www.amandadyson.com

Follow Me

2009-08-18T07:26:00.000-07:00

I've moved! You can now find me here. I update the new one far more often. See you there!

Goodbye, Incandescents

2009-08-05T17:50:00.000-07:00

Getty Images located here

I just read about the EU law that would ban incandescent light bulbs by 2010. Australia, Cuba, and the Philippines have already taken action to do so. Find the Telegraph article here.

Do you think that this will mean anything for the art world? Some seem to think so - find the Interview article here.

Summer Reading

2009-08-04T10:25:00.000-07:00

I've been reading a bit this summer and I thought I'd share the most recent. What have you been reading?

I took this on the plane with me to Austin this week. F. Scott Fitzgerald couldn't help me fend off a talkative plane neighbor, unfortunately. I don't know if I'll finish it. I kept rereading paragraphs over and over again.

I had read The Lovely Bones a long time ago and thought I would give this one a try. I had to finish it to see what happened, though it wasn't my favorite.

This is the first non-fiction I have read by Haruki Murakami. Not a disappointment and a quick read.

Okay, okay, so he's my favorite. This one ended up being the (sort of) sequel to The Wild Sheep Chase, so I ate it up.

I was surprised (and happy) to find that my local library had a Murakami book of short stories. I found out, in the forward, that his pattern of writing is novel-short stories-novel-short stories-novel...

This was a late birthday present from a friend. I'd wanted it ever since I found out she had a book. It's nicely put together and a great break from a novel. I never knew she had a "yearbook leg."

Art World Reality Show

2009-07-20T13:27:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's true. Well, at least the try-outs are (judges not revealed)... But we will have to wait and see for the final show, coming on Bravo in 2010. 13 artists will compete for a gallery show, cash prize, and museum tour.

Read The New York Times article here or the Los Angeles Times article here.

Tom Heisler/The New York Times

Did I mention there's a famous producer, too?

Sarah Jessica Parker/LATimes/WireImage

Sketchbook

2009-07-16T14:52:00.001-07:00

I was rummaging through the closet and found a sketchbook and a few stray pages that I brought back from Dublin. I felt like sharing them today.

Live Sculpture

2009-07-09T13:40:00.000-07:00

I must admit that I am stealing blog content. It's too good not to pass on! I just took a look at the UCD Arts Blog and found out about a project that sculptor Anthony Gormley created as a "living monument." For 100 days, 24 hours a day, one person each hour will take over the Fourth Plinth* in Trafalgar Square.... and it's all live on webcam.

More articles and videos from The Guardian.

Photo found at http://www.christopherfowler.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/trafalagar-plinth-4_786979cjpg.jpeg

*"From 1841 until 1999 there was nothing on the Fourth Plinth in the north-west of Trafalgar Square, and it was sometimes referred to as the 'empty plinth'. It is now the location for contemporary art works, commissioned specially from leading artists, which are housed on the plinth for a year or two each." Find out more about the Fourth Plinth here.

Graham & an Art Trade

2009-06-27T21:35:00.001-07:00

Graham never fails to make me smile. Today he wouldn't shut his mouth and was staying strangely still.

Tomorrow I am trading art for acupuncture.

180

2009-06-06T20:35:00.000-07:00

Well, LA, I came back to visit....

but decided you just weren't for me.

Santa Fe

2009-05-20T21:38:00.000-07:00

Places have color palettes.

LA

2009-04-29T18:42:00.000-07:00

This month I went with a friend, Katherine, to take a break from the Santa Fe scene. We drove the 14 hours to LA and spent two glorious (and well worth it) days in the sun.

Okay, so I was a little pink afterwards.

But I haden't felt the warm weather in far too long.

Or had a humongous cupcake in far too long...

Los Angeles, I will be back.

Family

2009-03-20T20:07:00.001-07:00

My mom sent me an e-mail today saying that my great-grandfather's brother was mentioned in the Amarillo Globe News. Thankfully, I had already heard the story before I read the opening paragraphs.

"A.D. Payne failed not once, not twice but three times to kill his wife. The fourth effort succeeded.

