Sale on canvas prints! Use code ABCXYZ at checkout for a special discount!

Blog

Displaying: 11 - 20 of 67

  |  

Show All

  |

Previous 1

[2]

3 4 5 6 Next

Happy New Year

January 17th, 2020

Happy New Year

Happy New Year! Remember how I was going to start The Legend of Hare Terra website project in the New Year? Well, it still might happen THIS year, but I realized I bit off way more than I could chew editing my Parsons Art Retrospective. I had no idea I had so much amazing stuff I wanted to share! The editing process to get the Parsons paintings and drawings “print ready” was much more time consuming then I had anticipated (and still not completed I might add). It may or may not have to do with the fact that I’m a perfectionist and I may be treating these works as perfectly preserved historical archives. I also realized that if I am sharing the Parsons works, then my Art Retrospective would be incomplete without the Dartmouth works, and the Celebrating Femininity works… and, and, and! Obviously, I mean one does not go into writing and preparing art work for their autobiography lightly. In all seriousness, I had no idea my decision to let my audience “get to know me” was going to be such an enormous undertaking. Or that it was going to make me feel so emotionally drained. But duh, here’s a known factoid, everything I do becomes an enormous undertaking. I’m a complex being, what can I say?

You might be shocked to discover that I am somewhat of a self sabotaging expert. Not really though, because if you knew me you would know this is quite obvious! I am one of those people who have a To-Do list that keeps getting longer each day, because of course one project leads to another! Like most artistic geniuses, I keep coming up with fabulous new things I want to create! I always have tons of ideas and projects rolling at once and I admit that it is super easy for me to get sent off course chasing that next inspirational high. The muse is the master! Creativity does not work well on the To-Do list, nor does it fit into a schedule. Inspiration comes when it comes, stopping in the middle to accomplish ones scheduled menial task could ruin the flow. Or so I convince myself when I neglect the mountain of laundry, the suggested thrice weekly 1000 word blog post, or launching the upcoming Legend of Hare Terra website project.

Yes! The thrill of New Work! This did happen to me over the holidays. But only because I was totally fed up with the complete and total boredom of editing the older work pixel by pixel, brainstorming marketing ideas, coming up with the next blog post that maybe someone 12 months from now was going to read… I got sour. Combine that with family drama, Holiday Stress and the Mr. was absolutely begging me to take a break! So much for embracing the suck, screw that! At least temporarily, I am only human after all. So then there was delightful low key family time, too much baking, way too much eating, too many warm and fuzzy nights in front of the TV… and then… just too much down time in general. I do not well with inactivity, I needed to make something!

For fun I did a ton of random drawings, mostly birds for some unknown reason, got that out of my system and then decided to focus on a new floral painting series. I disappeared off line for weeks, all the buzz and noise of outside voices completely gone, no comments, likes or favorites, no worries of blog posts, descriptions, keywords or SEO crap, just me and the work. The time away painting was fabulous, rejuvenating and reminded me exactly how much I really miss painting and how much I dislike all the stuff that goes with it. I’m sorry extroverts, I know you can’t relate and you love “the show!” but not me, not even a little. I’d be perfectly happy living life as a hermit, no, not in a cave, but you know what I meant. Anyway, Art doesn’t exist if no one ever sees it, so back to Embracing the Suck. Breaks are fine if you can afford to take them but if you want to succeed, even a little, you do have to put the big girl pants back on every now and again.

And I can’t just forget about all that work I have already created. Because while I keep saying (and feeling like) I’m starting over, I’m not exactly starting over from scratch am I? Not in the sense that it’s day one with creating artwork anyway. Let’s face it, as of right now I have over 2,600 works currently available as Print on Demand. That’s a lot, something to be proud of, and it would definitely not have happened if I started painting my first piece last January. In fact, it wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t spent the majority of 2019 editing the works for POD! Fortunately many sold paintings are currently available as prints today because I had the foresight to take really good photos before I let go of the work. (Hint: Take really good, high quality photos of absolutely everything you make – you may also want that work for POD someday)

So why not just be happy with what I have already accomplished? Because there are decades of fabulous works still to choose from. I have been incredibly prolific. In fact, I almost feel ridiculous saying this, but I am daunted by the enormity of my own body of work! While this is actually a great problem to have, the down side is that there is only me to tackle it all, leaving me with the constantly fluctuating conclusion of where to best invest my limited time. Slave labor or chasing the muse? I frequently feel as though I should just leave the older work behind and move on from this point forward. There are only so many hours in the day after all. But the problem with that is, it’s really good work; some that I have previously exhibited and know people enjoy. And, the Parsons pieces I recently edited and posted, garnered serious interest, much to my delight, many have gone viral on Pinterest. This leads me to believe that if I were to market these images properly, they would have great selling potential. So I can’t let them go, it would be a shame to miss the opportunity to get these works out there to a broader audience just because I’m over menial tasks such as editing... and, Hello, where would we be without the Art Retrospective for the autobiography? Kidding...

As you can see, I did not have a big New Year, New Me Plan to announce, I’m mostly here to remind myself to continue on the path I started last January (2019). As meandering as my current path is, it does lead forward in one way or another. Even if it does feel like I am getting my feet tangled up in my own hair like the women from Fettered Femininity! The forward motion may be incremental; I will most likely divert off into the woods here and there along the way, but it’s how I need to do things. I’m learning to accept and embrace my flaws and do my best to work them to my advantage. You know Artists; it’s all about the journey! Or that’s what we tell ourselves when we have no idea why we do what we do.

By the way, of course there were other New Year’s resolutions, I switched from failing to learn Chinese on Duolingo to succeeding in French and I’ve gotten back into my workout routine… I gained 3 pounds because of it but we won’t mention that. So I mean, it’s not ALL art, all of the time. I do have a few other interests, gosh.

Up next, I’ll share my new floral series entitled “Floravased”. In the meantime here’s wishing you a very Happy New Year!

For more Art and Information on Amy E. Fraser go to Aefraser.com

Embrace the Suck

December 16th, 2019

Embrace the Suck

Today’s heartwarming and inspirational art talk is entitled Embrace the Suck. I was originally going to call it “It’s all on You: The Solitary Existence of the Art Entrepreneur” but it didn’t sound nearly as catchy or as motivational (lol).

