Seeking the exhale.

I write this the morning after the massive hurricane in Florida. This coming thru just weeks after the storms that decimated parts of North Carolina, specifically Asheville. I’ve never been to Asheville, but I follow many NC Artists and to see their homes and studios and towns wiped away has given me pause as it has all of us. I don’t take for granted one day I have access to what I have access to. My plans for the rest of the year have shifted and will continue to shift as the literal tides and the future of so much hangs in the balance. I’m doing my research and have donated to several sources and will continue to do so as I am able. For now, making continues to save me and preserve my mental health when so much points to despair. I will continue to create things that I believe carry light into the world which God knows we need a lot of right now. That is all I’ll say about that.

Art On The Avenue - Delray Neighborhood 10/5

This time of year is full of Fall energy and I am thankful here in Northern Virginia to feel some cool breezes and dry air greet me as I gulp my coffee this morning on my stoop. Art on The Avenue was this past weekend and it was amazing. I was so blown away at the response to the tshirts I want to take a moment and thank everyone who showed interest and made purchases either at the show or after online. All the designs are available on my site in a few different colors with lots of size options. I’m assessing all the feedback I received and plan to create a bunch more designs over the next few weeks so keep checking back.

Recent Works Show

The next show I’m in is next Friday and Saturday 10/18 & 19 in Fairfax. The Recent Works show is a great collections of talented Artist Educators to share their own work. I’ve been participating in this show for several years and it’s always such a wonderful Fall day so if you’re local it’d be great to see you there. I’m preparing a lot of new work and will have the tshirts and sketchbooks as well! Hope to see you there~

Click here for directions

  • As the month of October ticks on I’m also learning my rhythms at my new studio space. I don’t have the same schedule each week which I LOVE! I need this to be flexible and so far so good. I’ll be there this Saturday 10/12 in the evening at Second Saturday and next Wednesday afternoon until 6pm to close up. I’m finding the early mornings are becoming appealing again which if you know how much I hated mornings in years past you’ll know that’s a good sign! When the studios are closed I’m loving that quiet time so my goal for the rest of the month and heading into November is to get there early and enjoy the peace I nurture until we can all have a collective exhale. I’ve got a lot of content I’d like to start creating too that will integrate the new things I’m adding to my site including the tshirts, canvas art patches, pouches and sketchbooks!

For now I do want to thank everyone for being here, for the new people I’ve met who’ve now subscribed to my newsletter and for anyone who’s been effected by the recent storms I’m sending support. Let’s continue to support each other.

Thanks for being here~

Time for a change

I woke up today to a tornado warning. It was remnants of Hurricane Debby blowing into town and it was freakishly dark outside at 8 am still. I was really surprised at how dark actually. The rain started and while thankfully no tornadoes touched down it was an eerie way to head into what is kinda the unofficial last weekend of the summer since teacher return next week. (Some muscle memory will never fade!) It was also a reminder of how quickly things can shift and change.

  • This particular weekend also marks my crossover into my second year after leaving teaching and it’s been a busy year with a lot of realizations. Main one being, I need more room to work. So it’s kind surreal that next week I will be signing a contract for a new studio! I’m officially joining the Lorton Workhouse and will have a studio on campus for the next year. I’m going to see my new space next week and my hope is I will be able to move in soon thereafter, like next week! But however soon I move in I want to try and take everybody along with me as I build this new studio space out. I have NO IDEA how this will go since I’m terrible at remembering to film stuff 😄but I’m going to try. The process is also going to force a major clear out of my place & my storage unit so I’m going to be doing some Flash Sales on my Instagram as a way to make room for new work so keep an eye out for weekly posts in my feed & stories.

Still working on a site update amid all this change but first things first. For now I’ll keep this post short and sweet. More coming as I get the keys!

Pausing

Hello everyone. Finally taking a moment to get a few thoughts down mid summer break. I had an amazing market day in June at the @ Canal Center Events Art Market & want to thank everyone who came by! I was thrilled with the feedback I received from so many of you and hope you continue to follow along my creative journey.

I’ve taken the month of July off and by off I mean OFF OFF! I’ve pulled back significantly from generating work, am resting a lot, finding exercise that works for me as my energy ebbs and flows, and am taking a hard look at my severely neglected condo! I did get up to NY & had a grand time with the fam and hope to take a few more baby trips this next month before crunch time/show & holiday season prep. Time is wild these days.

