games, glitter, and a little attitude. It’s all for one … Continued

After a brief reprieve, I’m back to living out of a suitcase. Several in fact. I’ve packed enough for two states, three countries, and an ocean liner, not to mention enough art supplies to go the distance. I will live … Continued

Being “bicontinental” is a little like this image. Wherever I am, part of me resides elsewhere. Days into my Western stay, I feel like a tourist, and yet it’s all utterly familiar. I left belongings here and there. Amy boxes … Continued

Where’s the pause button?  I returned from my most recent adventure more than a month ago and haven’t allowed myself five minutes to reflect, let alone think about what I might have learned. My calendar filled up faster than a … Continued

Whoa. It’s been almost two years since my last blog post. I’m blaming it on the pandemic because… I can. The good news is that I’m alive and doing well! I sure hope you are too. For the past year … Continued