As I periodically grumble, stumble and complain about starting my art career over again at 46, my husband asks: what’s the point? We are financially stable; I really could be doing something much more entertaining with my time, right? This morning, while slogging through morning chores, feeling overwhelmed by this daunting task of starting over so late in life, I begin replaying my husband’s question in my head. In the midst of this unhelpful mulling, my diabetic cat’s insulin alarm went off. The song “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor, chosen for its tongue and cheek cat reference, was playing longer than usual. For some reason I actually listened to the words. I’m not going lie, it kind of sparked my inner Rocky.

Risin' up, back on the street
Did my time, took my chances
Went the distance, now I'm back on my feet
Just a man and his will to survive

So many times, it happens too fast
You trade your passion for glory
Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past
You must fight just to keep them alive

It's the eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight
Risin' up to the challenge of our rival
And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night
And he's watchin' us all with the eye of the tiger

So to answer the question, what’s the point? I’m keeping my dreams of the past alive, fighting the fight, blood, sweat and tears, heading for a comeback, getting ready to kick some ass. Shhh, don’t tell, but I don’t actually remember the Rocky movies. Whatever the case, I’m starting over; it’s daunting and extremely humbling. I have to keep reminding myself that nothing worthwhile ever came easy; nothing in this life was given. If you want something you have to get it for yourself. You will get what you get as a direct result of the effort you put into it. Besides, don’t you have to earn it for it to really mean something?

I am doing this because I absolutely have to. I am an Artist. It is the purpose of my existence. I have been, and only ever will be, this. I have no other serious interests or passions. Every avenue I have pursued has become art in some way or another. I have never held down a legitimate “day job” outside of the art field, beyond cocktail waitressing. I would wither and die if I had to revolve my existence around conventional socializing, watching soap operas all day, or volunteer work and I would most definitely suffocate, and probably become downright murderous in an office atmosphere. I would for real, go bat shit crazy, that’s basically the gist of it.

So, sure, it is all on me, this solitary existence as an Art Entrepreneur. As much as I dream of having a staff of underlings to do all the dirty work, I know in my heart of hearts that I could not delegate my duties. Someone else would not do any of it the way I want, nor would I trust someone else to speak for me and my work. When it comes to my art, I am, by all accounts, a control freak. Good, is not good enough. I’m what the kids call “Extra”. In all aspects of life, I detest laziness and I do not believe in making things easy for myself or anyone else. Sadly, I’m sure I work harder, not smarter. Obviously, I would be a terrible co-worker and even worse boss.

This is the tough love people; don’t worry, I’m talking to me too. No one is going to do this for you. It’s hard and lonely and most of the people in your life will not be interested in your struggle because art isn’t their thing. There is the grind, the work, no clock, no hourly wage, no preordained business plan and definitely no guarantee that this is all going to work out as you had hoped. The results of your current efforts may not happen for many years to come, or honestly, ever. All of this will be frustrating and disappointing; some days will be even harder than others. You will have to want this enough to be willing to embrace the suck.

Just because someone has talent and can create art doesn’t mean that they are an artist, or obligated to pursue art as a career path. Not everyone is cut out for the role of artist, for most it isn’t worth the effort and that’s completely okay. Hobbies are great outlets. Maybe letting go of the notion of being a professional artist is the best thing someone could do? It’s an extremely tough business and the likelihood of finding fame and fortune as an artist is practically nonexistent. These are not cheerful positive thoughts; this career path will undoubtedly suck.

But, maybe, you are still in? You are ready for the work, the disappointment and the misery? Because like me, your soul, your very existence relies on your one and only identity as an artist; you are ready for whatever it takes. Okay, so if I haven’t scared you off and all of the above is true for you, then I do believe you can become a successful Art Entrepreneur. If you are 100% serious, with time and effort you can achieve that goal. If I did not believe this, I wouldn’t be starting over at the ripe old age of 46. I also think there are no rules as to how you make this happen; you can make the marketing process work in whatever way you need it to. Use blogs, social media, whatever tools you have at your disposal, as long as you keep working. Keep moving forward, don’t give up, and dig deep to find the dedication and commitment to see yourself through the hard times. Perseverance is what will separate you from the rest.

My one request for you on this journey is, please don’t compare your achievements to other artists. I am occasionally guilty of this harmful pastime as well. It’s discouraging and depressing and completely irrelevant to your own career and success. I know this is probably the most difficult advice to follow; it’s only natural to want to compare and compete. Sometimes it’s healthy to have a rival or nemesis to continue to motivate you. Rocky had his opponents after all. But really, the best, probably healthiest response would be that if another artist is where you want to be career-wise, try learning from them instead. You cannot compete with an opponent you have not studied. Also, be choosy, do the research, people tend to exaggerate and can say anything they want about their wealth and success on the internet.

To conclude today’s motivational art talk, only a worthy few will climb their way to success in this field; those that can embrace the suck and roll with the punches will succeed. Stay tuned! It’s probably going to be me! But it could be you too, if you don’t give up and stay focused on the long game. Be the best You, you can be! Stay Authentic and keep fighting! Best of luck to you and your artistic journey, we can totally do this!

