Moonlit Walk Night Landscape Paintings by Arizona Artist Amy Whitehouse

Moonlit Walk, 11"x14," Oil on Canvas

This painting was SO MUCH FUN to paint, and I WISH 

I could say I painted it plein aire.  

But alas, I am still in the desert, 

just imagining I am strolling the beach by moonlight.

$299

Please see several CHALLENGE 60 paintings

in the CHALLENGE 60 Page above.

To purchase this painting please contact me at
amy.whitehouse@me.com

"Skyline," Night Landscape Paintings by Arizona Artist Amy Whitehouse

Day 34 of CHALLENGE 60, 16"x20" Oil on Canvas, $60

26 more days of $60 paintings 

Please see CHALLENGE 60 Page listed above.

I have the honor of being a featured artist in the art blog

Contemporary Fine Arts International.

Please go to CFAI.co to see my interview.

And thanks in advance for encouraging me in my artwork.

As always if you see a painting you would like to purchase

please contact me at amy.whitehouse@me.com

Reaching Upward Landscape Paintings by Arizona Artist Amy Whitehouse

Day 33 of CHALLENGE 60 features a miniature landscape, 4"x12", Oil on Stretched Canvas with painted edges, so no frame needed, $60. Lately I've been more fascinated with trees than ever. In the Southwest we have some beautiful designs and magnificent variety in our trees.  These would be found in Northern Arizona.  I have plans to paint some Sonoran Desert trees very soon.

 Now go do something creative! You'll feel great, I promise.

 Please check out the new paintings added to the CHALLENGE 60  Page above.
27 Days left in my CHALLENGE to purchase $60 paintings.

Northern Arizona Forest Landscape Paintings by Arizona Artist Amy Whitehouse

8"x10" Acrylic, $60 Day 32 of CHALLENGE 60 which involves 60 days of $60 paintings from which 60% goes to our friends struggling with medical bills for their child. If interested in purchasing this painting, please contact the artist at amy.whitehouse@me.com

 Today I walked into my favorite coffee house - Village Coffee Roastery, 8120 N. Hayden Rd. #E104, Scottsdale 85258 - and saw that one of my paintings on display had been removed. Naturally, I was delighted to hear that it had sold to a regular customer, in fact a couple who had been eyeing the piece for a few weeks. The scene reminded them of their honeymoon so they decided to buy it for their anniversary. What a happy event for me! Now I get to take another painting in to replace the one that sold. YAY! If you're in Scottsdale you have to go to The Village Coffee Roastery because it is the best coffee in the valley, AND their breakfast and lunch fare are equally scrumptious!

Child's Play Figurative Paintings by Arizona Artist Amy Whitehouse

"Child's Play" measures 20" x 24" and is painted in oil on canvas.  With the prospect of going to Florida this July and intending to paint as much as possible,  I seem to be drawn to ocean scenes and figures on the beach.  This is an image I painted a few years ago that I've revisited with - I hope - better skills. $599

Today is Day 31 of CHALLENGE 60 so please check out the Page entitled CHALLENGE 60 above and see a wide selection of paintings priced at $60 for 29 more days.  This is a fundraiser for friends going through a tough time.


As always, please let me know if interested in purchasing any of the posted paintings:  amy.whitehouse@me.com

Calming the Storm Seascape Paintings by Arizona Artist Amy Whitehouse

 My favorite passage in the New Testament is the one where Jesus calms the storm. I wish I could have been in the boat with Peter and the others; I would love to see that event. And this was a historical event, not one of Jesus' parables.

 Anyway, I can say without exaggeration that my life has been stormy. And I would like Jesus to calm the storm in my home and in my heart. Painting the ocean does give me peace and gratification. Living in the desert I long for the ocean, having grown up in Florida, and my life dream being to live by the sea - doesn't really matter which sea, though I'd prefer not a bitter cold climate. Just sayin.'

