Amy McKay Watercolor Artist

Current Events

2009-06-24T19:00:00.004-04:00

The Chesapeake Bay Watercolorists' "Small Gems" show is still running at 111 Art Gallery and Studios - 2 of my paintings are in this exhibition. Wednesday July 1st I will be giving a talk on Watercolor at Work- a discussion of and demonstration on using watercolor as a graphics tool in the modern day architectural field. The lunch lecture will be at the architectural firm of Hanbury Evans Wright Vlattas in Norfolk, Virginia. www.hewv.com. The image to the right is a recent commission for the First Lutheran Church in historic Ghent.

Norfolk Galleries Examiner: Amy McKay - Living the dream life.

2009-05-15T10:36:00.002-04:00

Please read this recently published article:

Norfolk Galleries Examiner: Amy McKay - Living the dream life.

announcement - Migrations and Explorations Solo Exhibition

2009-04-24T14:08:00.005-04:00

Thank you to all who supported me and turned out for the exhibition opening. The food, music and company was extraordinary! For those that missed the opening event, I would appreciate you coming by the gallery to see my exhibit and to visit my studio to see what is in progress. The show runs until June 5th, 2009. Gallery hours are 1-5pm Tuesday-Saturday and Sunday 1-4pm.

announcement

2009-04-22T19:38:00.002-04:00

Òcoo-OOH, Ooo-Ooo-OooÓ

2009-03-20T23:40:00.003-04:00

My children are my most honest and unsolicited art critics- bless their dear hearts. Lillian recently informed me I have over-sized the eye of the dove in this sketch. Attempting to prove each other wrong, we can now be seen glued to the front window observing the various specimens. It seems lately they have multiplied just for our purposes as they now crowd the power lines across the street. They stare back at us now though maybe it has something to do with us potentially hindering access to this week's seed variety. My friend has joined the ranks of our fledgling fan club. She and her husband are now monitoring an egg clutch recently laid in a newly constructed nest just outside their door. The facts are interesting: their wings whistle in flight, they mate for life though their average life span is a whopping 18 months. They are the only hunted songbird and one of the top 10 most prolific game birds across the nation. Apparently, some think they make for some good eatin'... if you can shoot down enough high-speed nuggets before you starve to death. I have also come to learn the doves found in the Midwest are simply larger- more corn to chow on means fatter, gluttonous birds- bigger nuggets in fact. So here I rest my case- I share with you my sketch of an East Coast skinny dove whose eyes optically appear larger since proportionally the body is in fact smaller- its all an indication of undernourishment. While I still think Lillian is wrong about the size of the eye she does wisely remind me to share time with one another and not to live too fast. Please feed your skinny birds- they need fat during the winter when food is scarce.

from the sketchbook

2009-02-18T12:56:00.002-05:00

Willemstad, Curacao
This beautiful central government building graces the mouth of St. Anna Baai and regulates police affairs, post, education, aviation, public health and telecommunications. This image was sketched from across the bay where Lillian was having her hair braided- a 2.5 hour process. I am glad to have finally visited the island since years ago it was a toss up between Curacao and the Grandines for an extensive diving trip. Although this island is architecturally very beautiful and the people seem genuinely pleasant, I am sure the right choice was made.

announcement

2009-02-03T19:10:00.005-05:00

It is certainly uplifting to get back to traditional drawing roots. The next live model session will be at 111 Art Studio Gallery on February 16th between 4 and 7 pm. All artists are invited. Bring your skills and your drawing/painting medium of choice.

This drawing is from the last session and it is rendered in watercolor pencil.

travel sketch

2009-01-29T22:25:00.006-05:00

The 2009 Portfolio Juried Exhibition featuring 13 Tidewater Artists will be held at the Courthouse Gallery in Portsmouth, Virginia (420 High Street) between February 6th and April 5th 2009. All are welcome to join me in sharing food and drink while attending the opening reception on Friday February 6th between 5:00 and 8:00pm. Selected for the exhibit are six of my ink and watercolor birds- some of which have been posted on earlier blogs.

