A Victorian Christmas to Die For

Here's a great link for Victorian Christmas cards  -

"Frog Murder and Boiled Children" at bbc.com 

LINK

 I've been looking at Victorian illustration for a very long time. 

You can probably see some influence in my work.

I am working on a commission right now that is 

not too far off the mark. But, I really hadn't been thinking about it 

until I saw the bbc.com link this morning.

Here is the work in progress currently on my easel:

And here is my decorated tree this year (2015):

Wishing you a wonderful holiday!

I am making a resolution to blog a bit more in 2016. 

I had tens of thousands of readers before they abandoned google reader 

and google blog search.

Blogger also made it harder to upload photos without using google chrome.

But, I am going to try again, because I have never abandoned my readers and fans.

And, although I am also on social networks, some of you are not.

HAPPY NEW YEAR from LITTLE HOKUM RAG!

The Art of Amy Crehore

New Painting, "The Soaking Room"2015 by Amy Crehore

New Painting: The Soaking Room ©2015 Amy Crehore, 

oil on linen, 10" x 8"
click to enlarge

The Art of Amy Crehore


Update: 12/4/15, this painting has sold

Originals and prints (Amy Crehore)

Amy Crehore in the studio, August 2015, 

photograph ©Raleigh Powell

Have a look at my website if interested in original paintings and prints. 

Some choice works of mine may still be available.

Inquire amy@amycrehore.com

The Art of Amy Crehore
CLICK ON THESE IMAGES TO ENLARGE

"Back Scratch Parlor"

 Rare, gorgeous one-of-a-kind concert ukulele painstakingly built to Amy's design

by Lou Reimuller (see link on this blog for more details)

"Bathers Club"

 "Bellhop's Memory of Spring"

 "Blue Orb"

 "A Delicate Promenade"

 "A Little Escapade"

"Lolita & Krampus"

"Song of the Sea"

 "Deja Vu Waltz"

"Feed the Bear Blues"

"The Nibbler"

All works ©Amy Crehore

Inquire amy@amycrehore.com

The Art of Amy Crehore

Instagram contest: Catalog + postcard from my Tokyo show

I was part of an exhibit at Jiro Miura Gallery in Tokyo, Japan a couple of months ago called "ephemeral-Territory of Girls". 

Shown above is the catalog of the exhibit open to the page with one of my paintings called "The Waiting Room".

If you want to see actual photos of the show in the gallery, plus a group photo of many of the artists in this show, please visit this link and scroll down the page. 

Currently, I have an instagram contest to giveaway one catalog 

and postcard which I will autograph. To be eligible, you must enter the contest on instagram by November 15, 2015.

(midnight pacific time). Find the catalog picture and follow my instructions.

Go to instagram and 
search for amycrehore and follow me.

The Art of Amy Crehore

Depictions of Females in Art (sorted by the color of their dresses)

Illustration from 1810 poking fun at bonnets that poke 

Wikimedia commons has pages of portraits of women and girls in art history categorized by 

the color of their dress. I found this image in "Females with pink dresses in art", but you can 

choose from many colors and see dozens of examples.

Here is the

LINK

Painting Progress (by Amy Crehore)

Here are some unfinished, new works on my easel (click to enlarge).

I've been steadily making progress on them.

I have been posting lots of progress shots to my instagram. 

From sketches to finished pieces.  If you are interested, you might 

want to also follow me there.

The Art of Amy Crehore

Drawing Progress (Amy Crehore)

Four Bathers and Two Cats 2015 

Pencil drawing © Amy Crehore

I'm working on some new things. Here's a new pencil drawing. 

This will become a larger oil painting 

and perhaps more. 

I am experimenting with pastel, charcoal and ink.

