Doing What I Love, Loving What I'm Doing

 

Be Mine Feline © 2011 Amy Hillenbrand

10 x 8 oil on board

click here to bid 

I love critters, I love painting, I love painting critters and I love helping others. I love the idea of helping others by doing what I love to do. Being part of the Help Japan Challenge Auction is such a direct fulfillment of that idea.
I can still see imagines in my mind of hundreds of homes being forcefully  ravaged by the waters. The wonderful folks behind Daily Paintworks were inspired to create this thoughtful way for me and my fellow artists to lend a helping hand to the people of Japan who have lost their homes and more. When you or someone you loves (because you send them this link)(hint) (hint) buys this happy little painting,  I will  donate the proceeds of my auction to The Japanese Red Cross Society.  Just click here to bid to be a part of it all.

The She Revolution

Royal Pumps © 2011 Amy Hillenbrand

14 x 11 oil on canvas
$325.00 + shipping 

What is it with women and their shoes? We know how Carrie Bradshaw felt about her love affair with shoes, and I quote: “The fact is, sometimes it’s really hard to walk in a single woman’s shoes. That’s why we need really special ones now and then to make the walk a little more fun.”  Carrie Bradshaw-Sex in the City

But did you know that Marie Antoinette had a special relationship with her shoes? Yep, even while France was being torn apart by the revolution, Marie cherished her shoes. It has been reported that Marie Antoinette took special care to keep her beautiful shoes clean for 75 days while being locked in a dark, dank, dirty, 17th century prison waiting her turn at the guillotine. She wore those same shoes the day she died. I wonder, did those shoes help her keep her dignity as she walked to her death?

Precious Moments

Scoot Scoot © 2011 Amy Hillenbrand

10 x 8 oil on canvas

 
You know those moments when you take a photo and you just know you have to paint it? This is one of those moments.  This painting is of two very dear people in my life...my oldest brother and his wife. Every Saturday morning they go for their fun run (ten or so miles)(not so fun in my book). Next they jump on my brother's scooter to scoot over to their favorite bakery to indulge in their favorite bakery goods. Sounds counter productive, doesn't it? It really is just a chance for my brother to ride his favorite toy...he loves his scooter. The whole thing just cracks me up. So this is them, after their run on the way to the bakery. This is positively one of the precious moments that will forever be seared in my memory banks.

The Classics

                                                                           

High School Treasures © 2011 Amy Hillenbrand

12 x 12 oil on canvas

The classics. I was recently commissioned to paint some shoes.  I accepted her request without  knowing what type of shoes she wanted painted. One day the UPS truck appeared and the man in brown handed me a little square box. I had forgotten about this painting request, so I was curious what was inside. What a happy surprise to see this fabulous pair of worn saddle shoes. You just never know what people will want. She still had these gems from her 1970's high school days and they meant a lot to her. You could tell they were dearly loved from the evidence of the white shoe polish that had been applied over the years. There is something so endearing about saddle shoes. I had a pair of my own, they were brown and white with extra high heals, I loved those shoes.