For more Art and Information on Amy E. Fraser go to Aefraser.com

The Abstract Spiral Series

December 15th, 2019

The Abstract Spiral Series

Here is the official description for the Abstract Spiral Painting Series: The Abstract Spiral series is hand drawn in pen and ink. Tinted with colored pencils. Finished with layers of acrylic glaze. Final effect: interesting detail, textural depth, and rich, luminous color. The Abstract Spiral series adds warm earth tones, texture and whimsy to both traditional and modern spaces. Elegant wall art groupings, striking throw pillows or sophisticated duvet covers for your superior interiors. Mixed Media Paintings by Amy E. Fraser. All images copyright Amy E. Fraser. All rights reserved.
However, today I want to talk about what the Abstract Spiral paintings actually mean to me. Whenever I see this series I smile, they ignite a flood of happy memories because they remind me of some very special people. When our little family first moved to Plainfield we reconnected with some old friends from high school. We ran into them at the grocery store one day, it had been years since we had seen them. I am generally skittish about other humans, so no matter how kind they are, I was undoubtedly awkward and standoffish. We had our son Caden, probably not yet two at the time, and they had their youngest son Killian with them. As I stood there kicking imaginary dirt on the floor and nervously picking imaginary lint off my baby’s jacket, Killian, not quite three, gets my attention. He looks at me with his great big blue eyes and that great big smile and says Hi. I said Hi. He said, I love you, and that broke all the awkward tension for me, because my only reply could have been I love you too. Somehow that moment told me everything I needed to know about the McKim’s; who they had grown up to be, and it was suddenly safe to let them in.
Some background, my husband Jody and I have known each other since I was in junior high, and we have known Christine and Corey almost as long. I graduated high school two years behind them and then left for New York City and had been out of their lives for almost a decade. But when we saw them again, it was like no time had passed. There is a short hand, a familiarity that comes about when people have been friends since their teen years, part of the relationship will always remain on the immature side because the pretense of acting like sophisticated adults is soon disregarded.
However, while I was away, they were busy growing up into amazing adults and raising a family. They became strong community members and patrons of the arts. Christine who had always been artistic in high school had become a professional photographer, interior designer and a design consultant. Corey was a successful business owner and a celebrated sports coach. And unlike most “old friends” from town, they were both genuinely interested in art, they had real thoughts and offered intelligent conversations. It was amazing! Not only that, they were so SUPPORTIVE of all of my artistic endeavors, buying my paintings and hosting my Exalted Beauty Medallion parties, and casually promoting me to people without ever receiving a single thing in return.
This is where I bring up the Abstract Spiral paintings; Christine loved them and brought them to her family’s high end furniture showroom to place them on permanent exhibit. I would never have thought of that as an alternate exhibition space but Christine was always thinking outside of the box. They looked incredible with a wide array of furniture arrangements; things I would not have considered putting together myself, she has such an instinct for these things. So while I never thought I’d be an artist that made art to match the furniture. I did just that, and they look fabulous, according to Christine. So based on the highly regarded opinion of a popular interior designer, I can strongly recommend the Abstract Spiral series for your interiors.
Now that you have a little background and know what these paintings remind me of, maybe they will remind you of the McKim’s too? Christine, like the Abstract Spiral paintings, could easily be described as warm, earthy and whimsical. Every painting tells a story, and while this is not a series of paintings of the McKim’s specifically, they are a visual trigger for me of this fun and charismatic family. I think of all the memories, all the laughs, and the stories! Most of which are too R rated to share here, because of course we are all respectable adults who do not behave in such ways… now. I would love for the Abstract Spiral paintings to affect you the way they do me; with happiness, invoking the Christine essence; that beautiful smile, those sparkling cat eyes, her quirky sense of humor and that sexy naughty laugh she’s so famous for.
For more Art and Information on Amy E. Fraser go to Aefraser.com

Women's Work

December 12th, 2019

Women

This amazing fairy tale moment is a photograph of my grandmother in her Vermont farm house, just as I remember her. She is seen here making yarn on a spinning wheel from the wool of sheep she and my grandfather raised. Today I am celebrating Women’s Work.
Women’s Work is defined by Oxford’s Dictionary as: Work that is traditionally and historically undertaken by women, especially tasks of a domestic nature such as cooking, needlework, and child rearing.
Wikipedia defines Women's Work as: "work believed to be exclusively the domain of women and associates particular stereotypical tasks that history has associated with the female gender. It is particularly used with regard to the unpaid work that a mother or wife will perform within a family and household. The term "women's work" may indicate a role with children as defined by nature in that only women are biologically capable of performing them: pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding. It may also refer to professions that involve these functions: midwife and wet nurse. "Women's work" may also refer to roles in raising children particularly within the home. It may also refer to professions that include these functions such as that of: teacher (up to the age of puberty), governess, nanny, day care worker, and au pair. "Women's work" may also refer to roles related to housekeeping such as: cooking, sewing, ironing, and cleaning. It may also refer to professions that include these functions such as: maid and cook. Though much of "women's work" is indoors, some is outdoors such as: fetching water, grocery shopping or food foraging, and gardening."
These old fashioned basics of living, once considered to be Women’s Work, were shunned by my grandmother’s daughters as they went off into the world to have “important careers”. As was common in the 70’s, these young women dismissed the knowledge imparted by their mothers and fore-mothers. They put behind them all that was considered Women’s Work, choosing different paths. However, while those daughters enjoyed their new found feminist power and freedom in the workforce, seeking all the “Me” they could be, they forgot to raise their own daughters. Looking from the outside, as a forgotten daughter, it seems our mothers made empty and unsatisfying choices. The 70’s mothers, at least the ones I am referring to, were unable to find balance, leaving damaged children and families in their self empowered wake.
Thankfully I was fortunate enough to have two smart, talented women as my grandmothers; women who knew and shared the value of “Women’s Work”. While I only knew my grandmothers for the first decade of my life, they were there during the most important formative years, where the core of a person is shaped. I am eternally grateful that it is their influences that seemed to make the most significant impression on my psyche. From my grandmothers I learned valuable skills that continue to sustain my daily life. I learned how to care for and nurture animals, how to sew, embroider, knit and paint, how to bake, how to prepare vegetables from the garden, how to find food in the forest, and how to believe in myself enough to be able to make pretty much anything from scratch. My grandmothers exposed me to the wonder and beauty of art in numerous forms, one grandmother made gorgeous quilts and hand sewn dolls, the other, created amazing folk art paintings with found objects and rough boards from my grandfather's saw mill, and they both knit and created an endless array of beautiful gifts for their families. Through their example, they taught me love, patience, kindness, creativity, imagination, ingenuity and the value of hard work.
When it came time for me to be a mother, I knew what ideals I would be bringing to my family, what examples I would choose to emulate and which ones I would not. Occasionally I think my younger self would not be proud of the woman I turned out to be, that she would not understand my life choices looking in from the outside. My life “on paper” seems a far stretch from my early feminist ideals. However, it really isn’t that much of a stretch. I have always been this person, with these same core values; I’ve just chosen to express them in diverse ways through my life and art.
As I currently review old works from my days at Parsons, especially while I edit the Women as Pattern series, I’m seeing a respectful nod to my grandmothers and their Women’s Work. While I cannot claim to have any relationship to the Pattern and Decoration Movement (as it was before my time), I do remember being inspired by it; and absorbing some of the essential aesthetics that enabled me to create art with my own meaning and intent.
According to Wikipedia: “Pattern and Decoration was a United States art movement from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s. The movement has sometimes been referred to as "P&D" or as The New Decorativeness. The movement was championed by the gallery owner Holly Solomon. The movement was the subject of a retrospective exhibition at the Hudson River Museum in 2 Background and influences.
The Pattern and Decoration movement consisted of artists, many of whom had art education backgrounds, who had been involved with the abstract schools of art of the 1960s. The westernized, male dominated climate of artistic thought throughout Modernism had led to a marginalization of what was considered non-Western and feminine. The P&D movement wanted to revive an interest in minor forms such as patterning which at that point was equated with triviality. The prevailing negative view of decoration was one not generally shared by non-Western cultures.
The Pattern and Decoration movement was influenced by sources outside of what was considered to be fine art. Blurring the line between art and design, many P&D works mimic patterns like those on wallpapers, printed fabrics, and quilts.
These artists also looked for inspiration outside of the United States. The influence of Islamic tile work from Spain and North Africa are visible in the geometric, floral patterns. They looked at Mexican, Roman, and Byzantine mosaics; Turkish embroidery, Japanese woodblocks; and Iranian and Indian carpets and miniatures.”
The Pattern and Decoration movement helped to redefine the line between fine art and craft. Like many feminist artists before me, I too incorporated craft elements into my paintings because of to their association with women, femininity and my own relationship with, and understanding of Women’s Work. P&D artists saw the history of Women’s Work, particularly domestic crafts, as a forgotten canon that could be reclaimed as a source of contemporary expression. It was the P&D artist’s enthusiastic embrace of multiculturalism and multiplicity that encouraged and inspired me to borrow snippets from other cultures and sources, such as quilts, wallpapers, rugs and printed fabrics. I continue to use patterns in my paintings as a means to reassert the value of ornamentation and aesthetic beauty, qualities that are normally assigned to the feminine sphere. Inspired by the P&D movement, I too combined disparate elements to form new meanings. This multicultural mixing and matching became crucial to my creative process, resulting in a new development for my personal style and symbolism. Before I was aware there was a movement, Pattern and Decoration had always come natural to me; details have been my bread and butter since early days and continue to be one of the defining points of my style. For some reason I thrive in the tedium. If I had to describe my current personal style, the word opulence comes to mind. The Legend of Hare Terra is full of Pattern and Decoration. It is a body of work that I created to serve the viewer a lasting experience, one that will require time to fully decode.
Much like the decoding I am attempting to do in the Women as Pattern series. I am not going to lie; some of the work has left me scratching my head, wondering what the specific meaning and intent was? Was I aware that what I was creating would be considered shocking and disturbing to even myself twenty years later? I couldn’t say, but I do have to wonder what my grandmothers would think. I’ll let you see for yourself and maybe you can figure out what I was working to accomplish? Stay tuned, I plan to post the Women as Pattern series on my website soon.
For more Art and Information on Amy E. Fraser go to Aefraser.com.