  9" x 12", Oil on Canvas, $225.00

Please check out my CHALLENGE 60 Page which contains several paintings priced at $60. 

Tulip Explosion Contemporary Floral Paintings by Arizona Artist Amy Whitehouse

This 9"x12" Oil Painting expresses exuberance and joy to me. It's being offered at
$60 for CHALLENGE 60 as Day 29's painting of the day.

 I continue my one-woman endeavor to help a particular family with funds for their child's medical needs not covered by insurance. 31 more days of the challenge to go; hoping to provide genuine aid to a lovely, generous family who has had their share of heartache and trials.

 Anyway...life is a mix, isn't it? This week has given me some ups and downs, which wreaks havoc on rational thinking and steady emotion. I will start this new week, however, literally counting my blessings and praising God who gives us everything good that we have. Thanks for taking a look at my art, and do something creative every day this week. I dare you!

Bouquet for You Contemporary Floral Paintings by Arizona Artist Amy Whitehouse

9"x12" Acrylic on Canvas, $60; Day 28 of CHALLENGE 60 This painting is priced at $60 for the remainder of the 60 Day Challenge as I endeavor to raise funds for our dear friends' financial needs due to illness of their child. This would make a lovely Mother's Day gift! LMK if interested in purchasing: amy.whitehouse@me.com Today was spent cleaning...no painting which is always a bummer. However sometimes you do what ya gotta do, and cleaning was the order of the day (along with carpooling, laundry, Costco run, dinner, and more clean-up). Tomorrow is another day. Hope to paint after teaching my morning art class. Thanks for sharing my life by coming to my blog, it's so appreciated that you are with me!

Beach Day Acrylic Paintings by Arizona Artist Amy Whitehouse

I could use a little "sit" on the beach. Life is rich, i.e. full, i.e. very busy. We had the joy of baby sitting our friends' 10 month old daughter this week, which was a blast, and a great preview of grandparenting...did I mention we will be grandparents later this fall? Anyway, when little Miss Maggie went home, there was a pile-up of things to do. Taking care of a baby really is full-time work. How does one get the laundry, the meals, the errands...much less the painting or reading or playing the piano. Add to that our daughter and son-in-law are moving to AZ and starting with us, so I have a couple of rooms to get cleaned out, namely my teen-age daughters' rooms so that they can move in together, and R & N can have one of their rooms. Well you know how one thing leads to another. And what does one DO with all that stuff? I have been doing some painting, but haven't photographed any of the new work. Maybe tomorrow. But here's yet another beach scene, and I'm looking forward to being in my own scene at the beach this summer for a week. Acrylic, 11"x14", $60 for Day 27 of CHALLENGE 60. If you are interested in purchasing, please contact me at amy.whitehouse@me.com; 60% will go to the family we love and want to help during their trying stage of life. So far 6 of the 26 paintings have sold. Thanks for stopping by and listening to my rambles.

Girl on Beach Figurative Paintings by Arizona Artist Amy Whitehouse

6"x8", Oil, $60 To purchase please contact me at amy.whitehouse@me.com Life has been an overflowing cup; this is Day 26 of my CHALLENGE 60.

Beautiful Eggplant Contemporary Still Life by Arizona Artist Amy Whitehouse

6"x8" Oil, $60 Today's posting represents day 25 of CHALLENGE 60; so far I have raised just over $200 to give our friends in order to help them with medical expenses for their child. I so appreciate those of you who have supported my endeavors. I am always struck with the beauty of the lowly eggplant. Thanks for stopping by my site.

"Seaside" Oil Painting

Today I finished this ocean scene a few minutes before a dear friend stopped by the house. Within a few minutes of our visit she bought this painting! I am thrilled that she wants it in her house and greatly encouraged. Earlier in the day I had the opportunity to catch up with another kindred spirit; sharing book discoveries, seeing photos of her trip to India, comparing notes on living life - time well spent. A day to be appreciated.

