The Creative Jar

The fish! The Fish! They are back to back at The Creative Jar, showing amongst some very beautiful treasures. Thanks Jodi!

If you are really organized and already have your wheels turning about holiday gifts, keep these in mind for that dedicated angler in your life, they are eco-friendly, and come framed and unframed, and you can also get them in range of sizes, on paper or stretched on canvas!

TiC Update

The Trust in Children's Charity auction was a great success, earning £2000 for the children! Amazing! A "New Sail" print was donated, and earned the charity more that twice it's regular price! Very exciting! Thank you to all the supporters and those who contributed to making this event such a success.

purchase

Street side glimpse

Well my first Campbell River show wraps up today, and I thought I'd post a few pics for you out of towners... If you missed it, don't fret... you will be able to see more soon at Corners Custom Picture Framing on Shoppers Row in Campbell River!!

When I Grow Up

If you are in the London area, check out this event!

The Trustees of TiC would like to invite you to When I Grow Up, a free event being organised by Trust in Children (TiC).

TiC is a small charity supporting children in education and non-academic development, including arts and sports, all over the world. This October we are holding an exhibition of art by children who have benefited from TiC support. It will be a unique event featuring paintings and drawings by children from Africa, South America and Eastern Europe, all themed around their ambitions for the future. It promises to be a really fun evening (with no pressure to donate!) and we would be so pleased if you are able to make it.

Some of the children's artwork will be auctioned by Lars Tharp, one of the longest running experts on the BBC's Antiques Roadshow, so be prepared to bid!

Amu Designs has also donated a print that will be up for auction, in support of this great cause!

When I Grow Up will take place at the Victoria and Albert Museum of Childhood, next to Bethnal Green tube station (zone 2), from 18:45-21:15 on Wednesday 21 October 2009. Drinks and nibbles will be provided and as part of the event you will be able to enjoy an out-of-hours visit to the museum’s collection (including some incredible toys).

If you cannot make the event but would still like to support TiC by making a donation or becoming a member (£25 a year) you can donate securely via Paypal or cheque by following the “Make a donation” link below.

Hoping to see you on 21 October.

Please visit the Trust in Children website – www.trustinchildren.org to learn more about this great organization!

Directions to Museum of Childhood - www.vam.ac.uk/moc/your_visit/index.html
Make a donation to Trust in Children - http://www.trustinchildren.org/support.html

Impressions Gallery!

Today, Amu Designs' show begins at Impressions Gallery on shoppers row in Campbell River! Arranged by Brooke, you can see originals as well as framed and unframed prints! So exciting!

Located at 990B Shoppers Row, you can view my work and have a visit with the friendly and talented staff until October 20th (well, the staff will still be there after the 20th, and so will the store!)

Pop down if you get a chance!

I will post pictures soon!!

Yellow! Not just for summer

Thank you Kim for choosing Segue for your "Yellow... Not just for summer" showcase!

What a lovely collective of the warm and wonderful!

The Sun ALWAYS Shines at The Woodland Gardens!!

Amu Designs is pleased to be spending the weekend at the enchanted Kitty Coleman Woodland Gardens Artisan Festival!

Perhaps my favorite place on the Island, besides my new house, this place has enough intrigue and beauty to stop you in your tracks. This festival is seeping with talent and creativity.

You will find me set amongst the big trees in the Artists Glade... today-Saturday the 5th, sunday and monday!!!

Click Here for Directions

I look forward to seeing you!

Low Tide, Deep Water

Chilean Dream, was chosen by LaTouchables, and featured in her Etsy treasury:

Low Tide, Deep Water

These selections are thick with intrigue, and are sure to speak to the mermaid/merman in all of us!

New Painting

Coming soon to an empty wall near you!

The piece entitled "A Sacred Place" has been under wraps for some time.  Some of you lucky ones have caught an early glimpse of these giant red cedars, but for those of you who have been awaiting is official debut... here it is without further ado!

A Sacred Place

18 x 36

Available stretched on Canvas

as a framed 8x10

as an unframed 8x10

Here's to the people!!

Chilean Dream 12x24 oil on canvas BUY NOW

Last week at the pier street market, Impressions Gallery hosted an art show and sale, where works could be purchased and votes were cast. There was an impressive collection of work, and some lovely artist about. Among the works entered in the sale was some amazing and unconventional portrait work created with cross stitch... it blew my mind...and some beautiful mirrors inspired by our shore lines... What an inspired community!

I am very flattered to announce that Chillean Dream won The Peoples Choice!
Thank you every one for voting, and a special thanks to Impressions Gallery too! It was a very special to be selected.

Amu Designs was featured on The Creative Jar!!

Thanks Jodi! I Heart trees too!

Leave it to... Beaver of course!

Norma of Beachcombers Cove, included me in her treasury!  It is a really cute and clever collection that made me giggle out loud!

For a look at all the beaver inspired treasures check out this charming Etsy treasury!

For more info on the eco-friendly Beaver Lodge Forest painting, visit my Etsy site

Summer in the city

If any of you Vancouver Island Locals, are looking for something fun, relaxing and inspiring to do tomorrow, I know of just the thing!

The Campbell River Pier Street Art and Farmers Market is the place to be!