On the right is a quick sketch completed while lunching in San Juan. In the center of the partial map, notice the town of Aibonito (for fellow Spanish speakers, the town's name says it all)- I was commissioned to paint this quaint little town in the mountains of Puerto Rico a few years ago. The painting can be found on the website.

travel sketch

2009-01-28T17:57:00.003-05:00

Oranjestad, Aruba-

The goal was to sketch my way through the southern Caribbean and so I share with you a series of posts which include sketches, though brief in detail, from each island. Most of the time was spent on the beach (very similar to Anna Maria Island's exceptionally sugar-fine sand) but, there was time to sketch in Oranjestad. It was in the shopping district that the children and I were lucky to find a treasure- a blue morpho butterfly specimen much like the one broken during the move from Florida to Virginia. As many close to me know, the blue morpho is the subject of several paintings created since my adventures in Costa Rica years ago. I will never forget my exhilarating hike though the cloudforest to a coffee farm when hundreds of migrating morphos surrounded me- the experience was not diminished by photographing it with poor equipment but they were carefully observed, absorbed and later described in watercolor. Since then, one of my and the children's favorite movies has become Lea Pool's film The Blue Butterfly- inspired by a true story of a 10 year old boy diagnosed with a terminal illness whose final wish is to catch a blue morpho. Highly recommended.

from the studio

2008-12-29T12:01:00.008-05:00

Word is in...one of my two entries, Landscape Meditation 27" x 40" was selected for Trinity Presbyterian Church's 7th Annual Juried Exhibition at the Mayer Fine Art Gallery in Waterside in Norfolk. The show will feature work by local and national artists. This year's theme is "CRUX, the core, heart, essence." The jurors are: William Hennessey, Director of the Chrysler Museum of Art, Solomon Isekeije, Assistant Professor at Hampton University and Ken Daley, Professor at Old Dominion University.

The opening reception is on January 10th from 7-10PM. Awards will be announced at 9PM. There will be live music. The exhibit will be open until January 31st.

This annual exhibition is usually a bit edgier and modern. All are welcome to attend the opening as well as to stop in anytime during gallery hours.

The adjacent image is entitled Calla Lilies and is the most piece out of the studio. Many Blessings this New Year!

from the sketchbook

2008-12-15T16:19:00.005-05:00

I officially mark 2008 as a year of strange and bizarre events. I chose to highlight the positive here which includes the bold decision to move the art studio out into the public again. I am looking forward to some much needed R&R coming by way of the Deep South- Caribbean. I opt not to freeze my rear off in this cold-rainy, snow-less town during the month of January and instead plan to produce an entire sketchbook inspired by the bright sights and salty colors of Curacao, St. Maarten, St. Thomas, et. al. I'll be sure to share. In the meantime... Please be sure to stop by the studio, the Runneymede watercolor exhibit in Virginia Beach and the miniature show at 111 Art. With any luck two paintings will be juried into Crux - an upcoming exhibition between January 10-17th in 2009. Also keep an eye out for my one person showing at 111 Art in April 2009 among others. Watch the website's Current Events postings for updated information. It looks to be a busy year for everyone including the kids. Cullen has his heart set on beginning wrestling and Lillian plans on continuing with her horse riding. Oh what fun! Wishing you a Merry Christmas and New Year filled with genuine love and happiness. Always hope for the best!

chickadee dee dee dee dee....

2008-11-09T00:09:00.005-05:00

So what's up with the birds? Besides being really interested in them to the extent of enrolling myself in an ornithology course at Johns Hopkins U. however many years ago...they are the theme for this year's holiday card for the "9-5". Sketching these amazing creatures has allowed me the opportunity to procrastinate studying for the final portion of the landscape architecture exam and the LEED certification exam, and the Master's work. Sketch or actually run calculations for the incredibly dry civil engineering concepts of grading and drainage... what would you chose? I mean really, water runs downhill. Alas, I can procrastinate no longer- the holiday card is at the printers and the "real" world is calling me...

from the sketchbook

2008-11-04T12:55:00.003-05:00

The kids just had picture day. Cullen informed his teacher that he had Jell-O* combed into his hair to make it look nicer. I wonder if this little guys uses Jell-O, too.

happy election day!