Meanwhile, if you haven't seen the "ephemeral-Territory of girls" show that I'm in at Jiro Miura Gallery in Tokyo, Japan 

here's a link to all images and 4 wonderful press links:

BoingBoing and Arrested Motion 

Supersonic and Hi-Fructose

I have 3 new paintings in the show. Contact info@jiromiuragallery.com 

The show is up thru August 16, 2015 if you are nearby.

The Art of Amy Crehore

(The 3 new paintings are also on my homepage)

One piece bathing suits

I love this vintage photo of actresses Tokugowa Ryouko & Mizuhara Reiko in their swim suits, so 

I pulled out my own snapshots of some suits I used to wear (see below):

Here I am as an adolescent (this suit was red)

 and as a little girl in a blue suit.

There is something about the one-piece style of swim suit that has it all over the two-piece look. And, add a bathing cap and you have an Amy Crehore painting like the one I am showing in Tokyo right now (called The Waiting Room).
I hadn't seen the top photo of the Japanese actresses until the other day 

when my friend Moira Hahn pointed it out (image via thekimonogallery.tmblr.com), but it's right up my alley!

The Art of Amy Crehore

They Found "The Cardboard Lover"

Mike Grant and his daughter Rachael found a trove of old silent films at a recycling center in Devon. 

They mostly date from 1909 to 1913, but include a rare one called "The Cardboard Lover" from 1928. Just the title alone is a gem (although they only found one reel of the film, there are only two copies in the world). 

Another one (from France) called "Jane is Unwilling to Work" sounds promising. 

Read the story here: LINK

Opening 7/25/15 Jiro Miura Gallery, Tokyo- Ephemeral- Territory of Girls exhibit

Japanese painter Shiroi Matsumoto's "Ibarano Kanmuri" ©2015 (shown above). 

BoingBoing and Arrested Motion 
Supersonic and Hi-Fructose

all posted about the show that I'm participating in at Jiro Miura Gallery in Tokyo, Japan.

It opens July 25, 2015.

Thank you so much! (please follow links)

I'm so excited about this wonderful show of great women artists.

Ephemeral- Territory of Girls exhibit, 

here's the update (many more images have been added, click on them to see larger view):

LINK

Dates: 7/25/2015 ~ 8/16/2015

(Gallery open Tues.-Sun. 12:00~19:00)

Location: JIRO MIURA GALLERY (Tokyo )

Ishikura bld. 4F, 2-5, Nihombashi-Odenmacho,

Chuo-ku, Tokyo, JAPAN
CONTACT: info@jiromiuragallery.com

Artists: Jana Brike (Republic of Latvia), Amy Crehore (United States of America), Virginia Mori and Ania Tomicka (Italian Republic), Emi Adachi, Fuco Ueda, Kaori Ogawa, Miki Kato, Kimi Kuruhara, Kozue Kuroki, Satomi Kuwahara, Atsuko Goto, Yuka Sakuma, Minae Takada, Tsubaki Torii, Yumi Nakai, Yuko Nagami, Yuki Nagayoshi, Mao Hamaguchi, Miho Hirano, Shiori Matsumoto, Eri Mizuno, and Yuko Murai (Japan)
Thank you Shiori Matsumoto (curator/artist). 

See my earlier post for showcard and my paintings. Also view them on my website:
The Art of Amy Crehore

My paintings for "ephemeral" group exhibit, Tokyo, Japan (Amy Crehore)

 The Waiting Room ©Amy Crehore 2015 10" x 8" oil on linen 

 Back Scratch Parlor©Amy Crehore 2015 10" x 8" oil on linen

The Window©Amy Crehore  2015 oil on linen 10" x 8"

PLEASE CLICK ON IMAGES TO SEE ENLARGED VERSION

Here are my 3 paintings for the "ephemeral - Territory of girls" exhibit.
Each is framed in identical gold and and black Italian frames (14"x12").