I’ve been leaning into some slowness & paying attention to how my brain and nervous system are reacting. Nice to have more moments of calm than fear most days (minus this past week, right? Geez!🙄)I’m finding comfort in my morning pages routine along with some grounding on the grass out by my back stoop & even some Qigong when I remember! Seriously, my memory is whacked lately and while I’m sure there’s chemical reasons for this (I need magnesium & zinc for sure) it’s also screen overload. So…yer girl is trying to get away from the digital world whenever possible, which is super easy when it’s 105 degrees out but I digress. :) This is really been a time of excavation of both stuff as I reset my home with overdue updates & a possible new couch (Why are they so expensive?!) and of ideas and projects I’ve both held onto for too long and ones I want to explore more. As I am planning for the future of this whole creative business I hope to have some exciting news on that front in the coming month or two. But in the meantime it’s game on in the clear out department! I might even have a Summer Sale up my sleeve in the next few weeks, so check my Instagram as well as your email as I’ll let all you subscribers know first! And if all goes according to my insane plan, there will be more than artwork involved in this sale. 😏 Think vintage meets up-cycle meets treasures from my own collections of, well everything! Also my 100 Day Project Artist Proofs will be available on my site by months end so that too.

Thanks for being here & I hope you’re having a positive summer~

New work & new goals and a little break.

100 Day Project 22024 - Amy Bruce Studios LLC Copyright

Welp, I finished it! I finished the 100 Day Project and feel really excited about the work I created. Since starting this creative practice in 2017 I’ve found it to be really valuable to my creative practice as both generative and restorative. The time frame is great because it’s not right after a busy holiday season so you have a moment to exhale, but early enough in the year that it gives you a pace to lean into for the first quarter and then by April, you’ve got a huge pile of work to consider and reflect on over the summer. Which is exactly what I’m planning to do. I’ve managed to start the sorting process after putting them all together to find patterns. I’ve got a few themes forming and have printed small “Artist Proofs” which I’ll have available this weekend at the Canal Center Art Market on Saturday 6/15 from 1-6pm. I’ll be working on creating some one of a kind pieces with some images and getting some into print collections that I’ll be releasing for pre-order as the summer closes so stay tuned.

CANAL CENTER ART MART

Click the image at left to get directions

The summer is an interesting time especially now that I’m not having to abide by a teaching schedule. I’ve happily leaned into my own pace over the past year and have adapted to the muscle memory of lesson planning to my creative practice in that I now see the whole year in quarters just shifted from academic to tax-based! While it’s necessary for business purposes it’s extremely helpful when laying out my scattered goals and project ideas as well as planning ahead for shows or any applications I may submit. It’s been a LOT of new information to navigate with various deadlines hitting throughout the year but I’m gradually getting a handle on some kind of rhythm. I’m grateful for both the time to learn new things and the fact that I have flexibility in my approach which frankly is pretty slow compared to many but I’d like to think steady. I’m not interested in the grind anymore and my goal is to create a practice and business that is both sustainable and manageable. So with that I’m going to be taking a little step away from screens for the month of July and most of August. I’ve applied to several shows and residencies and have my biggest show of the year to prepare for in October (Yep, Art On The Avenue! But more on that to come!) so if there was ever a time to take a break it’s now. I’ll be sending a mini update for July and will see where the rest of the summer takes me. For now, thank you for being here and I hope to see some of you this weekend!

WELCOME ARTOMATIC PATRONS!!!

I’m so glad you’re here!

If you want to purchase a piece from the show click HERE or go to the ARTOMATIC TAB in my Shop!

If you don’t see the artwork you’re interested in or have any questions send me an email at obscuragirl@gmail.com or DM me on IG @obscuragirl! :)

Since all works will be in the show and unavailable until after April 29th once payment is received all orders will be finalized via email confirmation to coordinate delivery/pick up.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me and thank you so much for being here!!!

Artomatic and why you might see me laying down in a coffee shop.

Welp, I just spent an hour writing this newsletter only to discard it by accident with the push of a button! So here I am, rewriting what I thought was going to be a pretty meaty post but what will now be a short update on what’s happening, which is kind of a lot!

I’m prepping a bunch of pieces for the ARTOMATIC show in DC happening from March 8th to April 28th. I have my site selection this Saturday which will then determine what I’m including and how to display it. Plans are cooking! I also found out I did not get selected for a residency I applied for last month but it’s ok. Frankly there was a little relief after I found out because now I know where to focus my energy as I plan the next few months. But I’m getting closer and that’s progress.