A Walk in the Park

16"x20" Acrylic on Canvas, $175 After a day of experiencing the "vagaries of life", worrying about this & that, and feeling a little down...our son sent us an image of the sonogram of our expected grandchild. That was a pretty cool thing to receive via e-mail this evening. Suddenly I was feeling exuberant. And oh so blessed. Happy for our kids, happy for us, happy for new life. So I'm posting one of my favorite paintings tonight, one which I think is exuberant and expressionistic. Thanks for coming to my spot.

Magnificent Walk, Beach Scene in Oil

From Madeleine L'Engle's book Walking on Water: "Picasso says that an artist paints not to ask a question but because he has found something and he wants to share - he cannot help it - what he has found." I wanted to share this one.

Spring Bouquet Flower Paintings by Arizona Artist Amy Whitehouse

This painting is for Day 20 of CHALLENGE 60, 6"x8", Oil, $60. Please see previous post for info on CHALLENGE 60. I feel convicted to encourage everyone who reads this posting to do something creative every day. And more specifically, to do what your real desire to do is whether it's writing, dancing, music, drawing...whatever you are drawn to, not what you have time to do or is expedient or fits into your daily list. For years, I "didn't have time" to paint, or materials or space. Granted those are valid points but you are smart enough to figure out how to get those things. You really don't have time NOT to do what you are meant to do in the creative realm. Madeleine L'Engle recounts a short story about a village where the only clockmaker and repairer died. "Many of the villagers abandoned their timepieces. One day a renowned clockmaker and repairer came through the village, and the people crowded around him and begged him to fix their broken clocks and watches. He spent many hours looking at all the faulty timepieces, and at last announced that he could repair only those whose owners had kept them wound, because they were the only ones which would be able to remember how to keep time. So we must daily keep things wound: that is, we must pray when prayer seems dry as dust; we must write when we are physically tired, when our hearts are heavy, when our bodies are in pain. We may not always be able to make our 'clock' run correctly, but at least we can keep it wound so that it will not forget." This is from Walking on Water by L'Engle which you must read.

Clouds and Reflections Acrylic on Watercolor Paper

4.5"x6" Acrylic on Heavy Watercolor paper, $60; Day 19's CHALLENGE 60 painting. Just a reminder that I'm offering an original painting for each of 60 days, $60 each, 60% of which will go to our dear friends who are going through quite a challenging time. I would like to help them with medical bills and prescription costs for their child, expenses not paid by insurance. They are unaware that I'm attempting this, but I hope to give them a check at the end of the 60 days that will truly help them out. Thanks for tracking with me on CHALLENGE 60.

Mama Bird

9"x12" Oil Painting, $60, Day 18 of CHALLENGE 60 This week I painted every day on two 5'x6' canvases, companion pieces, for our church. I also had the privilege to paint two 4'x6' canvases for Good Friday. It's been a great week of artwork, teaching, and contemplating the single most important event in the history of mankind. A tweet summed it up: "The gospel is the counterintuitive, joyous, exuberant news that Jesus brought the unending, limitless, stunning love of God to even us." HAPPY EASTER!

Favorite Beach

For the past 6 days I have been working on very large canvases for my church for Good Friday services and Easter services. I'm talking about 8'x4', 5'x6'...2 of each of those sizes. So much has been happening in our family this week as well; some great things, some disappointing, some scary. And I keep coming back to God's Word which grounds me even if my schedule is too-packed, my dreams are way convoluted and disturbing, regular responsibilities are falling through the cracks, and impossible roadblocks are looming and surrounding my thoughts. So I keep coming back to the Word, and God is faithful. "From the fruit of his lips a man is filled with good things as surely as the work of his hands rewards him." Proverbs 12:14 That verse tells me there is a reason I am painting. On another note, my CHALLENGE 60 project is slowly moving along, 3 of the 16 paintings have sold, so I will be able to give something to my friends to help them with their financial burdens, but I thought it would be more "successful." Trusting God with this one? Oh yeah, that's what I'm supposed to do. This little painting is acrylic on heavy watercolor paper, sized 4.5"x6.25", $60, Day 17 of CHALLENGE 60. As I've said before, it's my M.O. to see all that is falling short in my life, to list the things not done that should have been done today...but praise be to God who says: "Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus..." Keep coming back.