A Womans Worth

December 11th, 2019

A Womans Worth

Today I am sharing work from a series of provocative paintings exploring the question of what defines A Woman’s Worth? These works were created from a young woman’s experiences, confronting Feminist, Womanist, and Humanist topics of personal and global interest in the mid to late 90’s. The series leans toward dark, surrealistic, symbolic and highly stylized feminine imagery. It covers a wide emotional spectrum exploring the value placed on female fertility, intellect, strength, beauty and the sexuality of women. These extremely personal works question the artist's position as well as women in the world at large. The goal of the work was to ignite a conversation toward awareness and change, to discuss what it means to be female and how we can continue to redefine and improve perception and conditions.
The Ovary Tree by Amy E. Fraser
When a woman is told she is infertile, the healthy women in her life begin to magically glow with overflowing fertility, like ripe Ovary Trees. The female body’s entire purpose for existence is engineered toward this one thing, reproduction. And your body? It has betrayed you. The defeated spirit imagines those other women in their pain free, normal bodies, placidly pumping out eggs, proudly producing the little beings that will help define their future self's worth. Even when you believed you didn't want to have children, the fact that it is no longer an option, destroys you. The loss and the devastation lead you to wonder, what is A Woman's Worth? A Woman's Worth. Painting Series. Acrylic Paint on Canvas by Amy E. Fraser (1995-97). All images copyright Amy E. Fraser. All rights reserved.
"If you have endometriosis, it may be more difficult for you to become pregnant. Up to 30% to 50% of women with endometriosis may experience infertility. Endometriosis can influence fertility in several ways: distorted anatomy of the pelvis, adhesions, scarred fallopian tubes, inflammation of the pelvic structures, altered immune system functioning, changes in the hormonal environment of the eggs, impaired implantation of a pregnancy, and altered egg quality." Find out more @ reproductivefacts.org
The Uterine Lake by Amy E. Fraser
Fertility? Infertility? Can we escape our bodily burden? The Uterine Lake is about self identity and the struggle with biology, posing the question of what is A Woman's Worth? A Woman's Worth. Painting Series. Acrylic Paint on Canvas by Amy E. Fraser (1995-97). All images copyright Amy E. Fraser. All rights reserved.
The Uterus is a Motherhood Symbol that is timeless and universal. "We have been using symbols to communicate our thoughts before we even developed the art of writing. Some of the symbols we use today have their roots in the very beginning of intelligent human communication. Among the most enduring symbols that can be found across geographically and culturally diverse civilizations are those that depict motherhood and everything that mothers stand for including; fertility and procreation, guidance and protection, sacrifice, compassion, dependability, and wisdom." Find out more @ ancient-symbols.com
"The uterus is a multifaceted symbol that holds great personal and social significance for women. It's image expresses life and death, fears and anxiety, freedom and oppression, power and vulnerability, femininity, motherhood, personal choice, career choice, identity, status, and woman's procreative potential as well as creative potential. It is my belief, that, given the multiplicity of meanings, the uterus stands as both a power symbol and a reminder of who we are. The uterus is representative of the choices we make about our bodies and within our bodies. The uterus is a symbol of our personal and intimate choices, but it also reminds us that we are not alone; every woman has had the same choices. I think the uterus is a positive symbol because being a woman is about these choices and experiences and we should not be ashamed of our struggles, hurts and happiness." --- Chapter 9 Uterus. Sacred Sexuality And Feminine Symbolism. Dissecting The Western Woman Artist; An Artist's Dialogue by Amy E. Fraser.
The Nest by Amy E. Fraser
Who wants to be a Nest anyway? All of those vultures claiming, discussing and manipulating your reproductive organs like they are public property. All hail The Great Mother. The beauty and glory is celebrated by others while woman becomes mere vessel, rooted, faceless, serving the needs of the greater good, determining her value to others, and eventually to herself, through this becoming of The Nest. Meanwhile, the vultures keep reaping the benefits, chattering, tending to The Nest. What is a Woman's Worth? A Woman's Worth. Painting Series. Acrylic Paint on Canvas by Amy E. Fraser (1995-97). All images copyright Amy E. Fraser. All rights reserved.
Dichotomy by Amy E. Fraser
Dichotomy is a division into two parts, groups, or classes, especially when these are sharply distinguished or opposed.
The vultures watch as we struggle with our Dichotomy. Mind over Reproduction? What does one pursue? Do we bow to Mother Nature? Do we rise to our Intellect? Remember how they told women they could be a successful working women and mothers? Tell that to the Latchkey kids and their horrifying memories of what happened to them when they spent their days as unsupervised orphans. Then ask those grown Latchkey Kids what we choose to do with our Dichotomy? What is a woman’s worth? A Woman's Worth. Painting Series. Acrylic Paint on Canvas by Amy E. Fraser (1995-97). All images copyright Amy E. Fraser. All rights reserved.
According to Wiki "The term latchkey kid became commonplace to describe members of Generation X, who according to a 2004 marketing study, "went through its all-important, formative years as one of the least parented, least nurtured generations in U.S. history." Latchkey kids were prevalent during this time, a result of increased divorce rates and increased maternal participation in the workforce, at a time before childcare options outside the home were widely available. These latchkey children, referred to as "day orphans"... mainly came from middle or upper-class homes. The higher the educational attainment of the parents, the higher the odds the children of this time would be latchkey kids."
For centuries, a woman’s youth and beauty were the determinant of her worth. A woman’s worth should be the totality of who she is. A woman is worth more than her outer appearance, more than her title at work, more than her fertility status, more than how much money she makes, more than her waist size, more than the color of her skin, more than the jewelry and name brands she wears, a woman is worth MORE. A woman is worth what she decides she is worth and no individual or society can take away what she determines for herself.
For more Amy E. Fraser art and information go to Aefraser.com.
For A Woman's Worth images and active links go to: https://aefraserart.blogspot.com/2019/12/a-womans-worth.html

