Blink!

May was a chaotic blur, and June had finally arrived.  It was June 8^th and I was anxiously looking forward to a kid free night with my husband and attending the opening reception for the “Blink Artist Showcase”.

Despite May having been for the most part bitter cold (I’m pretty sure I saw snow while at my son’s baseball game only a few weeks before) mother nature had decided to turn on the heat, in full blast in Cincinnati.  Lucky for me I had a comfortable, weather appropriate outfit, and a fabulous pair of Dansko dress shoes to keep my freshly pedicured feet comfy! 

The City of Cincinnati looked lovely on our short drive to downtown.  I think one of the prettiest views is when you approach the city going south on Reading Road, between 5pm and dusk on a beautiful sunny day… the city just glows and has this warmth to it.

When we arrived my dashing husband escorted me inside the building where we were greeted by the friendly staff of Art Design Consultants (ADC) at the check-in table.  After checking in we rode the elevator up to the 5^th floor and walked into the gallery.

“Pink Champagne” (the large yellow and pink work)
at the Blink Artist Showcase Exhibit Opening Reception.

If you haven’t been to a reception at ADC, you need to go sometime.  Beautiful art, wine, lite bites, and most importantly friendly, knowledgeable staff and inviting atmosphere.  Oh, and great views of the city (which one can easily miss, because you will be too busy looking at the art to remember there are windows to look out of!).  

I have to say that I really enjoy my job as an artist, as it allows for me to have the opportunity to meet incredible people.  Not only do I get to meet other artists at events like this, I meet art collectors and enthusiasts and learn more about them and what connects them to art.  It’s makes for an enjoyable time and this reception did not disappoint as it was well attended with art enthusiasts and artists from around the country.  But more about that in my next post…

A different kind of busy.

One would think that with summer in full swing that things would be slow.  Quite the contrary, things have been exceptionally busy.

First and foremost, I’m a mom to an amazing soon-to-be 8yr old and 6.5 yr old.  I love them tremendously and try to spend as much time with them while I can (and while they still want to!). I am also a sole proprietor and have a brick-and-mortar gallery/studio.  What that means is not only do I have the full mommy workload, but I also am a one man show when it comes to my business – I’m not only the artist, I’m the marketing, IT, sales, maintenance and accounting departments all wrapped up into one.  Then there are my philanthropic commitments… Sometimes my life can be a bit crazy.

I chose to take 2018 off in terms of outdoor shows, they make for long, brutal days away from my kids, and instead decided to turn my focus in new and different directions in terms of promoting and showing my work, and hopefully reaching a wider, national audience.

One of the things I decided to do was participate in the Art Design Consultants (ADC)  Blink 2018 print publication and online resource.  ADC, located in Cincinnati, OH is a reputable gallery with clients across the nation. The publication in which my works are featured is now out, and it looks great.  I have a copy at the gallery – so be sure to check it out during your next visit!

Being a “Blink” artist, I was invited to submit a work for their “Blink Artist Showcase”.  I had just finished “Pink Champagne” literally, the paint was still wet when I submitted my initial images that I had snapped with my iPhone!  I had my talented friend and amazing photographer, Gary Kessler (Gary Kessler Photography) professionally image the work along with several new works.  When ADC said they would accept “Pink Champagne” I was thrilled… as I am biased and happen to think it’s gorgeous.  If you haven’t read the story behind the painting, you need to check out my blog post “Pink Champagne” https://aydzn.blogspot.com/2018/04/pink-champagne.html

As most parents of young children know – May is an insane month, the only other month that is equally as crazy… August.  To say I was looking forward to the opening reception for the “Blink Artist Showcase” in June would be an understatement.   I was in need of a well deserved night away from the kids (even though I would still be “working”) and dying of curiosity as to where my piece was located and partnered up with in the gallery……  

but you will just have to wait for my next post to learn more about that!

Pink Champagne

"Pink Champagne" Original Artwork by Amy Yosmali

Do you ever wake up and think to yourself, this is going to be a great day?  Nothing to stress over, no appointments, meetings, or potential for unexpected time sucks to pop up.  Just a good start to the day to a low-key day.  Today was one of those days, the only thing that could make it any better would have been if the sun had managed to come out from behind the clouds.

I love when the day starts off just right, coincidently on a day that I had blocked off as “paint time” at the studio.  Before I had even got out of bed, I knew that I wanted to paint a large canvas painting today, and that the colors speaking to me were pink, yellow, and green.  

Miraculously, my young children somehow managed to get dressed and out the door for school without the need for me to go into “mommy drill sergeant” mode, amazing – I know!  So, having managed to keep my great mood in tact I got myself out the door and straight to the studio before anything else could come up. Now it was time to prep for doing the large painting. 

I like to paint flat, and usually work on a large workbench.  But with large canvases, I will lay down drop cloths on the floor of my gallery and work.  I work all in one painting session, so I need to have everything laid out and easily accessible.  Once I start painting, the clock starts ticking, and I’ve got to work fast enough to complete the work in the time that I have allotted for that session.  While working I’m constantly moving all around the paintings, reaching, bending, stretching along the way.  It makes for a very, very long but rewarding day.

"Pink Champagne" in progress,
Artwork by Amy Yosmali

Today, like all the others in which I complete a large canvas painting, I take a few minutes to focus and cue up a song (or sometimes songs) that I will listen to repeatedly to help amplify and sustain the mood that I am in while painting, since I paint emotionaly.  It was a great day, but nothing that I normally listen to was speaking to my emotions, so I decided to switch over to my Pandora station and see if it offered anything that would catch my ear.  Pandora did not disappoint, and sure enough it offered up the song “Pink Champagne” by Venus Hum which seemed to be a perfect fit for me in that moment and my color palate!  I really like the funky, happy vibe of the song.

To me it feels as though time is suspended yet at the same time it flies while I’m painting.  And next thing I know the painting has come together and is completed.  Too often I don’t take pictures or video of the works in progress, as I either forget, or don’t want to break from being in my “zone” so to speak.  But today I did manage to get a couple of in progress shots that I hope you will enjoy.

This was a wonderfully fun piece to create and I hope that you will love it as much as I do!

"Pink Champagne" Original Artwork by Amy Yosmali

“Pink Champagne”

Original Art by Amy Yosmali

48”x48”x1.5” 

acrylic on canvas (gallery wrap) 

Retail: $4645

Contact Us to Purchase