He tried using gas, then rigged a shotgun so she'd be shot and then arranged a morphine overdose. Each time, she escaped unscathed.

Then on June 27, 1930, the Amarillo man used dynamite to blow up the family car, with his wife and son inside - killing her instantly and injuring the boy.

He played the role of the bereaved husband, offered a $5,000 reward for information and demanded a newspaper investigation by the Amarillo Globe.

The Globe obliged, and a reporter's investigation ultimately led Payne to confess that he had a longtime mistress and was responsible for his wife's death."

The full article may be found here.

Outside, Inside, and Onward

2009-03-05T13:31:00.000-08:00

My friend Robby is on his way to Portland from Texas. He made a stop here in Santa Fe and we headed out to Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument.

We also cooked two nights in a row. My taste buds are happy.

This morning Robby played his viola and I played my neglected trumpet before he headed off for the rest of his adventure to the West.

It is nice when a friend gets you started back on track with things you have been missing. Thank you, Robby.

WBU Alumni Show

2009-02-26T16:31:00.000-08:00

My painting The Virgin Athena is currently being shown in the Wayland Baptist University Alumni Art Show, "Full Circle," at the Abraham Art Gallery in Plainview, Texas, along with 18 other former students. An article about the show may be found here. The show runs through March 26th.

More Good

2009-02-14T15:12:00.000-08:00

The Bad:

Winter still holds on.

The So-So:

I've been experimenting with using an artist board and, also, Sculpey this past week or two but nothing complete has resulted from these new art supply adventures.

The Good:

A Farmers Market morning and Hand Salve from Second Bloom Farm.

I had a day off and was able to enjoy a brunch at Chocolate Maven with my mom, who is in town. I think I found a Santa Fe brunch favorite. Delicious and, to top it off, dessert in the form of a mug of hot chocolate. Happy Valentines!

Cats and Dogs

2009-01-19T21:29:00.001-08:00

I just moved into a little adobe house in Santa Fe, New Mexio. I have two cats that like to come in the pet door to visit.

Meet Marshmallow

and Hobbesy.

I haven't had any raccoons (yet).

I am enjoying the company but am most excited about my own new companion. So far, I have not been able to settle on a name.

Edit.

Meet Graham.

Pick and Choose

2009-01-07T20:40:00.000-08:00

I went exploring through folders of photographs on my computer. I'd like to share a few that stood out to me today:

Is there anything in common?

December

2008-12-27T19:32:00.000-08:00

Christmas has passed by me.

(and I haven't seen any store windows back home in Texas quite like Bergdorf's)

It's time for choices.

(It's nearly New Years, after all.)

November

2008-11-22T12:38:00.000-08:00

The cold of winter is coming through my cracked window today. I finally cleaned my apartment after someone came to view my embarrassingly messy space. I guess I really will be leaving the city next month. I'm not sure how to feel about this.

Also, I meant to post this visit a while back:

PS1

Take a look at the swimming pool.

Day, Night, Morning

2008-11-11T11:36:00.001-08:00

Day:
I've walked by these sculptures several times. Usually water is flowing from the creature's eyes.

Night: The view from 7 World Trade Center.

Morning: Yum.

Banksy's Pet Shop

2008-10-31T19:34:00.000-07:00

It was a sunny October day(see above) so I ventured over to Banky's Pet Shop - "The Village Pet Store and Charcoal Grill"- for a look (since today was the last day for it to be open). I had walked by the pet shop before but hadn't realized what it was. Here's some of what I saw:

A bunny at her vanity.

Graceful fish sticks.

(I think the mustard bottle was a nice touch.)

Dark and Light

2008-10-27T10:05:00.000-07:00

This past Friday evening I watched people roam about the darkened Guggenheim with headlamps to light the way during Peter Huyghe's participatory event for theanyspacewhatever exhibit at the museum. Possible reactions included:

excitement
confusion
playfulness
questioning
distraction
copycatting

When was the last time you were someplace when the lights went out? What was your reaction?