Wolf Patterns

December 10th, 2019

Wolf Patterns

Wolf Patterns by Amy E. Fraser (1997) are expressive, colorful, hand crafted, one of a kind, pen and ink pattern designs featuring wolves. The Wolf Pattern series was developed through the process of old school xerography. The final Wolf Pattern designs were completed with pen and ink, markers, paint markers and colored pencil in 1997 and then digitally updated in 2019 for your Print on Demand pleasure. All images copyright Amy E. Fraser. All rights reserved. More designs from the Wolf Pattern series by Amy E. Fraser are available at Aefraser.com.
To see the Wolf Pattern examples and use active links go to: https://aefraserart.blogspot.com/2019/12/wolf-patterns.html
Xerography, Xerox Art or Copy Art, is the time consuming, often tedious process where the artist is required to take numerous trips back and forth to the corner copy shop, drawing, cutting, layering, and repeating, until the pattern’s completion. Most people, (even smart young ladies who went to super fancy art schools) did not have regular access to computers, and quite frankly, wouldn’t have known what to do with a computer if they did. Back in 1997, there was no miraculous make pattern button available to the masses.
In Folklore, Religion and Mythology “the wolf is a common motif in the foundational mythologies and cosmologies of peoples throughout Eurasia and North America (corresponding to the historical extent of the habitat of the gray wolf). The obvious attribute of the wolf is its nature of a predator, and correspondingly it is strongly associated with danger and destruction, making it the symbol of the warrior on one hand, and that of the devil on the other. The modern trope of the Big Bad Wolf is a development of this. The wolf holds great importance in the cultures and religions of the nomadic peoples, both of the Eurasian steppe and North American Plains.
Wolves were sometimes associated with witchcraft in both northern European and some Native American cultures: in Norse folklore, the völva (witch) Hyndla and the giantess Hyrrokin are both portrayed as using wolves as mounts, while in Navajo culture, wolves were feared as witches in wolf's clothing. Similarly, the Tsilhqot'in believed that contact with wolves could cause mental illness and death.” - Wikipedia
As a symbol for Heraldry “The wolf has been widely used in many forms in heraldry during the Middle Ages. Though commonly reviled as a livestock predator and man-eater, the wolf was also considered a noble and courageous animal, and frequently appeared on the Arms and crests of numerous noble families. It typically symbolized the rewards of perseverance in long sieges or hard industry.” - Wikipedia
The Wolf Pattern series was part of Amy E. Fraser’s senior thesis project at Parsons School of Design where she explored Pagan, Feminist, Humanist and Womanist symbolism in her art. The wolf theme was heavily inspired by the book “Women Who Run With the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype” written by Clarissa Pinkola Estés Ph.D.
Here are some insightful and inspiring words of wolf wisdom from Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés:
“The wild nature has a vast integrity to it. It means to establish one's territory, to find one's pack, to be in one's body with certainty and pride regardless of the body's gifts and limitations, to speak and act in one's own behalf, to be aware, alert, to draw on the innate feminine powers of intuition and sensing, to come into one's cycles, to find what one belongs to, to rise with dignity, to retain as much consciousness as possible.” ― Clarissa Pinkola Estés
“Wolves and women are relational by nature, inquiring, possessed of great endurance and strength. They are deeply intuitive, intensely concerned with their young, their mate, and their pack. They are experienced in adapting to constantly changing circumstances; they are fiercely stalwart and very brave.” ― Clarissa Pinkola Estés
“We know the soul-spirit can be injured, even maimed, but it is very nearly impossible to kill. You can dent the soul and bend it. You can hurt it and scar it. You can leave the marks of illness upon it, and scorch marks of fear. But it does not die, for it protected by La Loba...” ― Clarissa Pinkola Estés
“What does this wildish intuition do for women? Like the wolf, intuition has claws that pry things open and pin things down, it has eyes that can through the shields of persona, it has ears that hear beyond the range of mundane human hearing. With these formidable psychic tools a woman takes on a shrewd and even precognitive animal consciousness, one that deepens her femininity and sharpens her ability to move confidently in the outer world.” ― Clarissa Pinkola Estés
“Though fairy tales end after ten pages, our lives do not. We are multi-volume sets. In our lives, even though one episode amounts to a crash and burn, there is always another episode awaiting us and then another. There are always more opportunities to get it right, to fashion our lives in the ways we deserve to have them. Don't waste your time hating a failure. Failure is a greater teacher than success.” ― Clarissa Pinkola Estés
“Though her soul requires seeing, the culture around her requires sightlessness. Though her soul wishes to speak its truth, she is pressured to be silent.” ― Clarissa Pinkola Estés
“Practice listening to your intuition, your inner voice; ask questions; be curious; see what you see; hear what you hear; and then act upon what you know to be true. These intuitive powers were given to your soul at birth.” ― Clarissa Pinkola Estés
“There are many artists who’ve not yet gotten a good foothold or who are old war-horses at developing their creative lives, and yet and still, every time they reach for the pen, the brush, the ribbons, the script, they hear, “You’re nothing but trouble, your work is marginal or completely unacceptable—because you yourself are marginal and unacceptable.” So what is the solution? Do as the duckling does. Go ahead, struggle through it. Pick up the pen already and put it to the page and stop whining. Write. Pick up the brush and be mean to yourself for a change, paint. Dancers, put on the loose chemise, tie the ribbons in your hair, at your waist, or on your ankles and tell the body to take it from there. Dance. Actress, playwright, poet, musician, or any other. Generally, just stop talking. Don’t say one more word unless you’re a singer. Shut yourself in a room with a ceiling or in a clearing under the sky. Do your art. Generally, a thing cannot freeze if it is moving. So move. Keep moving.” ― Clarissa Pinkola Estés
Listen to this wise and wondrous woman people, she is a force! Speaking of amazing women, here is me with my friend Maria, a beautiful, successful, intelligent powerhouse of a strong independent woman, mother, business owner and fabulous fellow artist at a Parsons Illustration Exhibition in 1997. I included this photo because I noticed not only were we super cute but that we just happened to be posing in front of one of the Wolf Patterns
For more Amy E. Fraser art and information go to Aefraser.com.

