Marketing a Book ( In less than 300 words )

In 2020, “The Sneaky Mouse” and “Baby Bunny and the Balloon” were in at least one bookstore in each New England state, totaling over twenty locations. This number may have been significantly larger, but with Covid looming, getting books into shops was difficult due to changing policies, lowered consumerism and general uncertainty.

Most of these connections were made through a series of cold calls and email exchanges followed by a road trip which allowed introduction to some amazing people and places.
When approaching bookstores, remember to be courteous.

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Thoughts On Creativity

I mentioned earlier in my career the possibility of writing a book on the creative process. However, I’ve found my journey has been very personal and may not match up with mainstream takes on creativity or be what the average person is looking for. In its place, I have incorporated parts of what was intended to be a larger undertaking into the occasional blog post, like the one below.

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Restaurant Paintings

One summer day, a lunch date at a flavorful sushi restaurant gave way to invigorating creativity when it was observed that the walls of the establishment were bare. With amazing dishes and a wonderful location by the water, art was the only thing missing. It was asked whether pieces could be produced for these blank spaces and after seeing some samples of work, the fish paintings were hung in six separate places throughout the venue.

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Experiments in Collage, Sculpture and Painting

Over the course of a month, three more mediums/subjects were explored. Minimal experience with sculpture led to a desire to investigate the craft further. Papier-mâché was used to produce enduring ideas (i.e. a hand emerging from a book, love bomb).

 

The material was easy to work with when applied on top of a base which allowed it to maintain its shape, but in some instances required a second coat to achieve a smoother surface. The process was therapeutic and in slight contrast to collaging, which, for this artist, required much more patience.

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Fish

In 2018 and 2019, two fish paintings received awards in the mixed media category at the Warren Art Festival. Coming in first and second place, each was created with acrylics and adorned with shell fins. These scallop casings were found on Rhode Island beaches, though their scarcity meant only a few more renderings were able to be produced.

Hopefully, the shores will reveal more of these beautiful exteriors in its collection in the future. To see more examples of fish paintings, please visit @amanda_marie_artist on Instagram.

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Painting Animals in Oils

Though junior year of High School had afforded an opportunity to have work displayed in Washington D.C. my journey as an artist did not formally begin until adulthood when working with oils.
The attraction to oils began with an interest in Renaissance and Baroque style paintings where the human form was so wonderfully captured and the contrast between shadow and light breathed life into its figures. These tremendous works of art were worthy of emulation, however, the skill necessary to achieve such alluring depictions had not yet been obtained.

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The Complexities of Painting Abstractly

Though the casual spectator may quip at its seeming simplicity, abstract painting is a complex process that requires an artist to dichotomies parts of themselves in translation of aesthetics, feelings and experiences.

Unlike realism where technique transcends expression, abstract painting allows for an unbridled stream of consciousness. The concept of “abstract” can extend to a swatch of colors placed haphazardly on a canvas to a distortion of everyday objects and occurrences. Its value is found in the journey, rather than the outcome.

 

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