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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! Get on my mailing list and/or send me a message. First Name Last Name Email Your message > Thanks! :) woman artist, watercolor realism painting oil painting washington artist

abundance ​ Oil on wood panel ​ 18x24" 2023 $4,000 Available Now A little bit about the painting Abundance is an oil painting on a cradled wood panel. She is 18x24x1.5" with a wire on the back, ready to hang. She would look gorgeous in a gold floating frame. We are familiar with the image of a cup overflowing as a metaphor for blessings. And I hope we are aware of how many people in the world still don’t have easy access to clean water. Abundance is both that common metaphor + also a reminder of the literal gift of hot and cold water whenever we want it In seasons where I have very little disposable income I find that again and again God provides exactly what I need and so much more. So many of the frustrations I deal with are self imposed from doubt. I fear xyz, and I doubt God’s provision. But I’ve always been wrong. I do walk through valleys. But I’ve never been alone and things have always turned out okay. Usually better than okay. Our time is so different than God’s time. But he knows the desires of our hearts and what is best for us. His timing is always perfect. His provision is always abundant. “For he draws up the drops of water; they distill his mist in rain, which the skies pour down and drop on mankind abundantly.” (Job 36:27-28) My work is focused on gratitude. I draw attention to the modern luxuries we enjoy to evoke a feeling of gratitude and contentment in our everyday lives.

​ Poetic Musings Watercolor on paper 21x29" 28.5x37" framed 2017 AVAILABLE Shop Prints

From an artist's perspective, here are 3 things that make a good art collector. photo by Jana Early #1 Art Collectors that Support the Artist Support can take many forms. It can be as simple as staying in touch. It can be a gut punch to know that I've lost connection to a collector (and therefore lost connection to that piece of artwork). Support may also look like: Sending the artist's work to other people who may enjoy the work or talking about the art in your home and sharing the artist's info if someone loves the piece you have. Go to the artist's shows If you're a collector who is plugged into the "art scene", sending opportunities that may be a good fit for the artist Respond to their emails/social media posts Leave a review Buy more work #2 Art Collectors that Take Care of the Work Sometimes I wonder whether my collected work has ever been dusted. Once a piece is sold, it's in the care of the collector. I'm happy to come dust off a painting or do needed restoration. But in reality, I've never had anyone ask for help caring for their paintings . I just hope they are being well cared for. A couple things I recommend: Don't display the piece where it will be in direct sunlight for long periods of time. Varnish and UV protective glass will help protect the art but the sun is strong and it isn't always enough to protect the art from fading/sun damage. Unless the painting is behind glass, I don't recommend putting your art collection in the kitchen. There is a lot of grease in a kitchen and that will make a sticky film on your paintings I also don't recommend storing your original art pieces in the bathroom. I can't speak to canvas works. But work on paper or wood will warp over time with all that moisture. (I decorate my bathroom with prints and photos) Use a very soft large paint brush to dust off the painting (every 6 month ish) If you move, wrap up your paintings! Google some videos about how to do it properly to avoid damaging your pieces #3 Art Collecting out of love not prestige There are real financial reasons to invest in fine art. There are also prestigious reasons to collect art. No judgment against money or prestige. But when you really love a piece of artwork that is when you'll get the greatest joy from that piece and from your collection. Also, when you collect out of love then you will do #1 and #2 naturally. Art is not just an investment, something to brag about to your friends or something to cover the walls. Fine art can feed your soul and enrich your life. So choose work that makes you feel like you can't live without it. Testimony from one of my collectors: One of my collectors is so wonderful at supporting me. She took the time to answer a few questions I had about art collecting from a collector's perspective. What made you collect Fine Dining? I’m a feelings person. I always have been and I always will be. And that’s why I collect art. There are some people who are impacted by their physical environments, I am one of them. When I first saw Amy’s work, I instantly smiled. And I knew that every time I looked at her work, specifically Fine Dining I would always smile. It wasn’t just a surface smile, it was a smile down into my soul. Like, “Oh this is breathtakingly beautiful, and oh it's so clever to juxtapose donuts with such a serious style, and Oh the meaning of giving from what you have, and seeing the goodness that you have, then sharing it,” all of those feelings bubbled up and each time I saw that painting they’d be there. 1. What does it feel like when you buy art? So, I’m not an art collector. Well, I am now, but I wasn’t. It all started when I got married. My husband loves art. We’ve actually had a few arguments over buying art instead of you know, a bed frame or what some might call necessities. And I think the beauty of it is art is a necessity. We now each save for pieces we love, but also each year on our anniversary we get some sort of art. Sometimes it’s a painting, sometimes it’s pottery or a sculpture. Sometimes it’s from a place we’ve traveled to and sometimes it’s from a friend or an artist we’ve been following. The pieces often have meaning from that time in our lives. My favorite example is a piece we bought during the pandemic. Joel had had his eye on this gallery for a while, and we found a woodblock print from a Japanese artist (Joel’s half Japanese). The print was of a crowd and two people going in the opposite direction. And it was just a good reminder for us that our lives wouldn’t necessarily look like everyone else but we’d always be going in the same direction together (and that’s a good thing to remember in life, because sometimes I forget we’re on the same team, or I worry that our life looks so different to what I’d expected. But it’s beautiful.) So, how does it feel to buy art? Sometimes it feels frivolous or unwise. It often takes a gulp and a quick check, yes this is where we want to spend our money. And it always feels special. We’re investing in someone who creates, and we love creators! We’re buying something unique. It’s exciting. It’s like finding treasure. It’s so many different feelings. 2. How has purchasing art worked for you- do you prefer emailing the artist directly/ in a gallery or have you ever purchased an original off an artists website? I’ve actually done all of the above. I love getting to see it displayed in a gallery, but I prefer working directly with an artist. I love to talk to them about the piece. Why they made it and what makes it special? 3. Are there other things you consider when buying art (or is it purely aesthetic and cost?) Maybe this is, do we look at art as an investment? No. It’s simply finding pieces we love. If the artist blows up, that’s exciting for them, we want them to succeed. And I mean yea, I’m looking forward to the day my original Amy Lewis is valued at $80,000 (to me it’s priceless). I think reminders of moments. As I mentioned, anniversaries, traveling, and buying pieces from friends (who’s work we love and we want to support). 4. Looking back at what you've collected so far, do you see a common theme of how the artists presented themselves? (for instance: was it their personality that sealed the deal?, were they good story tellers?, did they show a lot of process videos?) You know, Joel often finds the artists. And I don’t know how he finds them. We don’t always love the same things. So when something speaks to both of us, then we tend to pay a little more attention. Happy art collecting!