3.8M Yearly Revenue

December 9th, 2019

3.8M Yearly Revenue

According to Zoom Info Aefraser.com is hauling in 3.8 Million dollars in yearly revenue. This is not true; please don’t believe everything you read on the internet. I also do not have a staff of 19 employees, unless you count my wild animal friends who are paid in hugs and kisses. They aren’t on the books, and neither is that yearly income, as much as I wish it were true. So what was the point of sharing this amazing but seriously erroneous financial news?
Okay, here is my drama; I’m here to shout from the rooftops that I have an issue with these so called “experts”, these self proclaimed Top Selling Artists! I am fed up with people getting away with delusions of grandeur, false identities, and fictitiously padded resumes and generally fake information on the internet. These self labeled Top Selling Artists are published all over the place. Yes this is probably because they are shrewd and ambitious, but they seem to have no idea how much harm they can cause with their over inflated statements, or they just don’t care. These How To articles are setting other, perhaps more naive or emerging artists, up for failure and disappointment. I think it’s cruel and irresponsible and I would like to help set the record straight.
Here is the deal; the art world is not the place to go to make a quick buck. No, not even the Print on Demand websites where it is implied that putting up your artwork is as good as printing out your own money. You’ve seen them, the arrogant artists, Hey! Listen to me! I am one of Blah Diddy Blah’s Top Selling Artists. I know everything, I’m making money hand over fist, and you could too if you are as awesome as I am! Just follow these few simple instructions… sure, go to their links, their blogs, buy the pamphlets, flatter them by purchasing their work, sign up for the online classes, and read it all until your eyes cross. No matter what, you are not going to get rich any time soon. And the truth is they didn’t either.
If you investigate further you may come to a point where you see the Top Selling Artist’s actual sales. I did, I was horrified. I discovered these artists, with possibly good intentions and maybe even great advice, aren’t really all that they want you to believe they are. At a POD company I partnered with, they try to put a reality check on the false Top Selling Artist impersonators. In fact it was mentioned that the Top Selling Artists don’t actually participate in the discussion forum. I guess the over inflated art advice was reigned in a bit when they finally decided to include an actual sales number under the artist commenting in sales discussions so that no one was fooled by the big talkers (most likely basement trolls). One person in particular was selling an average of 20 products month. We are talking a profit of maybe $10 a sale? So what’s that, $200 a month income, before tax and expenses? Even if you belonged to four POD companies and were doing as well as the example above, you still wouldn’t have enough income to pay the rent.
If you are thinking that extra cash still sounds really good, don’t forget to include the time it took to make the art; then the time to properly photograph and edit it to make it print worthy, then the time to upload it where you will also need to write great descriptions and add intelligent and relevant keywords. And wait, that’s not the end of it, there is more! If you want rank and status you will also need to participate in the social aspects of the site, for instance Likes, Favorites and Comments. And don’t forget to participate in the “contests” where the hosts more often than not win for themselves. Sounds pretty rough huh?
Still interested? Well good for you! After all of the above, you still must market that art all by yourself. The others artists you have been flattering in order to gain incremental internal SEO rank and status, are your competition. They are not likely to buy your work, no matter how many nice comments they made about it. So now what do you do? You market outside of the POD Company that makes your art products. What is commonly recommended is that you accomplish this through social media; Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. However, you might want to go back to reading those art marketing discussions, it doesn’t sound like the artists who are busting their butts doing the social media route are having enormous success at that either. Of course you may consider the 20 sales and $200 a month worthy of that level of time and emotional investment. I am not here to judge, or crush your hopes and dreams, but to shine a light on the reality of the situation.
There is no magical insert art, print money out option; those Top Selling Artists are not just passively collecting piles of cash. In fact the whole idea of Print on Demand as a Passive Income Generator is a horrible illusion. There are no easy ways to make money with your art. Starting a Print on Demand Gallery is in fact easy, anyone can do it, as most are not juried, but getting seen and making actual sales is a whole other level. You are not going to get discovered just because you put your art on the internet. Patrons are not going to just find you because you believe your work is amazing. You have to fight for it and the odds are terrible. The reality is that you would do better financially picking up a few shifts a week at a fast food restaurant. Print on Demand is not, and will never be a Passive Income Generator. It is not a get rich quick plan for artists. Most, even super amazing artists such as yourself, will need a supplementary income and realistic long term goals with plans for real world art selling opportunities. I am not trying to discourage you; I just want you to know what you are facing so that you won’t be terribly disappointed when you are not rich and famous overnight.
So why am I doing Print on Demand? Because I have always believed in myself; I have known I was an artist since I could first know anything. I put the time and money into my art education, I have started a number of art business ventures from the ground up, obtaining varying degrees of success and accomplishments in each and I expect nothing less from this new business plan. I’m willing to commit, put in the hard work and slog through the disappointments. I also have realistic goals, expectations and the experience after being in the art business for almost 30 years. And lucky me, I have support from my family and I am in a place in my life where I am financially stable and still young enough to appreciate it.
Good luck out there Artists! Work hard and ignore the posers! Worry about you and your own accomplishments. Be patient, be diligent, your time will come.

