Sketchpad

Sign up for my Drawing and W/C Classes

Contact me at amycfisher360@gmail.com for more information on classes in Drawing May 11 and May 18 as well as Watercolor: Flowers - from Table to Garden May 25 - June 29 in Olympia. All classes will meet from 1-4p at the Olympia Center 222 Columbia St NW Olympia Room 204

Add comment May 8th, 2012

New Watercolor Class

Beginning March 23, I’ll be teaching a 6 - week Watercolor class at Olyphant Art Supply 117 Washington St NE Olympia WA 98501.

This series of 6, 3-hour Friday afternoon sessions (3/23/12 - 4/27/12) will begin with an introduction to the materials which distinguish watercolor as a versatile medium uniquely dependent on the interaction of the materials used. Each week, lessons will build sequentially from the basics of paint properties and application, through the necessary visual interpretation skills, to enable each student to set up and paint a complete still life by week 6. See the syllabus for weekly topics.

Contact me amycfisher360@gmail.com or call the store 360-352-6348 for more information.

Be sure and contact me if you would like to be on my mailing list to receive future announcements.

Namaste
Amy

Add comment February 25th, 2012

Christmas Forest event Nov 28

I will be a vendor at a wonderful fundraising event for the Providence St Peter Foundation. It is new this year and is called LADIES NIGHT OUT for guests 21 and over.

What - Ladies’ Night Out - a night of beverages, savory and sweet treats and shopping! A shopping bag and one complimentary drink are included and most vendors will be giving away small gifts as well as selling a wide variety of gift items. I will have paintings prints cards and ceramic tiles. Please come see me and have fun while supporting a worthy cause.
Wear casual holiday attire!

When - Monday November 28, 6-9 pm

Where - Olympia Red Lion Hotel
2300 Evergeen ParK Dr
Olympia WA

Tickets - $50 - Purchase by calling 360.493.7981
www.provforest.org

Happy Holidays
Amy

Add comment November 13th, 2011

Retro 360

There is an new artsy resale shop / vintage boutique in Lacey called Retro 360. It is located just west of St Martin’s Marcus Pavilion on Pacific Avenue in Lacey WA (4821 Pacific Ave SE STE B 455-4637) Retro360Boutique@yahoo.com

The clothing, shoes, boots and accessories are in new or nearly new condition, many are name brand (I found a beautiful embroidered Chicos shirt for $15), and there’s no back of the closet odor found in so many other resale shops. Check it out!

Amy

Add comment November 6th, 2011

thumbnails

A great way to start any painting session is to make thumbnail sketches. Whatever subject you have in mind or in view demands a composition. Composition is the arrangement of shapes within a format. The shapes you draw are positive shapes. The shapes created by the spaces between the lined shapes you draw become the negative shapes. Imagine your positive shapes are collage pieces. As you move the (positive shape) pieces around you are dynamically changing the negative shapes! So you can see how important negative shapes are - they are the first design element to consider in creating an interesting composition.

Thumbnails get their name from their size - perhaps as small as your thumb but usually for me between about 1 x 2 and 2 x 3 inches. To begin - Draw vertical (portrait) and horizontal (landscape) rectangles on sketch paper. Then make quick sketches of your subject capturing the dominant positive shapes in these small formats. Draw up a page of them until you can determine your best starting point for arranging shapes before you begin working with paint.

This exercise not only provides a good starting point but also calms your mind and allows you to transition more readily into creative work.

Let me know how this works for you!
Amy

Add comment October 9th, 2011

A Drawing a Day

Of all my work done over decades I feel akin to my drawings…sketches mostly. If the house were burning I might rush to save my sketchbooks before any other art work. The reason is the sketches are like little stories, visual ideas that reflect on a particular time and place (at least, recognizable to me in that way).