Let's talk about Tacoma's newest restaurant, bar and dance club: it's brunch, drinks and the gritty music scene. Wait, I thought this was Amy Lewis' art blog... Yeah it is. I am telling you about Manuscript because I have had the pleasure of working with them! My painting Lunch on the Go is hanging in the main dining area. I have designed many of the sketches for the menu (their typewriter logo and two drink designs were done by another artist: everything else on the menu was done by me) I am planning on teaching my art classes in their dance space when it's not being used. (see) So how'd it start? Eda is the driving force behind Manuscript and Dialogue. She has an amazing team of chefs behind her as well as the owner of Shake Shake Shake and the Boom Boom Room. I met Eda through Spaceworks during our incubator cohort business program. Eda wanted to create a safe space and a very cool scene where people can enjoy dance, edm, dj type events. She has managed to pair that with a kick a** restaurant and bar. Eda has a very generous and inclusive attitude towards artists/the arts. The restaurant is a hodgepodge of cool eclectic art. I was very excited to be asked to display my work and help design the menu illustrations. What do you really think? Eda invited me and Mitchel to come to a friends/family tasting before they opened. First of all- such a kind team of people. We felt so welcomed. Secondly, the food and drinks are exceptional. I haven't been so impressed by a restaurant in a long time. I recommend them with 100% of my heart. And I didn't even get to try their brunch menu or their house made pasta! (from what I have been able to taste test, my favs were: The beet goat cheese sandwich and the Heath's Herb cocktail <3) Honestly, I can't wait to go to Dialogue (the back room where the dancing and music will commence) I can't wait to try their brunch menu. I am very excited to host my art classes there. I think Manuscript & Dialogue is going to around for a longtime because I think it's a slice of what Tacoma loves. It's art, good food, good music and having a good time with kind people. Location: 203 Tacoma Ave S Tacoma WA, 98402 Hours: closed mondays & tuesdays wed/thurs: 4pm to 10pm fri: 4pm to 2am late night menu: 10pm to 1:30am sat: 9am to 2am brunch: 9am to 3pm; dinner 4pm to 10pm; late night menu: 10pm to 1:30am sun: 9am to 10pm brunch: 9am to 3pm; dinner 4pm to 10pm See 'em on Instagram.