For more Amy E. Fraser art and information go to Aefraser.com.

Old School Link Exchange

December 9th, 2019

Old School Link Exchange

Believe it or not, back in 2003 the concept of exchanging links was considered a positive internet marketing tool. Below is a live example of one of my link exchange requests. For some reason, instead of the email going to the webmaster to be sorted out and deposited in the appropriate link category, my email was published in its entirety where it still resides, at The Museum of Menstruation and Women’s Health (affectionately known as MUM). Here it is, in its naked vulnerability, exactly how it looks on the MUM website:

News, 24 February 2003, at MUM - Museum of Menstruation

Dear MUM,

I was wondering if you would take a moment of your time to review the paintings displayed on my site. The focus of my work is to celebrate, inspire, heal and empower women. Through my works, I attempt to redefine Western femininity by reinterpreting and revitalizing aspects of female embodiment to give them new positive meaning. My philosophical outlook is Humanist/Womanist. I emphasize the personal worth of the individual through her beauty, intellect, strength, emotional, instinctual and intuitive qualities, as the central importance of human values, as opposed to specific religious or cultural beliefs. Through my images I create a new dialogue about female sexuality, reproduction and self worth. The figures are iconographic, representing an all inclusive, universal woman. My work contains a wealth of information about feminism, women's issues, health, psychology, history, legend, myth and spiritual beliefs, all of which have been interpreted by and created from the perspective of a female artist in the 21st century. However, this said, I feel the impact and intention of my art is reduced by being spoken -- what my art expresses cannot be translated into mere words. I hope you will stop by for a visit to see for yourself and hopefully consider adding my site to your Links section. I plan to add a link to your site as soon as my web tech gets in gear. My site is still a work in progress - I am adding a lot more written information that I think could be very inspirational and useful to your viewers. One example of this is the information I plan to include about Endometriosis in the Hysterikos Gallery which is a series of paintings based on the Uterus. Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Amy E. Fraser

E-Mail: [email protected]

Website: http://www.aefraser.com

Website Description: Amy E. Fraser's provocative, colorful images evoke intense emotion. These powerful paintings boldly express intimate and often painful views of the female experience. Ancient iconography is re-envisioned to depict modern womanhood from a fresh feminist perspective. The focus of the work is to celebrate, inspire and empower women.

Link Exchange, the activity of exchanging links with other websites, became popular in the mid 90s, but is now considered by most to be an outdated online marketing tactic. When Google first started to explode, the earliest search engine optimizers learned that exchanging links was a great way to “game” the search results. Today there are many reasons why you shouldn’t do a link exchange, most importantly because a bad link exchange can really hurt your website.

However, it is my understanding that there are still some rare cases in which you really should consider it. For instance, only exchange links when it makes sense, and it is an exchange that’s logical and rational. In 2003 I felt the Museum of Menstruation was an ideal partner for my target audience. I also believed that I had something of relevance to offer in return. MUM is a quality website with rave reviews from The New York Times and has been serving the public with helpful women’s health information for 23 years. I am honored to have my words featured on their pages since 2003.

Here are some Link Exchange guidelines to consider:

Only exchange links with quality, relevant websites.

Trade links with a website when you share an audience.

Trade links with a website that is educational or helpful to your users.

Trade links with a website that can give you a lot of traffic.

Trade links with a website that has a good archive of information that is related to your website topic/niche.

Trade links with a website that is not in competition with your website.

Trade links with a website that is a high quality website.

Trade links with a website that appears in search results with similar keywords.

I do not claim to be an expert on Search Engine Optimization, but from my research, with a mere “layperson’s” understanding, it sounds like old school link exchanges can still help, but the one-way links are the best. Apparently exchanged links carry less weight compared to the one-way links. Overall it is recommended that one should focus more on improving site content and user-friendliness in order to attract others to give you the one-way links, rather than you investing your time working for old school link exchanges.

According to what I’ve read, the most effective way to obtain one-way links is by writing smart engaging articles and submitting them to popular blogs for publication or putting in the effort to write and publish amazing original content on your own website and blog. While this process will be horribly painful and time consuming, you will be more likely to attain higher quality links and long term traffic results. Or at least this is what I have garnered from my research and what I am working to accomplish with the Amy E. Fraser Art Blog.

So, that’s what I know so far. I will continue to share information as I relearn the ins and outs of internet art marketing. You are welcome to watch as I crash and burn, or, hopefully, wildly succeed! Humble Brag: my former Exalted Beauty blog had amazing stats in its prime, you know, before I abandoned it and then accidentally deleted all 1,500 posts. However, I must clarify that at the time I was writing the Exalted Beauty blog, I was doing it more as a personal update for friends and family and was not interested in the business of online sales. I was more focused on working with my real world Art Galleries, High End Retail stores and the private in person jewelry exhibitions.

Keep in mind that if you are just beginning, the statistics on blog visibility are all about the long game. If you are starting fresh, like I am, be fair warned that what you write today may not receive traffic for many months to come. Some say it will be 12-18 months before your blog becomes visible. I recommend doing some serious planning and research before you invest too much of your time on blog designs or the “look”. Content is Queen as they say. Creating a successful blog is about commitment, consistency and time investment. It will not be easy, but nothing worthwhile ever is. Don’t worry; I plan to compile a basic list of blog tips to help simplify things for us soon. In the meantime, I wish you the best of luck in all of your art marketing endeavors!

For more Amy E. Fraser art and information go to Aefraser.com.

The Meriden Library Logo

December 8th, 2019

The Meriden Library Logo

The Meriden Library Logo by Amy E. Fraser. This stylishly whimsical black and white pen and ink drawing was created exclusively for the Meriden Library by Amy E. Fraser. This is an illustrative rendition of the current 1965 brick library building and its signature birch trees. This image has been the Meriden Library’s official logo design since 2010. Amy and her family are enthusiastic supporters of their local treasure and will continue their generosity by donating 100% of the profits from sales of this image on prints and merchandise in support of the Meriden Library.
About the Meriden Library: The New Hampshire legislature approved a petition from Daniel Kimball and other villagers to incorporate a library in Meriden Village on December 11, 1797. Various village homes were used to house the library until 1815 when Kimball Union Academy offered space in their new building. That building was destroyed by fire in 1824. A new collection of books was assembled on the first floor of the Congregational Meeting House in Meriden. When fire destroyed the church, the library books were saved and moved to the home of Marion Eastman where they stayed until the Meriden Town Hall was built in 1896 with space set aside for the library. The Brown School, located west of the town hall, housed the library from 1911 - 1965. The current library was built on a parcel of land located next to the Meriden Grange and was dedicated on November 20, 1965.
To learn more about the Meriden Library go to meridennhlibrary.org. Or stop in to borrow a book and visit the amazing staff; Library Director Mary King and Library Assistants Terri Crane and Lori Estey.
The Meriden Library Logo was hand drawn in pen and ink by Amy E. Fraser. All images copyright Amy E. Fraser. All rights reserved. For more Amy E. Fraser art and information go to Aefraser.com.