Here is the

PREVIEW LINK 
for the show at Jiro Miura Gallery
(showcard announcement and more info below)

Dates: 7/25/2015 ~ 8/16/2015

(Gallery open Tues.-Sun. 12:00~19:00)

Location: JIRO MIURA GALLERY (Tokyo )

Ishikura bld. 4F, 2-5, Nihombashi-Odenmacho,

Chuo-ku, Tokyo, JAPAN
CONTACT: info@jiromiuragallery.com

Artists: Jana Brike (Republic of Latvia), Amy Crehore (United States of America), Virginia Mori and Ania Tomicka (Italian Republic), Emi Adachi, Fuco Ueda, Kaori Ogawa, Miki Kato, Kimi Kuruhara, Kozue Kuroki, Satomi Kuwahara, Atsuko Goto, Yuka Sakuma, Minae Takada, Tsubaki Torii, Yumi Nakai, Yuko Nagami, Yuki Nagayoshi, Mao Hamaguchi, Miho Hirano, Shiori Matsumoto, Eri Mizuno, and Yuko Murai (Japan)


Thank you Shiori Matsumoto for inviting me to be part of this fantastic group of artists.


The Art of Amy Crehore

My group exhibit in Tokyo, Japan opens July 25, 2015

Shojono Ryouiki painting ©Shiori Matsumoto
I will be sending 3 new works to Tokyo, Japan for an exhibit called  
"ephemeral ~ Territory of girls"

The very great artist Shiori Matsumoto kindly invited me to participate in this wonderful show
and I am deeply honored. There are so many excellent artists in this show!

Dates: 7/25/2015 ~ 8/16/2015

(Gallery open Tues.-Sun. 12:00~19:00)

Location: JIRO MIURA GALLERY (Tokyo )

Ishikura bld. 4F, 2-5, Nihombashi-Odenmacho,

Chuo-ku, Tokyo, JAPAN

Artists: Jana Brike (Republic of Latvia), Amy Crehore (United States of America), Virginia Mori and Ania Tomicka (Italian Republic), Emi Adachi, Fuco Ueda, Kaori Ogawa, Miki Kato, Kimi Kuruhara, Kozue Kuroki, Satomi Kuwahara, Atsuko Goto, Yuka Sakuma, Minae Takada, Tsubaki Torii, Yumi Nakai, Yuko Nagami, Yuki Nagayoshi, Mao Hamaguchi, Miho Hirano, Shiori Matsumoto, Eri Mizuno, and Yuko Murai (Japan)

Here is a preliminary link with artist profiles, more images will be added:
LINK

The Art of Amy Crehore

Progress in painting (Amy Crehore)

My nearly finished oil on linen paintings shown here, lined up sideways on my easel. 

I have some beautiful frames for these.

My next group show opens the end of July in Tokyo. 

More about that soon!

The Art of Amy Crehore

Works in Progress (Amy Crehore)

 Inspiration- windows

Intuitive composition in sketchbook, enlarged and refined as a drawing.

Starting another painting from the new drawing, working on easel next to 

my other unfinished piece. 

CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGE

Works in Progress by Amy Crehore©2015

The Art of Amy Crehore

"Snake Tamer's Ditty" painting by Amy Crehore (sold)

"Snake Tamer's Ditty" 12" x 24" oil on linen by Amy Crehore 2007
CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE

One of my larger Monkey Love paintings"Snake Tamer's Ditty"

will be headed to Seattle this week to the home of a collector of mine. 

I will be sad to see it go.

This painting was shown earlier at Ad Hoc Gallery in Brooklyn, NY  

and at The Shore Institute of Contemporary Art in NJ. 

It was also featured on boingboing .

I painted my first monkey with a sailor hat in 2002. 

That painting had a little girl in it.
It was printed in the award book "American Illustration".
In 2005 & 2006, I did a series of monkey love 

paintings for Blab! art shows in L.A. (Copronason).They were 

also shown at Applegate Gallery (Santa Monica) 

and Roq La Rue(Seattle) and M Modern (Palm Springs) galleries. 

