September 27, 2012
You will not see me in line for the new iPhone 5 this week. I do not own an iPhone. In fact, I don’t even own a phone with a keypad. Yes ~ in keeping with true Amy Colburn Style, one could easily make the argument that even my cell phone is “vintage”! (Vintage is so much sexier than saying it is old and out-dated!)
This does not mean I don’t want an iPhone (I would LOVE one)! I have an immense appreciation for awesome technology. I am fascinated by the variety of trendy, useful apps available and how much they aid in simplifying one’s life.
One app with which I have a particular fascination, is called Instagram.
I appreciate the irony – taking a digital photo using your phone or mobile device and running it through an app which creates an effect on the image, making it look like a vintage photo, a Polaroid… a Kodachrome. A digital photo transformed to look like something decidedly “un-digital” from a by-gone “un-digital” era.
Instagram has brought forth a new culture in which a mundane snapshot of daily life (usually with some emotional appeal), through the tap of a screen, turns it into art. The art is then easily shared and admired by others through social media. I like this. I like the easy, informal format of this. I love that it is a complex algorithm that’s used to simply bring joy to people through images. It’s, after all, very artsy.
If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that I also love Pinterest. Lucky for me, I don’t need a fancy phone to be able to use Pinterest; I can use it on my computer. Pinterest is similar to Instagram in that it uses modern technology to essentially replicate a much-loved pastime. It is a website on which one can create collections of digital images into a virtual bulletin board. (You can read another post on my blog about Pinterest here). When I was a teenager, I spent many hours with my girlfriends cutting out images from the latest teen fashion magazines, arranging them on a piece of poster board and attaching them with glue stick. To me, Pinterest brings back fond memories of doing that.
The point of Pinterest and Instagram is to bring these fun pastimes into the digital age. The result is small, portable, and easily shared.
But wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could hang images like those on your wall?
Would you like to arrange a small Pinterest board on your bedroom wall? Wouldn’t it be nice to have that Instagram-like image you adore so much, be part of your home décor?
Recently I have begun to paint small, square, canvas paintings, which for me capture some of the essence of Instagram and Pinterest but with an entirely different output. These canvas paintings represent for me small snapshots of my life – the ones that make me stop and look twice. They depict textures, colors, and patterns, that I find visually appealing, put forth in a medium in which I best express myself: PAINT.
Here is a painting of a red bread box with a pair of white glass slat & pepper shakers on top. The reflection from a nearby window produces an interesting pattern on the red metal. Available for sale on my Etsy page ~ just click on the image.
These paintings are small enough to be easily grouped together on a wall in any quantity.
In the spirit of being “small, portable, and easily shared”, the paintings are done in acrylic on a gallery-wrap canvas which requires no frame (but can be framed!). They arrive ready to hang on a nail, from a self-leveling hook that has been secured to the back of each painting (wall hardware not included). They also look nice resting against the wall on a narrow shelf or mantel. Another way to display would be a small easel on a tabletop (I do not sell easels, but they are available online or in art supply stores). The paintings are small, affordable, and also look great in a “Pinterest”-style arrangement on a wall. They can be collected and arranged together on a wall or shelf in a variety of creative ways.
I am sharing these paintings with you now, and there are many more in the works. Because I do so much work on commission for others (which I love!), this is a fun way for me to express my very own style, and share it with all of you. Most of the images are of things I have around my house or studio, or things I come across in my daily life. Sometimes, I work very hard at arranging the composition and lighting. Sometimes, the perfect scene has just presented itself to me. Sometimes, I have to “piece” different images or photos together to suit my taste. I have a lot of fun painting these. I hope you enjoy them, too!
The ones pictured here are available through my Etsy online store (unless they are already sold). If you purchase an item from my store, and would prefer to make arrangements with me to come to my studio to pick the item up, feel free to send me a message. In that case, I will promptly refund you the shipping amount.
The painting is being sold without the easel. I have put some resources at the end of this post as to where you might be able to find a wooden easel to purchase.
As always I absolutely love your feedback! Leave a friendly message here on my blog!
Yours truly,
-Amy