The Tacoma Studio Tour has been going on for yearsss (decades?). I've been participating since 2017, so let me give you the rundown. promotional image provided by the Tacoma Arts Month organizers But really, what is the Tacoma Studio Tour? October is Tacoma, WA's arts month which means that the Tacoma Office of Arts and Vitality host several events to highlight Tacoma artists. This provides great free opportunities for artists and art lovers. The Studio Tour is one of those events. It happens on the 3rd Saturday and Sunday of October from 11 am to 5 pm. Participating artists open their studios (often their homes) to welcome in guests. The artists let guests view their art, shop merch and participate in a planned activity. As part of the studio tour, each artist must have some interactive "activity" prepared. It can be a demonstration or craft (anything really). (The first 2 years I did drawings of guests, other years I've done photo booths). To encourage guests to make multiple stops there is also a raffle. When you stop at an artist's studio make sure to get your "passport" stamped. To be entered in the raffle you must get at least 7 stamps and send in your completed passport. (either mail it to: 747 Market Street, Room 900, Tacoma, WA 98402 or email it to: tacomaarts@cityoftacoma.org) photo of my first Tacoma Vibes t-shirt I made for the studio tour. Photo by Winsome Walstead Is the Tacoma Studio Tour worth going to? Obviously, I am going to say yes. Before I was a participating artist in the studio tour, I was a guest. As a guest it can be a mixed bag, not every stop is created equally. But you can stumble upon some real treasures. (I've bought work during the studio tour). The studio tour is so cool because a lot of the artist community can seem closed off to non-artists. But for 2 days there are 50 different studios that will be welcoming you in (some stops have multiple artists). Insider Tips for doing the studio tour- If you can, plan on doing both days- There are 50 stops. You won't be interested in all 50+ artists. However, if you want to get the raffle entry you'll need at least 7 stops and even that is a challenge. It's surprisingly exhausting driving around, trying to find studio doors, chatting with people, shopping etc. It's nice to use the second day for studios you wanted to see but just couldn't hit in time. Also some artists only participate on certain days. (I only do Saturday, but other people may only do Sunday). Try to make a game plan/ utilize the map on your phone- Tacoma is a big place, don't waste your gas or your time. It's super nice if you visit that studio that's a little out of the way, but maybe hit it strategically Have brunch beforehand- The tour is 11 am to 5 pm, that is over 1 meal time and closing up on dinner time. This event can be tiring. Some stops will have snacks but many won't. I recommend fueling up before heading out. Get in the shopping headspace- For many artists this is one of the bigger events they have. They are so excited to share their work with you. If you like something, please consider supporting that artist. October is a great time to start thinking about holiday gifts. People love to receive something handmade/local. Here are the artists I would visit- Judith Perry (stop #47) Spun (stop #16) they are having a ton of ceramic artists this year, so it's a big bang for your buck Darrell McKinney (stop #26) I've never seen his work in person, but it seems cool from his website Gillian Nordlund (stop #32) I haven't seen her work in person either but from her instagram it looks funky and fun Jaymes Junio (stop #24) He was almost in my Tacoma in Seattle show this August. His work is cool Beautiful Angle (stop #18) Cool posters. These are some cool Tacoma people you should meet Coxswain Press (stop # 18) You will find a cute little print you have to have Lynne Farren (stop #14) She doesn't have a website, but her work is cool, eclectic and strange. Marit Berg (stop #45) I've never seen her work in person but it seems v good Michal Muehlheim-Peterson (stop #3) cute little ceramics photo of myself and Mitchel at 2019 photo booth at studio tour Is it worth being a participating artist? To be honest, sort of. If your studio is easy to find, near other artist's studios and (even better) is a shared space with other artists then you will get more traffic. Last year was prettyyy slow. However, my studio is slightly hard to find and it was 2022, things were slightly still slow from pandemic times. This year may be totally bustin'. I think with every art event/market/show you just never know. I also only ever do Saturday. So if you're willing to do 2 days, I'm sure that would increase the benefit. I think a lot of guests do both days. They love to collect those passport stamps and it is really difficult to get to 7 stops in one day. The map is helpful but Tacoma is surprisingly big. It takes a lot of effort and planning to hit more than a handful of stops. (and there are 50). I think it's valuable but it isn't my biggest sale day ever. Knowing that, I prepare for it but I don't go crazy with planning. studio photo by Jess Uhler All the details about the Tacoma Studio Tour in one place- When: October 14th + 15th, 11 am to 5 pm Where: All over Tacoma (Tacoma proper) What: Open studios. Meet artists, see work in person, buy things, and do fun little activities Raffle: get 7 stamps (7 different studio stops). Mail in your passport or email a photo of it. (747 Market Street, Room 900, Tacoma, WA 98402 // tacomaarts@cityoftacoma.org) Map: Here is the map for the tour. View it on your phone as you travel around Tacoma. Artists: This year they split the descriptions of the artists and the artists' stop number. Which means you need to scroll down on this page to view the artist descriptions and their stop number. And then you need to find that stop on the map. Have a blast.