Dia: Beacon

2008-10-17T14:39:00.000-07:00

Today I went with the group of Guggenheim interns to Dia: Beacon. The train ride and area was refreshing to see- so many trees with leaves changing to yellow and red hues.

The space is filled with natural light and feels never-ending. My two favorite works:

You see I am here after all by Zoe Leonard

Image located at: http://www.diabeacon.org/exhibs_b/leonard/

because I felt nostalgic looking at all of the postcards from Niagra Falls (even though I have never been there) and enjoyed reading any visible handwritten words.

&

Torqued Ellipse II, Double Torqued Ellipse, and Torqued Ellipse I by Richard Serra

Image located at: http://www.diabeacon.org/exhibs_b/serra/

because his work transported me to a different world and confused my senses (one is able to walk inside...).

Coney Island

2008-10-10T13:42:00.000-07:00

The first train I take to my internship reads the end stop as "Coney Island." I decided to go to the last stop today- since the weather was so gorgeous. (Too bad I broke my sunglasses yesterday.) October meant a slow day for the place...but it was nice to get away from all the honking and sink my toes into some sand.

Maybe I'll paint something blue?

Sculpture Park

2008-10-03T15:12:00.000-07:00

Today I went with a group of interns to Socrates Sculpture Park in Long Island City. It was a nice day to view the space and wander around a neighborhood I've never been to.

Most of all, it was interesting to see how artists are playing with their environments.

Kim Beck and Osman Khan, when laughter trips at the threshold of the divine, 2008
Prefab automatic bi-part door

Francis Trombley, Caution, 2008
embroidery on hand dyed, handwoven lyocell

From My Kitchen Table

2008-09-27T07:57:00.000-07:00

Artificial Nightlife.

Status Symbol.

New York City

2008-09-19T07:38:00.000-07:00

I've made the move back to the United States and now I find myself in the city (for a fall internship with the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation). Things are different than Texas and Dublin, of course: there is always noise outside my window. I feel that I am continually rearranging my definition of "distance."

Pages

2008-07-18T04:50:00.000-07:00

Today I felt like sharing pages from my rice paper pad.

Bones

2008-07-16T10:53:00.000-07:00

Where does time go?

Warmth

2008-06-27T09:36:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about warmth as a source of comfort. The way the senses store memories. I'm experiencing an Irish summer and it's not quite the warmth that I'm used to. You know, it's surprising the amount of heat that a light bulb puts out.

Going Solo

2008-06-11T08:13:00.000-07:00

Maybe I can wonder what the future holds

and still cherish memories

all while living for the moment.

Superheroes and Fashion

2008-05-09T04:32:00.000-07:00

The Metropolitan Museum of Art looks at comic book influence in the fashion world in "Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy."

"They each make their claim on the world by becoming Another. The ideas that dominate fashion — identity, performance, gender, body shapes, sexuality, logos and the quest for state-of-the-art materials — pretty well describe the world of the superhero."

(Tyler Hicks/The New York Times)

April Showers

2008-04-13T09:10:00.001-07:00

This week has been rainy.

I came across this today:

Yes, it is a doggie umbrella. Apparently it was patented in 1992.

Wet dog smell is pretty bad.

Honey

2008-04-05T10:16:00.000-07:00

I bought my first "jar" of honey not too long ago. I've always used the squeeze-bottle kind. I like spooning it out of the jar better.

Honey is a pretty amazing thing.

I think the best word to describe it is: versatile.

New York City

2008-03-26T16:49:00.000-07:00

Some things I'm enjoying this week:

The Pricked: Extreme Embroidery exhibition at the Museum of Arts and Design.

Folk art.

The windows of Bergdorf Goodman.

Wearing sunglasses for longer than five minutes.

Rhythm.

(Pizza and bagels.)

Inspiration

2008-03-08T05:16:00.000-08:00

Something needed to change so I added a few things to my room.

I have a thing for paper cranes, a good friend of mine prompted me to bring a branch indoors, & I've been thinking about silhouettes lately. I have a wall that reminds me of love.

