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i BET YOU'RE PRETTY cOOL. That's why I can't wait to meet you. Psst! Here's my instagram! Introduce yourself! First Name Last Name Email Your message > YES! I'll get back to you soon. woman artist, watercolor realism painting oil painting washington artist

Amy Lewis paints to cultivate joy and an appreciation for the beauty that is around us. Amy Lewis is a self taught artist from Washington state. Her watercolor and oil paintings are vivid lifelike snapshots of ordinary life glamorized. ​ Amy, inspired by fashion editorials and historic paintings of aristocracy, pairs everyday objects with rich backgrounds. The juxtaposition of the ordinary and the luxurious sparks an appreciation for the things we take for granted. She paints to cultivate joy and an appreciation for the beauty that is all around us. My work is a practice of gratitude Fashion editorials and historic paintings of aristocracy are rich sources of inspiration. They are the perfect combination of light, fashion and artistry. I’m constantly exploring ways to portray ordinary life as glamorous. Art gives us eyes to see. Everyday objects with luxurious backgrounds create a juxtaposition which sparks an appreciation for the things we take for granted. My work is the practice of gratitude. It is the cultivation of joy and an appreciation for the beauty that is all around us. In the beauty of the ordinary I am reminded to be grateful and to use my privileges for the good of others. CV The Hideout, Seattle: Art List Vol. 2 1st place Resident's choice -Aljoya Mercer Island Artco Framing and Gallery, July-September 2022 Anxious Tomato , Online Gallery July 2022 Celebrating Dreams showcase , May-June 2022 Member of Women Painter's of Washington , 2022 Show at Tacoma Consignment , February 4th- March 11th 2022 Arts at the Armory , 2021, 2022 Interview feature in Creative Boom , October 5th 2021 September 11th, 2021 Solo Art Exhibit , The Perkin Building 2021 featured in Envision Arts Magazine , edition #6 2020 collaboration with Grit City Magazine , edition #10 2020-2021 Nova Expansion Gallery 2017-2021 Tacoma Studio Tour 2015 Gage Academy of Art , Portfolio Intensive (5 week youth program)

The Beauty of daily life reminds me to be grateful & to use my privileges for the good of others. art is an investment in something that gives you joy and will last you a lifetime. start collecting now Press Creative Boom In this interview with Creative Boom's Katy Cowan, we dived into everything from how I learned to paint to why I paint what I paint. ​ ​ Resident's Choice Award In a recent show at Aljoya Retirement Community on Mercer Island- Great Expectations won first place for the resident's choice award Grit City Magazine Grit City Magazine collaborated with me to create their featured art piece. The piece celebrates Tacoma and is inspired by Art Nouveau. ​ Upcoming event I have the honor of a solo show at Tacoma's very own- Artco Framing and Gallery. ​ Artco has fairly recently become a brand new entity under new owners. No longer a craft store- it is a beautiful gallery and frame shop. ​ My work will be there all of April. The reception (party) will be April 20th: 4-7 pm . I can't wait to see you there. Details Learn, connect+ stay updated Read the most recent blog posts to learn things & hear about my latest projects March Update-Hi! Have You Met Mike Murphy? 15 mural ideas to spice up your home (which one is right for you?) Don't miss out on new art, events and monthly freebies! First Name Last Name Email Message Submit welcome to the club if you're seeing this Then you've made it to the bottom of the home page on my website. I'm honored. You've seen some of my work and a little bit about me. ​ I've added a handy button that will take you to more information about me. ​ But you can ignore that one if you don't care about my resume. ​ Please reach out if you're interested in purchasing or curious about commissions. My credentials let's chat

this is your friendly neighborhood artist- Amy Lewis weekly blogging about life is not really popular anymore. But I'd like to try out *monthly* blogging as a format to update you on my art practice. Instagram is cool but it can be a little brief and informal. Instagram is cool but it can be a little brief and informal. So if you're interested, you can find me here. If not that's cool. It's also just a good practice for me to remind myself of what's happening and where I am going. So here's the look behind the curtain that no one asked for. Paintings I've been working on in 2023 First off the bat, I started and finished "Oh Nuts!" *pictured below*... Oh Nuts! is 18x18" watercolor on Arches paper mounted on a cradled wood panel (ready to hang in your house!). It is also the 3rd in a dessert series all of the same size and medium (Those Cookies & Frosting with a Side of Cake). "Oh Nuts!" behind the scenes Next up I got busy with a fine art piece. The idea is pretty much what is pictured above- except cut off at the elbow and a different backdrop. To get the reference photo for the painting my photographer and I had to do a practice run plus an extra hour set up before the model showed up. All that preparation meant that the shoot only took an hour. Khalia was so flexible and good spirited about getting her arm soaking wet as we poured pitcher after pitcher of water into the cup. I'm still working on the first paint layer for this piece. But it's coming together and I cannot wait to see it finished. (just 1-3 more layer to go) This piece is oil paint on a primed cradled wood panel, 18x24x2" In other news... Art Show An artist friend really encouraged me to sign up for LOCA, which I promptly did! LOCA is amazing because they work with artists and brick 'n mortar stores to pair art with spaces. That means- I created a free profile and then they find businesses that are interested in showing my work. It's beneficially for everyone involved. LOCA gets a reasonable cut if something sells. The business gets art on the walls for free + a tiny cut if something sells. I get most of the profits when something sells + I don't have to search/reach out to businesses for shows. YAY! Oh and you all get to see (and buy) art in spaces that you actually visit, like coffee shops. photos of my show that I installed at Onda Origins So this month I got paired with my first business- Onda Origins in Seattle. They are such a cute, cozy coffee shop (with delicious ethically sourced coffee). So if you're in the neighborhood- (5600 Rainier Ave S Seattle, WA, 98118) Stop by! All that to say It makes me cringe when I realize it's March YUCK. But I'm grateful for what I've accomplished and the opportunities coming my way. I am wayy under my sales goals. But I have a show coming up in APRIL. And I have some things in the works. I'm just so thankfully I get to make art everyday. I appreciate your encouraging words + prayers. Stay tuned.