* hair gel

from the sketchbook

2008-10-31T15:58:00.003-04:00

There is not other day I could post this sketch without appearing a little odd... here's to cherishing the living and the dead. This sketch is from St. Paul's Episcopal Church's cemetery, a stop along cannonball trail in downtown Norfolk:

Built in 1739... St. Paul's Church is Norfolk's oldest building and the only Structure to survive the British Destruction of the city on New Year's Day 1776. A cannonball fired by Lord Dunmore of the British Fleet remains lodged in the southeastern Wall. The Church's tree-lined Cemetery is dotted with 17th-, 18th-, 19th- and 20th-Century Tombstones.

happy halloween...

from the studio

2008-10-17T08:56:00.003-04:00

Just wanted to throw out a Big thanks to the Universe. In the previous blog I mentioned the purchase of frames for an upcoming show I am working on when I realized I ought to purchase one for the painting I just completed. Here she is. Some of my ol' friends remember her in an unfinished form this past summer but I decided to get over my persistent and evil fear of creating and just get it done. I don't know her or her name...she is just my first portrait using my wild and wacky watercolors. Actually, I began painting Lillian after this one was started and finished her portrait several months ago.
So... back to the point of the frames. I returned to my favorite local/national chain art supply shop... yes we are blessed with a local Jerry's... and found that the frame I was looking for (an exact match to those I purchased the other day) was free for the taking. In fact, all the frames in that isle were free for the taking. They wanted to get rid of them since selling the frames which were constructed to an off size by mistake seemed impossible for them but was no problem for me since I cut my own mat board to size. Does anyone have a storage unit? Ha Ha! I have a ridiculous number of matching wood frames (47 to be exact) of all sizes all waiting for a fresh painting! Talk about raining down good fortune and an incentive to paint.

from the studio

2008-10-10T16:00:00.003-04:00

The new nautical piece sold at the Elizabeth River Auction and I immediately purchased a bunch of new frames for my goal of a new show in early 2009. Never had a chance to take a photo of that one for the website to share. It was painted quickly considering the timeframe and was basically still wet when I framed it... dog print embedded into the paper as well. Darn dog walking down the dock without a leash! haha. Who would have thought it would actually turn out alright! Planning to generate all nautical paintings for this coming show. Maybe 15? 'Tis good to get back to the ol' roots and cherish them. I'll keep you posted.

Had to share this image I shot of Cullen at the Botanical Gardens this past summer. Plan on making this image part of his early childhood portrait. My little buddy turned 5 last week.

Cheers-

from the studio

2008-09-19T14:02:00.007-04:00

It is 16' long and resides on the floor in the studio. My chakra canvas rug is now signed! It is painted with acrylics- yes a departure from the usual watercolor. Come to the studio and walk on my art! I have been working after hours during the week and both Saturday and Sunday. I always work Sunday from 1-5 except for the first Sunday of the month. Come see my work at the Portlock Gallery in South Norfolk (floral piece) and the Riverview Gallery on the waterfront in Portsmouth (nautical piece) until the end of October. The shows open tonight and tomorrow respectively.
-Cheers

from the sketchbook

2008-09-09T10:28:00.004-04:00

Thoughts for my day:

Lift someone else's spirits and your own spirits will follow.
Support someone's back and find the counterbalance for your own.

from the sketchbook

2008-09-05T12:46:00.005-04:00

See how nature - trees, flowers, grass - grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence...we need silence to be able to touch souls.

-Mother Teresa of Calcutta

from the sketchbook

2008-09-04T11:00:00.000-04:00

Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans:

That the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves, too.

-Goethe