I’m also participating in The #100 Day Project again and highly recommend it to anyone seeking a way to develop a new habit or creative practice. The image above is from my collection I did in 2017 that you can revisit HERE. It changed the game for me and helped me hone in on my practice by helping me see my progress. Any progress is important and counts. Somedays progress looks like sitting at the computer all morning skipping lunch till 2pm and getting shit done. Other days it’s just staring out the window at my favorite coffeeshop recovering from physical therapy nursing a coffee while I listen to my ambient playlist and fighting the urge to not to completely lay down flat in the booth! Both work and both matter. I think I’m getting closer to the balance I’m looking for which is the most important progress of all.

Thanks for being here~




Some epiphanies I've had & what I've been up to

I hope everyone had a peaceful holiday season and that 2024 has been kind to you thus far. It’s a snowy January day here and I’ve been working steadily on putting new systems into place to manage a lot of goals I’ve got for this year. I’ve learned that my spicy brain needs a structure, but freedom within that structure. Which leads to one of the epiphanies I’ve had recently about work and focus.

My 2024 Planner Journal

During my career as a teacher I was in a constant state of hypervigilance because I had to pay attention to so much going on around me all at once which made focusing very difficult. And when I did eventually carve out time to focus on my own work I was rushing myself to get things done out of fear I’d be interrupted and have to start all over again. Needless to say a state of flow was hard to come by and the drag on my nervous system was not sustainable. I’m definitely a big picture person so focusing has always been difficult for me. But my intention for this new phase of life wasn’t to continue to grind. It was to find my flow again and I think I’m on the right track. I’ve created a streamlined planner for myself that I use to help me plan my days better as well as my ipad for long term project planning. I’ve also dug back into my Skillshare account and found some resources that broke down the marketing piece I was struggling with. It’s coming together. And it does take time..but the catch is all this planning means nothing if I’m not patient and realistic about how much time things really take to get done and how important my time really is. If anyone is interested in how I’m planning these days (and why I take time to design the cover specifically for the energy I want to draw in for the year. :) maybe I could make some videos about it. Yes? Let me know if you’re interested in the comments or reach out on Instagram!

Scanned Pinhole Composite ABS 2023

To that I’ve been looking at how and where I want to spend my time this year. I’ve happily been digging back into my darkroom photo practice and have had the most fun using my Pinsta Camera. The image above is a composite of two shots I took in December down at Jones Point Park here in Alexandria. I scanned them and edited them in Photoshop. This camera is a remarkable thing that is so well designed and is basically a miniature darkroom. I’ve submitted some of the images I’ve taken so far to a pinhole exhibition with the NJ Pinhole Club and Unique Photo in honor of Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day. They’ve accepted all submissions for a digital exhibition but I also requested to be juried in for my work to be printed and displayed so more on that outcome soon. I’ve also submitted work to several exhibitions and residencies local and in various parts of the country so lot’s of irons in the fire currently. Hope to have news on things soon but in the meantime I’ll be posting on my Instagram more frequently this month in preparation for The 100 Day Project that starts in February. More on that soon as well! That’s all for now until I know more and get deeper in the swing of things now that one chunk of applications have been completed. Thanks for being here!

Year end wrap up and looking ahead

One more month of 2023 and honestly, I’m ok with it. As we close this year out I am making this last newsletter short and sweet with just some info about the new items that are available for sale on my site and a sincere thank you.

I’ve taken the leap and have uploaded a bunch of items in my online shop and while it’s been a pretty wild learning curve, I’m excited and motivated to keep building. I have original pieces, notecards, canvas patches, an original tshirt design and tote bag that are printed and shipped right to you.

I did have some prints I was going to sell through an outside vendor but upon getting the samples which were great quality, the fact that they come rolled isn’t what I wanted and I’d rather wait to find a better method of delivery for people.

I want to take a minute to thank everyone who has joined me on this year as I navigate this transition from my full time job to being a working artist. I am still in the early days of learning new systems and just how vulnerable I want to be on this machine! But it’s been so amazing to see the work I’ve been able to put into it pay off with new connections and slow but steady habits forming. I’m hooked! I hope you’ll stick around to see what’s next!

I hope everyone has a peaceful holiday season and sinks into these colder darker days and just takes time to pause and rest. Thank you for being here~

Pause for station identification

I’m “I know what this phrase means” old. :) If you know you know! Now that it’s November I’m able to come out of a wicked busy stretch. I feel stretched too. I did the things, posted, shared, reposted, blasted, commented, and with just 2 months left of the year, I’ve got just a few more things to tidy up and I’m done for 2023. And that feels right.