Tacoma artist Mike Murphy makes other worldly abstracts that make you look twice. all photos have been provided by Mike Murphy I met Mike when I purchased one of his paintings- We were both participating in the Tacoma Arts in the Armory event which allowed us to do the hand off in person. His work immediately impressed me. It is unique and he presents it so professionally. Originally from the East coast- Mike came to Seattle in 2008 and haven't left the Pacific Northwest since. He started his own brewery in Seattle in 2013, which he co-owned and operated until 2022. When he decided to leave that industry to explore new creative ventures- he settled in Tacoma to live and make art. Mike wasn't always a painter. Music was his first creative outlet. From age 13 he was playing guitar, writing songs and learning new instruments. "I grew up playing music, which has always been my primary artistic expression" says Mike. Around 2011, he got the itch to try painting and really loved how different it felt to make visual art as opposed to music. "It flipped a switch that allowed me to express myself in this completely new way. I painted off and on throughout the last decade (most of it terrible)." Mike says, "I often tried different styles ranging from folk art to character drawings, and eventually it was abstract art that hooked me." It wasn't until 2022 that he had the time and capacity to focus fully on his creative practice. Mediums & Process Mike has dabbled in all the mediums. "It's all trial and error for me. I've used watercolor, oil, acrylic, charcoal, alcohol ink, and everything in between" he says. With his current style, he primarily uses acrylic because of its versatility, durability, and quick drying time. Like a lot of artists using liquid acrylics, Mike uses blow dryer to move paint around the canvas which creates abstract shapes and patterns. However, in his process he lets the base layer dry completely before pouring small amounts of paint on a canvas at a time, piecing together a series of forms until he feels a painting is complete. He also often blows through a straw or a melodica tube, which creates an up close and personal experience. Inspiration... Because so much of his creating is a therapeutic tool in reaction to life- Mike is often inspired by daily life. His dabbling and experimenting is a reflection of finding different therapeutic methods that help process life. He has found that jotting songs and ideas down when they come to him throughout the day help to keep him inspired. And like any good artist he is constantly being inspired by other artists. "Overall, I love experiencing art in all forms and mediums and constantly find inspiration from other people's work, be it music or visual art, etc." Unlike a majority of artists- Mike loves to work in silence. No podcasts or music for him: "I love the stillness and solitude of painting... I do my best to focus exclusively on what I'm actively making and get lost in that world without any outside distractions weighing me down. I find it very freeing and trance-like as I'm making art and it clears my head in a way that most other things don't." Challenges & Coping Mechanisms Mike's challenge is that he is colorblind; however, he hasn't let it hold him back. "I've learned to trust my instincts when selecting and blending colors" says Mike. Mike explains that often what looks good to him somehow looks good to people who are not colorblind. He has heard artists' stories about the difficulty of choosing the right color. Instead of letting colorblindness hold him back he now things of it as something that has freed him from indecision. Mike's Advice for Creators... "I think my advice would be don't let people's personal opinions of what art is "supposed to be" pigeonhole your creative process, because unless that person is a professional in the world of art, their opinions are truly and fully subjective. I think social media specifically can be both inspiring and soul crushing at the same time because there will always be people more talented and/or practiced in their process than you, and there will always be people ready to criticize what you're doing, but that shouldn't be a reason to hold back from expressing yourself. I think art enhances our lives, that every person is creative in their own way, and that everyone should pursue ways to express that unique creativity however they see fit." BIG goals Mike's short term goals involve switching from markets to fine art shows + exhibitions. He is still very new to the art world but he is realizing that his work fits better in the fine art realm (vs a community market). "I've never had the goal of painting being my sole income and/or full-time job because I think something would get lost or ruined for me personally if that became my driving force," Mike says. "I'm over the moon that anyone is buying the art I create, because it allows me to make more of it." He continues to offer accessible price points for his work knowing that art should be available to everyone and not just high-dollar collectors. I'm always curious what other people would be doing if they were guaranteed to succeed- Mike replies that he dabbles in comedy writing, and often contribute to The Needling, a fake news publication in Seattle. In an alternate world he'd like to pursue writing more seriously. His dream job would be to write for a show like It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Run, don't walk, to collect his work > click here

This blog post is really a break down of a post by Redfin. But seriously you could snag any of these ideas for yourself Redfin Ryan Castillo from Redfin reached out to artists and designers for their hot takes on home murals. I was one of them. I recommended checkerboard print because it's very doable for someone who is not "artistic" or "good at painting". All you need a ruler, tape and some paint. 15 ideas: natural mural in a kid's bedroom floral mural in the staircase checkerboard print in the bathroom or kitchen backsplash florals in the bathroom bouquet of flowers on your headboard nature scene in the kitchen seascape in your bedroom zodiac mural on your ceiling alternate reality on that wall that's hard to fill with art koi mural in your entryway celebrate your culture with tiny murals graffiti mural in your studio apt collaborative community mural tropical vibes for office backdrop seascape Choosing the right idea for you I think you should head over to the original blog to read Ryan's tips for choosing a mural idea. There is some good advice and some things to think about as you consider your home in particular. READ HERE Thank you! *Also fyi I do murals. I've done a mural for Spaceworks which you can see downtown on Broadway and I have also transformed a boring bathroom into a colorful reef for kids.