Psychedelic Sunflower

11"x14" Acrylic on Canvas My favorite new book is a stunning art book entitled "Len Chmiel, an authentic nature". I am completely taken with this body of work because Chmiel accomplishes my personal goal, to portray a representational abstract painting with the expressiveness that takes your breath away. The accompanying essay is erudite and deepens the experience of this impressive artwork. Here's an excerpt: While the idea that representation and abstraction are mutually exclusive or inherently different has occupied many historians of Western art, Chmiel refuses to concede the divide. His work suggests instead that it can be had both ways, that three-dimensional landscapes can be credible as such without denying the physical reality of the two-dimensional canvas or the substantive nature of paint itself. Of all my paintings, I feel that this one comes closest to that "tension between the abstract and the representational without giving in to the absolutism of either." See John Henry Twachtman, "Edge of the Emerald Pool, Yellowstone, 1895

Baseball, Contemporary Still Life by Arizona Artist Amy Whitehouse

8"x8" Acrylic on Canvas, $60 as part of CHALLENGE 60 to benefit friends in need. See previous posts for info on that. If interested in purchasing this painting please contact me at amy.whitehouse@me.com

Blooming Cactus Southwest Landscape Paintings by Arizona Artist Amy Whitehouse

I have been painting, running around like a chicken with my head cut off doing miscellaneous, random-feeling errands, and reminding myself that all is well. Today I am posting one of my favorite cactus scenes done in acrylic, 20"x20", $399. I hope to get back to my CHALLENGE 60 offerings tomorrow or Wed. when I have time to sort through paintings. Thanks for being patient with me!

Desert Wonder Southwest Landscapes by Arizona Artist Amy Whitehouse

16"x20" Oil, $299 To purchase please let me know you're interested: amy.whitehouse@me.com So I just saw a quotation in Elise Blaha Gripe's blog that says, "I can't do this but I'm doing it anyway." That rings true for me tonight. I had about 6 things on my to-do list today. At 8:00 a.m. the list looked completely reasonable. I figured, heck, I can get some painting in today also. Then at 8:00 p.m. I realized I had only gotten 2 of the items accomplished: I picked up one of my children from school (1) and I taught piano lessons (2). Well, I did do a little laundry and cleaned up the kitchen, not because they were on the list; they don't need to be on a list, they yell at me and mock me until I tackle them, however half-heartedly. Why do I keep evaluating myself by what I do (or, more often, what I don't do)? God loves me unconditionally, He tells me I am loved with an everlasting love. He promises to never leave me. He works all things together for good for those who love Him. So what does this have to do with the painting posted today? Not sure, but He did create all these beautiful sights for us to enjoy. So tomorrow, when I try to work on the two 5'x6' canvases that are due Friday, I think I'll just say, "I can't do this but I'm doing it anyway." And the list can be re-written.

Teapot and Sunflowers Still Life Paintings by Arizona Artist Amy Whitehouse

Day 14 (I think) of CHALLENGE 60: 9"x12" Oil, $60 Today has been like most days, a mix of great, good, frustration and fatigue. I am off to read for a few minutes with my youngest and hope to post one more painting tonight on this site. 3 paintings have sold from CHALLENGE 60 for which I am very thankful. How was YOUR day?

Pumpkin Still Life by Arizona Artist Amy Whitehouse

This 12"x12"x2.5",$359 Oill portrait of a pumpkin comes on a very sturdy, heavy high quality canvas, with painted sides in same color as background, this is ready to hang. Please let me know if you are interested in purchasing this painting by contacting Amy at amy.whitehouse@me.com