Paper

2008-01-29T03:22:00.000-08:00

Lately I've been playing around with acrylics on black paper. See for yourself...

Languages

2008-01-23T13:33:00.000-08:00

The beautiful sounds of languages. Of things not understood. Maybe misunderstanding is half of the fun sometimes.

Alessandro Bosetti composes works of communication and words.

Marvelous Mondays

2008-01-14T11:51:00.000-08:00

I saw something in the grocery store and I decided that, if I had Fantastic Friday blogs, I would post it.

Hillside Self-Heating Hot Cocoa. I didn't buy the product, but it seems worthy of maybe an Amanda Marvelous Monday blog.

For the mentioned Fantastic Fridays, you'll have to see for yourself.

Holidays

2007-12-21T05:05:00.000-08:00

I'm excited to be going home to Texas for the holidays tomorrow. But, for today:

Nollaig shona duit and bliain úr faoi shéan is faoi mhaise duit!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Few and Far Between

2007-10-15T04:15:00.000-07:00

(Things my eyes have been experiencing lately.)

Dublin vs. Texas

2007-09-24T04:40:00.001-07:00

Dublin is, no doubt, changing my perspectives of things. I'm working on a smaller scale, for one, and, for two, it will be interesting to see how my change in city effects what I create.

But... my art is still living in Texas! The Amarillo Museum of Art is having a 12x12 fundraiser coming up soon which I will be participating in. Check it out, if you can.

Change

2007-08-19T10:36:00.000-07:00

I'm finally here! I'm in Dublin (ready to get started with school) and today I discovered yogurt covered banana chips. I found an apartment today, so now my spare time may be used to explore. Hello museums and galleries!

Updated

2007-08-07T21:15:00.001-07:00

I've added new drawings, mixed media, and paintings!

Museums

2007-07-15T16:23:00.000-07:00

Today I visited the Nasher Sculpture Center and the Dallas Museum of Art. The DMA has a temporary exhibition that I absolutely loved:



	A Painting in the Palm of Your Hand: 18th-Century Painted Fans from the Wendy and Emery Reves Collection

Fans are more than practical; they are a communication tool. From Grand Tour souvenirs to statements about women in society, the variations that a paper fan can undertake have certainly caught my fascination.

Denton Art Show

2007-06-27T11:28:00.000-07:00

Brian Gore and I are having an art show on Friday, July 13th (7 pm - 3 am) at Natalie's Cafe and Hookah Lounge in Denton. There will be live music by some of our amazing friends. I guarantee it will be a good time!

Snippet

2007-06-16T10:11:00.000-07:00

The newest update for me is that I will be attending UCD in Dublin, Ireland beginning this September. I will be pursuing a Masters degree in Cultural Policy and Arts Management. I can't wait to see what new changes will come!

Discoveries

2007-06-04T21:21:00.000-07:00

Inside:
I have been discovering things that are therapeutic to me and have been observing effects of the good and the bad, within and without.

Outside:
Side discoveries I enjoyed today were finding little "to go hummus" packages and finally purchasing regular size scissors.

Trees

2007-05-31T00:39:00.000-07:00

The 500X show comes down on Sunday so I figured it was time for a new post.

I have several works in progress that I'm planning to have finished soon, complete with photos on the website. Be keeping an eye out for them in the next few weeks.

I feel a greater connection with trees lately. I feel the need for growth.

Junior/Senior Prom

2007-05-06T19:25:00.000-07:00

There is an art opening this Saturday (May 12) at 500x gallery in Dallas. Pats on the Back will be there, along with an anticipated variety of art of all mediums. (6-10 p.m., directions on the 500x website.) Be sure to tell your friends. The show will be up until June 2.

Excess: Then and Now.

2007-04-28T08:54:00.000-07:00

I've developed a fascination of the Eighteenth Century, of what was fashionable at the time and what that means then and now. I recently finished a short paper in which comparisons between the Eighteenth Century and today are argued with evidence from text and Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette film. The reviews on the film are undeniably mixed, though I believe there is a sort of genius in her merging of the past and present. The means through which Marie Antoinette deals with commodity through objects and fashion, I think, confuses the natural and unnatural in such a way that poses questions to an audience living in a similar world of blurred lines. How clear are needs and desires when one's environment is a teaching tool?