Square collage of 9 square images of photo mandala designs in blues, purples, gold, black, red and pink with white strips of paper in the center of each with a typed quote.

“Inner Compass” - 6” x 6” prints mounted on wood, embellished with paint, ink, graphite and cut paper quote.

I’ve finally posted these pieces for sale here on my site! They’re in the Available Works tab and will be shipped starting November 10th. This is my first time utilizing this feature on my site, so you’re patience is greatly appreciated! I’m happy to answer any questions if you need, just DM me on IG or shoot me an email.

I will have more items posted in the next few weeks including some gift cards, journals and some canvas patches. Again, all new endeavor so I appreciate your understanding for the learning curve!

I’ll be posting on IG when these items will be up so keep an eye on that feed.

For now, I’m trying to take a breath, re-calibrate my days with some new routines including diving back into The Artist Way by Julia Cameron, or rather the workbook and Morning Pages. (More on that to come!) I’m also planning some things for 2024 that I want to make space for including some photography adventures with a new camera I’ve purchased, (low-fi pinhole magic!) and which I hope to document. I’m hardly able to say the word, “Content” but fundamentally that’s what might be happening, might be, maybe..we’ll see! Suffice it to say, if I can’t edit it on my phone, it’s not happening! LOL! Famous last words, eh?

For now, I’ll leave you with some cool images I created from a random photo walk I took yesterday. I love to find textures and manipulate them into something inexplicable. These were fun to mess with and I want to print them and work back into them soon. Until then, thanks for being here and again, if you have any questions about the work for sale don’t hesitate to get in touch. Cheers~

Updates and stuff

So I’ve got some very cool news. My image for the exhibition at The Anthenaeum in Alexandria has been chosen to be used both on the Anthenaeum site to advertise the show, but it was also chosen by East City Arts to represent the show on their site too. I’m thrilled! The show opens Friday 10/21 and runs until 11/16. The opening reception for this exhibit is Sunday 10/22 from 4-6,

“Flat White”

16” x 16” Digital Photograph mounted on wood cradle board.



The exhibition I’m in this Friday and Saturday is an amazing gathering of friends I’ve worked with as an Art Teacher for years. This talented lot comes together each year coordinated by the mega talented artist and teacher, Elaine Florimonte . Each artist will have their work for sale with a portion of the proceeds to go to the American Cancer Society, a cause close to all of us.



New work & a little story.

In 2017 I did the 100 Day Project. (See them here!) & it really changed the way I approach my work. These pieces became so poignant by making the collages and finding the words to help me process so much that was happening in life. They were touchstones to help me heal from losing my mom and my seemingly never ending grief. I have found since making them that the imagery and words offer others a moment of healing too. This hasn’t left me & I’ve felt strongly that my work has important purpose that being to bring about some clarity and perhaps a moment of healing for the viewer no matter the imagery.

I created a series of digital collages last year using photographs taken while on my daily walks during lockdown thru the pandemic. I had to teach from home for a year and I live by myself. So my daily walks, often multiple were vital to my health all around. Because like many of us I was on my computer all day as well as having to rely on screens for both entertainment and communication I needed nature and the sky & trees to give me and my brain something else to focus on. I was also meditating daily (still do!) and the use of visualizations helped me manage thoughts that can pop in your head. I often use mandalas for these visualizations as they are a common symbols used for this practice. Because I was taking so many photos I started to play with how they might become healing images for my meditation practice and for a moment of peace away from screens inspired by nature. By digitally manipulating them I created what I call, “Inner Compasses” for the journey one takes inward during meditation. These pieces are digitally printed and mounted on wood cradle board with typed words of inspiration and hand painted embellishments. I’ll have these one of a kind pieces at my upcoming shows as well as smaller prints all of which will be available on this site next month!!! I’m new at selling online so it’s all very exciting and scary! But it’s time and I’m very excited. Thanks for being here~

Upcoming Shows & life update!

It’s September 1st and the air has changed…finally. There’s a freshness to the breeze that helps my shoulders drop a bit, and actually exhale. This is something that I haven’t really done yet but welcome fully as 2023 ticks towards Fall because it’s been….a year hasn’t it.

