On Sunday, I was fortunate enough to become the proud owner of a gorgeous pair of paintings which I had commissioned the amazing Amanda Talley to paint for me! These paintings are so very beautiful to me that I decided to share them with you, my blog readers. As you can see from the photo above, the artist, shown pictured with her  beloved dogs, Phil and Don is as beautiful as her paintings.

Here is the fabulous pair created especially for me by Amanda!  When I asked Amanda to paint  these for me, I showed her the space in which they would reside and I asked only that she do what she thought best to address the callings of my soul and the surroundings in which they would be placed....and this is exactly what she achieved. The colors make my heart sing, and the spontaneous, swirling shapes make my soul want to dance, and  Amanda even added a special  written message within the composition that she knew would move me beyond belief, and it did! I will treasure these pieces forever!

In celebration, I asked Amanda if I could take you, my blogger friends on a tour of her studio and she said, "Yes!"

Amanda's atelier,  which is located on the corner of First and Magazine Streets, is a candy-box full of visual pleasures.

 

Her paintings are exuberant, spontaneous, colorful, and confident: much like the artist herself.  Amanda is an open and luminous person who takes her inspiration from her life experiences.

Amanda has self-published a book in which she presents a photograph alongside of a painting which was inspired by it.

I loved hearing Amanda tell the story of how this iridescent pink raft inspired the pink painting in the photo below.

Although Amanda grew up in Baton Rouge, went to college in Virginia, and got her Master's degree in painting from Savannah College of Art and Design, I feel that her work reflects a love for the city she's called home for the last 9 years, New Orleans!

When Amanda first came to New Orleans, she worked for New Orleans interior design icon, Gerrie  Bremermann, for whom she has great admiration and affection.

Amanda's work has been featured in more than a few of Bremermann's interior design projects, including this one, which was shown in Southern Accents.

This painting, entitled "Kiss a Frog" is featured in the book Swedish Interiors, and is in the home of John Rabalais, another design client of  Gerrie Bremermann.

Here are some more of Amanda's large paintings along with photos of the images and experiences that provided her inspiration.

I suspect that her irresistible dogs, Phil (pictured above) and Don, two creatures who live in constant motion are the basis for many of Amanda's sophisticated, energetic black and white paintings.

Amanda's manipulation of line and color, and her gestural compositions make her paintings easily  recognizable and cause her work to be quite sought after.

Amanda's utilization of clear colors,  applied in rhythmic  brushstrokes give her paintings a sense of delight combined with modern refinement. They are both sophisticated and fun.

Since Amanda paints from her intuition, her pieces speak to the soul.

 

At first glance, one may think that each painting contains only one or two colors, but upon closer inspection many layers of color and texture become apparent. What seems simple at first becomes richer and deeper as one takes time to study the piece.

Amanda's paintings on paper also display the intensity with which she approaches her art. I love the way this painting seems to hover in air, since the artist chooses to leave some of the paper unpainted. The motion in this painting leaves me speechless!

Another example of the artist's talent for layering infinite subtle shades of color into a dynamic composition.

This painting, entitled "Uninvited" shows how  through the use of line and color, as well as the application of paint, the artist depicts a feeling of raw emotion.

  

Amanda's smaller works, are gorgeous little gems.

Although these three each measure only 12" x 12", they show the work of talented and sensitive hands.

They are more intimate, approachable small treasures.

Today in New Orleans, the weather was near perfect. The sky  was absolutely cloudless, the local humidity was at a record low, the temperature was just the right degree of cool which made the quality of the sunshine all the more beautiful. I received a call from Amanda. She said she was taking Phil and Don for a walk and taking pictures of the flowers which are blooming around our neighborhood. I heard her exclaim, "Pink!"

Soon after that, I received this picture in my e mail showing how inspired Amanda was by this glorious day. How lucky we are that she decided to share her work in progress!

Awhile later, this photo arrived! Look what an exquisite day in New Orleans has inspired this very amazing artist to create!

Thank you, Amanda, for sharing your beautiful work with us!

Amanda can be reached through her website, www.amandatalley.com or at her studio on the corner of First and Magazine Streets.