Shiori Matsumoto's "Birthday"

"Birthday" Painting by Shiori Matsumoto copyright 2007, oil

Shiroi Matsumoto, my Japanese friend, has redesigned her website. She has posted some new work on it that is very, very nice. I like this one called "Birthday". Shiori told me that she actually drew the sketch for it on her own birthday. Shiori is quite an accomplished painter and she is taking part in a travelling group show in Europe that is called, " Venus and the Female Intuition" organized by SALBRU publishing (I think it will also be a book). It begins in Denmark this month and travels to the Netherlands and then, finally to France in August.

Shiori Matsumoto

(Peter van Oostzanen on deviantart has more details about this show.)

The Art of Amy Crehore

Tiny Pineapple Gallery

The first illustration of a pineapple in the New World appeared in 1535

Scott Joplin Sheet Music
Hauling Pineapples - postcard

I was looking for some pictures of pineapples and I found this cool website by Grettir Asmundarson called Tiny Pineapple with a

Tiny Pineapple Gallery.

These are some images from the site. Check out the link. The pineapple is a very popular motif. In fact, my mom collects pineapple objects.

The Art of Amy Crehore

What is Hoodoo?

It's not Voodoo. Hoodoo is African American Magic.

Read up about it here: Lucky Mojo

(Article by Catherine Yronwode)

That's a High John the Conqueror Root in the bottom picture. It smells really, really pretty and it's a lucky root, but it comes in funny shapes and sizes resembling doodoo.

(This post is dedicated to Datura Morris)

The Art of Amy Crehore

Freaky-cool Snake Woman

This is an image from an old postcard that I found on the blog, Femme, Femme Femme.

You might want to check out this blog. They have taken their cue from my blog and have searched for and found more odalisques from artists such as Corot and Renoir, plus many other brilliant nudes by obscure painters such as Leonid Frechkop, Mark Gertler, Francesco Menzio, Frederick Carl Frieseke, etc. Very interesting!

The Art of Amy Crehore

Evelyn De Morgan 1855-1919

Cadmus and Harmonia by Evelyn De Morgan
The Sea Maidens by Evelyn De Morgan

Evelyn De Morgan was an English Pre-Raphaelite painter. I like these two paintings. The top one is yet another "snake-woman" image. There are so many throughout history! Cadmus was Harmonia's husband in Greek Mythology. Read how Cadmus became a serpent. The "Sea Maidens" reminds me of my own work because the figures are all connected by their hands. It's a nice design and there is also some mysterious action going on that gives the painting it's soul.

More paintings by De Morgan here:
Illusions Gallery
The Art of Amy Crehore

Wonderful Thing

"Snake Tamer's Ditty" copyright 2007 Amy Crehore (Click on image to ENLARGE)

Boing boing!!!
Check out the above link. They just posted my new painting with extra links to all of the previous boingboing items about my art and other fun things like Teenar, the girl guitar.

'Amy Crehore recently completed a fantastic new painting, full of mystery and subtle whimsy, entitled "Snake Tamer's Ditty." ' - quote from Mark Frauenfelder, writer/artist
Thank you very much, Mark.

The Art of Amy Crehore

Snake Tamers and Serpent Charmers

Rattlesnake charmer lady, Oregon, 1909
Image of Mami Wata (mother water) found in African Culture
"Eve and the Serpent in the Garden of Eden" 1916 by John H. Coates (Smithsonian)

The top photograph is from Historic Photo Archive - taken by a travelling circus photographer in Oregon in 1909. The Mami Wata image is from a favorite postcard of mine. She represents power and wealth and her image is found throughout West and Central Africa. In some areas, she is a religious cult. The third image is from another postcard. A pen and ink by folk artist John H. Coates.

I love all of these images!

Also, you can read about the Minoan Snake Goddess if you like.

(Thanks to Chris Keeley of Daily Dreamtime for the link to the top photo.)

The Art of Amy Crehore