It is this (and every) Sunday from 9-2, and you will find every thing from art and jewelry to rustic furniture and buffalo! Our quaint Island City has much to boast about-hosting this renowned market which has been ranked in the country's top 10 by NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL EDITION.  

Amu Designs will be there with  framed prints, unframed prints, framed originals, and the ever popular art magnets!

I hope to see you there! 

Last Chance Portobello

This coming Sunday, May 31st is your last chance to see me at Portobello West this season!

You can come by and check out the awesome selection of art, jewelry and fashion between 12 and 6pm at the Rocky Mountaineer Station.

I will have a few new Framed Originals and Prints for sale.

The new frames are floating frames, a beautiful incasement of reclaimed barn wood, and they set off the originals perfectly! I love them so much it's hard not to keep them all!

Magnet Madness

All the photo taking seemed to take an eternity, but I finally got them all together, and posted!

My Etsy shop is brimming with new fun magnet sets!

Vibrant and fun tiny prints of my paintings bringing an air of creativity and colour to the kitchen or work place (they stick to filing cabinets too).

Your choice of sets of six or four, and they are only $8.50 !

here are a few examples....

Mothers Day

Salmon Berry Blossom on the Quinsam

I will be at the Pier Street Market and Arts Fair in Campbell River this Sunday, celebrating Mothers Day with my Mom!

Come by and see what's been brewing in the studio, as a few of my new products make their awaited debut!

There will be food, farmers, music, art, and a whole bunch of other stuff you'll love! Bring your Mom!!

The market is from 9-2 -rain or shine (I put my order in for sun). Hope to see you there!

Portobello West

Here is the recap, incase you've been wondering...

Portobello West's april market was a hit. The masses were literally lined up to get in! The sun dappled through the walls of glass to kiss the beautiful creations of some of Vancouvers most talented designers, jewelry makers and artists. It was a hoot!

There were a bunch of new vendors out, and man was I impressed! If you want jewelry that will knock their socks off, this is where you'll find it. And if you have a little one, this is the place to find the coolest of cool outfits- checkout Superfly Lullabies- for some swank blankies and I especially love that Owl hoodie... and then there is the art of course!

If you haven't made it down yet, don't fret you have another chance to get out there and see me, and meet the makers, on the last sunday of May...

I'll remind you again as the day draws nearer.

art frames = pretty pieces

Things got a little prettier around here this week. My new frames arrived, and I fell in love all over again.

Each an art piece in their own right, these frames are overwhelmingly beautiful. Hand crafted entirely from reclaimed barn wood, their perfectly weathered story is written all over them. Entrenched with intrigue and scared with the tooling marks of their previous incarnation they are rich with history, and yet the hands of time and nature have softened them perfectly around the edges.

Earthy and deep their subtle complexities finish the prints off just as I had envisioned.

I am very excited to announce that they are now available in my etsy shop! Or if you are in the Vancouver area, you can come and see them in person at the Portobello West Market this sunday (April 26th) at the rocky mountaineer station.

Mothers Day is coming, and what a great place to spend the afternoon with her, or pick her up a little something to remind her just how treasured she is.

This market is vancouver's best market for fashion, jewelry, and art, so come and see what all the local designers have been up to!

Original Paintings

We finally got a real spring day! I got caught up imagining what it might be like to live in a place where 15 degrees is as cold as it ever gets... I cleaned up the yard, fired up the BBQ, and enjoyed the embrace of the long forgotten warm air.

There is nothing like a walk through the neighborhood on such an evening, and a peak in the windows of the people I live amongst... I love to see how people live. I don't care to see what they are up to, I just want to know what's hanging on there walls.

Those funny figurines on crowded book shelves, refridgerators papered with family photo's, childrens artwork, and tomorrows grocery list. You get the classic velvet painting of the matador, and collectable plates hung with care behind the dinning room table, you even see the odd Pirate flag/window covering... What I like the most about all of this is knowing that behind each one of those treasures is a story, they are the things that remind us of what's important, of who we are, where we've come from, and the things we dream about... Then sometimes, you get a glimpse of something that really intrigues you, a piece above a mantle that gets your wheels turning, gets you dreaming of that place in your own house that has a story to tell. That wall that's waiting for something to hold.

If you have a wall with a story to tell I might have just the punctuation you have been looking for....The creative spirit bound to paint, and laid carefully with intention, to speak a truth unique you...

By popular demand.... I am listing a few originals!!

The three pieces you have seen in the last few posts, are available in their original unadulterated form... and there is one other too!

Spring Blossoms
12 x 9

Rainbow Fry
16 x 8

Segue
12 x 16

Chilean Dream
24 x 12

Mission Portobello phase one completed

It's hard to believe it was a week ago already!

The Portobello West Market was great! I had a blast... I learned a lot, saw some old friends and even made some new ones. I liked it so much that I can't wait to do it again, and will be there again at the end of the month with a few new treasures to share.

I have just realized that I was so caught up in being there, that I didn't get any pictures to show you... I think there maybe a few floating around out there though, so I'll see if I can get my hands on them...

In the mean time, to tide you over, I have refreshed my Etsy shop and my website too with 3 new pieces!