Amy E. Fraser Death

December 8th, 2019

Amy E. Fraser Death

The top of the keyword search list in my blog statistics today was “Amy E Fraser Death”. Haaaaaayyy! I’m still alive! Please don’t count me out just yet! I’m gaining my second wind, working on the Next Chapter, and doing my absolute best to revive life back into my sleepy art career after a decade dormant! Please don’t wish for my death so soon. I have so many things I still want to accomplish! I mean I have an entire World Domination plan in progress… Not really (your business) but I do apologize to my beloved Instagram followers for abandoning you on all three of my Instagram accounts Lady Fray Bakes, Lady Fray Doodles, Lady Fray Paints. I know it basically looks like I died, but hello! Obviously I did not.
When I disappeared from my Instagram platforms in August of 2018 I was experiencing some extremely emotionally consuming family stuff that I needed to immediately attend to. I stepped away from all social media (basically the entire outside world) to give my family my full attention. My family has always come before anything and everything. But, when things returned to “normal”, and I realized my child wasn’t actually dying from some mysterious disease, I began to reevaluate my circumstance. I realized what I had done, is what I always do, as a wife and a mother, and I decided I wasn’t happy living my life on “pause”. As women, I think most of us make sacrifices for our families, above and beyond. Often these sacrifices are not specifically asked for or expected, they are unnoticed, the small things as well as the large. It isn’t just about giving up time; it’s about putting yourself last. These sacrifices become entire pieces of your original self that one gives away, represses and eventually loses altogether. Instead, women become vessels filled with other people’s needs. For most of us, this is love, this is family, and this is what we impose on ourselves. Until one day, we realize there is nothing left of the woman we were before we took on the roll of Wife and Mother. Or at least this is what was becoming true for me. However, this could also be due to the fact that I had a broken childhood and I unconsciously overcompensate in the opposite direction.
Long story short, when things got quiet and the immediacy (and distraction) of the crisis had passed I fell back into the “norm”, that which had been a constant but low grade depression since “The Rabies Incident”. I promise to elaborate on this event further at another point. For now: I received a rapid series of feral cat bites one very cold night in December 2016 during an ill fated animal rescue. As a result, my right hand became severely infected, later scarred, and I had a very bad reaction to the rabies shots and the numerous rounds of antibiotics. As a result I was forced to give up working on The Legend of Hare Terra. More thoughts on The Legend of Hare Terra at The Artist’s End Goal
Back to post family crisis 2018. They say if you are unhappy to fix it. I’m not one to wallow so I decided I needed to make a big change. I realized that this disappearance of self wasn’t good for any of us, that falling into these idealized rolls and expectations was mostly my own fault. So I am the one who needed to fix it. In order to do so I needed to take responsibility and reclaim my time and self identity. Another thing I needed was to free myself from distractions like social media. Admittedly Instagram has proven to be super addictive for me so I haven’t returned. I know that was rude and unprofessional. I would most sincerely like to apologize to all of the wonderful friends I made around the world who I abandoned without explanation. I would also like to apologize to everyone who was counting on me for their entertainment and inspirational needs. But a girl needed to prioritize, to save herself in order to survive.
My solution? Starting fresh. I’ve covered this to some degree in previous posts so I won’t go beyond stating that on January 2019 I deleted my old website (which was hacked and I was locked out of anyway) and as a result, accidentally deleted all the images on the Exalted Beauty blog. So I decided to start with a clean slate by partnering with Fine Art America and making my artwork available for Print on Demand. I immediately began by uploading all the artwork I thought was pretty and suitable for Home Décor and merchandise, such as flowers, animals, abstracts, designs and doodles. As the year progressed I introduced the Sourdough Bread Art from my year and a half on Instagram as Lady Fray and then the Exalted Beauty Medallions, because they too were a big chunk of my art career, but I still felt like something was missing. I realized I needed something more real, more Me. Not just the June Cleaver, the Hockey Mom, the baker, Medallion lady and floral painter, but the old Amy E. Fraser, that pain in the butt, confrontational little Feminist bad ass. I miss her; but she’s not Dead people! She is still in there somewhere; I can feel her clawing her way back to the surface.
Over the past few weeks I’ve been delving further into the Amy E. Fraser art storage archives and I found some truly amazing stuff. I mean, wow, was I prolific and so talented at such a young age (lol). I’m only kind of kidding. So now I am in the process of sorting, photographing and editing my old artwork and putting it up on my website as I go. It’s offending some, frightening others, apparently not everyone is as thrilled with the results of this self discovery journey as I am, but that is okay. I am getting to know myself from the outside in; saving my sanity by reintroducing the crazy. This not yet dead woman is embracing and collecting all of the parts and pieces so she can become whole again.
You know what I also realized? I have a lot to offer, beyond the artwork, almost 30 years of experience in this business, almost 20 of those years online. There is wisdom to share. As a young artist I would have been thrilled to hear from another artist who has been through it, even if only to learn from her mistakes. So as part of my rebirth, my re-envisioning of self, the Phoenix Rising if you will, I am sharing, the good, the bad and the ugly. Hopefully you will learn something, but if not, it will be entertaining at the very least. And hello, if I keep blogging maybe people will stop searching to see if I am dead?
As far as the art goes, I think some of the older work is still pretty great. Besides, let’s face it, you can see by what I created that I don’t care overly much about what people think. This is therapy for me, you don’t have to watch. But you know what? I discovered that my old work now has fresh impact on a brand new audience. The paintings I posted have already made a difference. The work has sparked new and interesting discussions on a number of important current issues and brought me closer to individual people around the globe. You know that other Amy, the idealist with the big dreams of changing the world with her art? She might get her opportunity after all. I’m not actually dead.
For more Amy E. Fraser art and information go to Aefraser.com

 

Displaying: 11 - 20 of 67

  |  

Show All

  |

Previous 1

[2]

3 4 5 6 Next