Most of the monkey paintings sold quickly. Many right off my easel. 

One became a framed print available through Pressure Printing. 

I made others into giclees available on my website.
 There were also some works
with monkeys in my solo show at Thinkspace Gallery in L.A. (2009)-
including some antique ukuleles.
contact:amy@amycrehore.com

The Art of Amy Crehore

Amy Crehore in group show at Parlor Gallery May 2 - June 7, 2015

I'm excited to announce that 3 paintings of mine (shown below) will be on exhibit 

at Parlor Gallery, 

717 Cookman Ave. Asbury Park, NJ

 opening Sat., May 2, 2015 from 7-11pm. 

The show runs thru June 7th. 

I have not shown these in a gallery before, 

but two of them were featured earlier on boingboing.net

 Girl with a Fig Leaf Parasol 16" x 20" + frame, oil on linen by Amy Crehore

The Angel at Gossamer Creek 16" x 16" + frame, oil on linen by Amy Crehore

CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE

Basker's Cove, 18" x 24" + frame, oil on linen by Amy Crehore

 Participating artists in the group show include: 

Paola Sala, Gomez Bueno, Andrew Pawlan, 

Amy Crehore, Hannah Yata, and Jeanne Pierre Arboleda. 

In gallery one,  there will be a very special solo show by 

Dean Reynolds, Griffin Art Prize winner. 

Definitely a fun group of artists. 

Hope you can go see this show if you live near Asbury Park, NJ and
can make it to Parlor Gallery.

The Art of Amy Crehore

New works -progress shots (Amy Crehore)

Working on a new canvas based on an earlier gouache
(Back Scratch Parlor).
Also a new pastel drawing of similar image.
Here are some progress shots.
The Art of Amy Crehore

Remembering the Man in the Hat - Lloyd Fonvielle (1950-2015)

(Photo by Cotty Chubb)

Lloyd Fonvielle would have been celebrating his birthday this past weekend with the rest of his friends and family, but he passed away quietly at his typewriter in February.
What an old-fashioned gentleman he was.
He had a career as a screenwriter and lived in NYC and L.A.,
but he moved to Las Vegas about a decade ago to write stories.
While he was at it, he blogged the story of his life.
He blogged his favorite paintings, vintage illustration, pin-ups, and comics.
He ranted and raved about politics, photographed his travels and shared his musical tastes.
He wrote brand new western stories (available on kindle). He reviewed films.

We exchanged a lot of links from time to time. It was fun.
He never stopped being creative to the very end. He was very supportive of my art, posting just about every new painting I did. He also loved my Japanese friend Shiori Matsumoto's art.
I wish I could tell him that Shiori and I will be showing together in Tokyo this summer. He would have liked that.
Miss you Lloyd and thank you for your kindness.
I'm sorry that I never had the chance to meet you in person.
Here is Lloyd's wonderful blog:

Mardecortesbaja

A Desert Oddity - Lotan Lotan 1905-1985

Desert Oddity by Lotan Lotan 1966 

via Blue Coyote Gallery

Lotan is a strange and unusual artist from Indiana who moved to Arizona in 1952 at age 47 with a girlfriend named Ruth, age 35, who became his wife. They were both painters and commercial artists. His name was Lotan S.Welshans, but as a couple they lived under the name Lotan and Ruth Ateliers. 

Then, he changed his name to Lotan Lotan, PHD, MD and made up a bunch of bizarre stuff about a European background (to sell art?). Even more bizarre are some of his paintings. He loved Salvador Dali. He loved the desert. He combined the two influences and added nude women to create his own surrealistic fantasies. Other paintings of erotic nudes are intriguing combinations of crudely-painted folk art crossed with advertising/paperback pulp art. 

Read more biographical info on this artist & his wife and see more images (Blue Coyote): LINK

Harper's Books LINK to even more of his art.

American Gallery Blog-  LINK with paintings and drawings.

The Art of Amy Crehore