Drawing is an observation pathway, a discipline that links me with my subject and puts me in a space separate from thinking. The white paper is the void and once a mark is made shapes begin to form. It is magic really, sacred stuff if I can keep my inner critic out of the experience. So I recommend it to nearly everyone. and now at a newly busy time of my life that pulls me from my studio more often than not, I am reminding myself too, to go back to pencil and paper. So I am assigning myself a drawing a day - quick and painless when time is short…and a way to practice, and stay engaged with my creativity.

Namaste
Amy

Add comment February 13th, 2011

NOV 20 Art Sale to benefit Olympia Library

DAY — SATURDAY NOV 20
TIME — 10 - 4
WHERE — NORTH OLYMPIA FIRE STATION, 5046 BOSTON HARBOR RD NE OLYMPIA WA

Please join me again this year for the annual show and sale sponsored by Friends of Olympia Library to raise money for book purchases and special events at the library. I will be selling painted ceramic tiles, cards and prints. The tiles can be purchased framed for use as a trivet or wall art - perfect for gift giving.

The show has been moved to A LARGER VENUE so if you came last year and felt squeezed by the tight space, please come again this year. There will be plenty of room. The larger space allowed the library to invite more artists - over 25 ARTISTS offering a delightful variety of fine arts and crafts.

If you cannot come to the sale and would like to see this work in my studio, send me an email at amycfisher360@gmail.com to set up an appointment.
Otherwise, I’ll see you there

Thanks for your support
Amy

Add comment November 12th, 2010

Drunken Robin

The other evening my husband called my attention to a beautifully melodic bird song coming from the vicinity of the 50 year-old apple tree in our backyard. After searching the leafy tree in vain I picked up Morse’s “Birds of the Puget Sound Region” and began checking song descriptions of thrushes and warblers. The Varied thrush was a possibility but it is seldom seen in our suburban yard. I flipped the pages some more and just as I read ” a melodious song, long whistled warble likened to drunken robin” the so-described Black-headed grosbeak (Pheuticus melanocephalus) swooped from the recesses of the Gravenstein, and landed on a glass garden ornament just 20 feet from my seat at the kitchen table just inside our glass back door. He posed for at least two minutes; his tawny breast and rump standing out in bold contrast with his glossy black head and back. I’d known the Black-headed grosbeak previously only by its sharp one-note call, a call that led me to nickname it “Johnny one-note”. What a pleasure now to recognize its musical song as well and have my evening weeding accompanied by their long, light melodies .

Add comment May 26th, 2010

Papermate for Drawing

Materials tip - If you like fine line ink sketching, the Paper Mate Pro-FIT retractable ball point pen F 0.7 mm is a great, inexpensive tool. I bought a box of 12 at Office Depot. They have a rubber grip that adds comfort and reduces hand fatigue. I like the feel of the pen as it glides smoothly over the paper.

Remember to carry paper and pen or pencil with you always!

Namaste and happy drawing
Amy

Add comment February 20th, 2010

ART show/sale - FRIDAY 12/11

HI

THANKS TO ALL WHO CAME TO THE SUCCESSFUL ART SHOW AND SALE TO BENEFIT THE OLYMPIA LIBRARY LAST WEEKEND. THE GREAT NEWS IS THAT I WILL BE THERE AGAIN THIS FRIDAY TAKING THE PLACE OF SOMEONE WHO HAD TO CANCEL AT THE LAST MINUTE. I HAD SUCH A GREAT TIME LAST WEEKEND; I HOPE YOU WILL FIND TIME TO COME SEE MY WORK AND THE DIVERSE OFFERINGS OF THE OTHER ELEVEN ARTISTS, a different group this week, so if you came last weekend, you will see different delightfully beautiful things on Friday!

WHERE:OLYMPIA TIMBERLAND LIBRARY 313 8TH AVE SE OLYMPIA WA 360-352-0595
WHEN: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11TH 3 - 8PM

ANY QUESTIONS? SEND AN EMAIL TO amy@amyfisherart.com

happy holidays
Amy

Add comment December 9th, 2009

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