Earth Day

2007-04-20T09:04:00.000-07:00

Earth Day is coming up in a couple of days. In honor of this, many morning shows have been showcasing various "green" products (my favorite being packaging that breaks down after you bury it, producing a plant) all week. On Tuesday, I caught Regis and Kelly's "Clean Green" day:

5 Things You Need to Clean Green

Baking soda
White vinegar
Lemon juice
Club Soda
Borax is a natural mineral you can find at the grocery store (Be sure to keep out of reach of children & pets)

It's a bit strange to me that we must be reminded of these simple solutions. And, yes, viewers were reminded that they can put starch and water in a spray bottle to use when ironing clothing. When did we stray so far from the simplicity of these items? The distance makes me nervous.

Tender

2007-04-16T10:11:00.000-07:00

A kiss is tender.
A heart can be tender.

Meat is tender.
Hot pockets have tender, flaky crust.

Maybe the way to the heart really is through the stomach?

Paper

2007-04-11T08:10:00.000-07:00

Have you ever noticed the way, or different ways, that paper keeps in ink? Sometimes the ink warmly soaks in like an embrace and sometimes it stays more on the surface and feels colder. I prefer a natural or soft feel with page turns. There is a delicacy and a strength embodied in few things. The kind of paper that has these two qualities, I think, seem to whisper deep and sweet in ears willing to listen.

Paper is strong.
Paper is fragile.
Paper is potential.

Tofu

2007-04-03T17:08:00.000-07:00

I think that food is an unusually powerful tool in revealing things about an individual.

So (now to the title), where did this sort of taboo for tofu all start? "It" can be lumped together with other edibles, such as spinach and anchovies, in the category in which one often states a dislike for, though the flavor of (fill in food here) may have never actually touched taste buds. Associations with tofu are even more fascinating when considering the attachment to lifestyle that it carries. I think the overall tofu attitude is morphing, but some still don't know what to do with it, causing the taboo to continue on. In conclusion, if you haven't tried tofu, go for it. (It sounds scarier than it really is.)

Fleur-de-lis

2007-03-30T10:13:00.000-07:00

Lilies are one of my favorite types of flowers. Perhaps that is why I'm drawn to the fleur-de-lis.

This morning I finished a little fun project that I would actually consider a bit more on the crafty side. I like the look of stitching on canvas (my thumb doesn't like me so much for it.)

I sometimes feel myself drawn to patterns. There is something familiar and safe about them but they are still able to fit into new ideas.

The Risk and the Gamble

2007-03-27T16:22:00.000-07:00

In the newest issue of Art Papers, Glenn Kaino's conversation with Lauri Firstenberg answers the question "Do you see the potential for radicality in contemporary art practice?" The middle paragraph to Glenn's answer reads:"Some people try to adopt radical political positions without having anything at stake. They market themselves by using the romantic veneer of revolutionary acts of the past. This is not that interesting to me. I believe in risk and in the gamble. For me, process is rewarding and dynamic. Winning and losing are static proportions."

I'm currently sitting in the Daniel Bozhkov exhibition in the UNT gallery and I'm thinking about what this particular artist (Daniel) learned with each piece "produced." Today, curiosity for the world is what I see. I'm beginning to become more and more fascinated the process or, rather, processes that an artist goes through in creating his or her work. Can I see it? Do I have to dig through the surface to get to it? How much does time matter in regards to process?

Three Sundays

2007-03-25T15:55:00.000-07:00

For the past three mornings I've woken up thinking that the day was Sunday. This morning I finally got it right.

I remember parts of my dream from last night, the part when I went to the store to buy canvas. The store did not have the size I had in mind, though I saw an old friend there and said hello. Normally, whenever I dream of old friends or those that I've met I wake up feeling a bit nostalgic. Not so today, though. How do you feel when you dream about old friends or acquaintances?