Much like many I’ve had some major life changes this year. I decided after 31 years it was time to end my teaching career. I was fortunate enough to have 26 years in Fairfax County Public Schools which allowed me to retire early but it still was a heavy lift to finally decide. I’ve known for a while now that I needed to make a change and restructure my life to bring in more balance and joy. And this decision felt like the gateway to that path. I was at my current school for 20 years so the excavation of those years was going to be a heavy lift. But once I decided the plan was to take the Spring to start offloading it all. Silly me.

Unfortunately my dad was admitted to the hospital the beginning of March and was in for 6 weeks. I traveled up to NY 3 times between March and April to be with him for whatever time we had left. My dad was amazing & I was lucky. We lost him Easter morning. I could go on about grief and family and caregiving…but for now I’ll just say…everyone is dealing with something so while I’m trying to be kind to myself I’m also trying to extend that to others. And also grief sucks.

Needless to say the remainder of the school year was a blur. I managed somehow return to school knowing I only had a few months to contend with made it bearable and easier to start to let go especially with way less in my tank. I also managed to crowbar all the crap I’d accumulated (er, I mean collected!) into my car, and then into my storage unit. The storage unit I also had been loading up with all the mementos I’d inherited from my parents house. It’s hard to let things go. But I’ve finally come to realize how stuck I really was.

We cannot plan anything. I mean, we can but doesn’t the Universe laugh or something? Well, the intention is to keep building my art practice and see where it takes me. It’s still cooking but I’m optimistic it’s going to be delicious once ready. Somethings take time in the oven and this is no exception. I’ve had the most incredible support from family and friends and I couldn’t have managed this year without them (Shout out to my people!) I’ve had opportunities fall in my lap that have been wonderful ways to expand and connect with people and my community that I wouldn’t have otherwise pursued because I didn’t have the time or mental bandwidth. And when you’re grieving, reaching out is vital.

So here I am, reaching out to you all and sharing the good and the exciting that’s happening in my life that I am so incredibly grateful for. To start I’ll be participating in the HalloWIERD Art Market at DelRay Artisans on Saturday September 23rd from 10 to 4 pm. It’s a spooky-halloween-fall themed event and there will be some cool stuff happening! Since I will not be participating in Art On The Avenue this year I hope to have a pretty full booth with as much as I would at AOTA so if you can make it it’d be amazing!!!

In October I will also be participating in the RECENT WORKS Exhibition at the Fairfax Railroad Museum on the 20th & 21st. This is an amazing collection of talented artists who I am lucky to also call friends. A percentage of each sale goes to the American Cancer Association and it’s a great event for a fall weekend.

I’ve also had a photograph chosen to be included in the upcoming Street Photography Exhibition, FLEETING MOMENTS at The Anthenaeum in Old Town Alexandria in October. Participating in a show at this gallery has been a goal of mine for a while so this is really exciting news!

In between I might also be selling my condo and moving….so no big! I’m staying local but it’s time to expand into more space. Until next month, I’ll be over on Instagram so don’t be a stranger! And thanks for subscribing if you’re getting this in your email…I greatly appreciate it!

Cheers~

Amy

Getting things ready

I’m excited to share more work here in the coming months and please also check my Instagram feed for day to day updates. I’m working hard on something big and will be posting more work here soon to make room for the new new coming later in the Spring! I’m participating in the 100 Day Project again this year and my daily goal is to create more videos that both record my processes and also capture my day to day doings as I start to shift a few things in my world. Can you guess what’s happening? It’s very exciting! OH, and also…if you’re interested in updates join my email list at THIS LINK at my linktr.ee on Instagram! My goal is only once a month updates with most of my day to day posted on socials so NO WORRIES! I won’t invade your inbox, promise! :) I should probably clean mine out come to think of it. Anyway! Thanks so much for being here. <3 Here’s some things I’m working on below including some patch designs and mini journals in the works with canvas covers. Thanks so much for being here~ <3

Here’s a sneak peak!

Wait, it's December? :)

Well, that Fall FLEW by! It’s officially December and we are rounding 3rd towards 2023 sort of speak…and unbelievably. What is time, right? Anyway, I just wanted to post a quick update.

So I had a great time at the Recent Works show and I’m so happy to have seen so many great friends come by and visit. It literally refills the well. These works will be available VERY SOON here on the site!

I also had a WONDERFUL time at Art On The Avenue as well. It was a lot of hard work that I frankly, I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to pull off…you’re girl is getting old! But it was all amazing and thanks to some very good friends (you know who you are!) I was able to really have an amazing day, and introduced some new things at the show I’ll have for sale here as well. You can take a peek below!