All Categories - AM Landry Art

Another new adventure.

9/10/2017

Who would've thought I'd become a teacher? Apparently everyone but me. So I gave in and became a teacher. I'm already in my fifth week of this school year as an art teacher. It has its ups and downs, but the kids are typical teenagers (it's high school), and that can be difficult or not, depending on how you look at it. I choose to see good kids who are testing their limits, who believe they know everything, just like I did when I was their age.

My challenge is to get them to see beyond what they think they know and find their way into the future. How can art do that? Ah, well, we shall see.

Home again, home again, jiggety-jig.

4/19/2017

After a lovely pre-scheduled vacation to visit my family, I return to work on the things I do best from home and back to posting my daily cartoons. If you are a Facebook friend, you may have gotten used to seeing these every day before last summer. If you are a Facebook fan, you got one every now and then. Now I have joined Patreon so that folks who want to can see my cartoons on a more regular basis while supporting my work.

I love what I do, but I also have to make a living, and that requires marketing and sales. This is how I plan to use these funds. So if you like my posts and my artwork and you want to help me progress in my artistic career, please consider supporting me through Patreon or by purchasing original artwork. Market season has begun, and I'll be getting out there soon with my little tent. I'll let you know as soon as I'm ready to get back into markets again.

Thanks for your loyalty.

New isn't always better

12/15/2016

My life as a comic strip.

1/4/2016

A couple of years ago, I decided to try digital drawing. I bought an inexpensive tablet, downloaded some free drawing software, and started practicing. I found it challenging, so most of what I drew were just sketches of everyday things going on in my life. When people on Facebook were creating avatars of themselves using a multiple-choice template, I got silly and drew my own. The results made me giggle, so I shared them. Apparently, they made other people giggle as well, because friends and acquaintances began looking for a new "cartoon" every day. And so, AM Toons were born. I now have over 100 cartoons from the daily foolishness I experience in my life, and they have become very popular among people I know.

A suggestion was made that I try to get them syndicated, so I am in the process of looking for an outlet for them. Since I can't share them with the general public yet, if you're interested in seeing them, ask your local newspaper for AM Toons, and let's see how much interest we can drum up. Thanks for your help!

Can you breathe under water?

10/5/2015

My answer is: In my dreams. In my dreams, I have gone swimming with mermaids, discovered underwater worlds, and yes, breathed.

It certainly helps that there are increasingly more marine biologists studying deeper sea beds and providing beautifully shot documentaries about ocean life. I get inspired by the colors, the unbelievable creatures, and the explanations of their prehistoric lineages. From there, I go to sleep and take myself to those worlds, experiencing them almost firsthand, with a little help from my ridiculously vivid imagination.

When I wake up, I take those visions and transfer them to sketches, and then to canvas, so that everyone can see my mixture of reality and story-telling. My mermaid paintings "Undersea Adventures" are the result of this. There are six sketched and planned, and two are complete already. I'm working hard to finish the third. You'll notice that my mermaids have sharks' tails, making them strong and fearless. There is a story to the entire series, which I will unveil when they're all complete. You might be surprised to find out what mermaids are like.

When the going gets tough, sometimes the tough need to take a break.

10/1/2015

My inspiration comes from life, nature, and the activity of wildlife and plants. My best stories and poems occur to me while I'm outside digging in the garden, covered in dirt. My favorite art comes from watching bugs and fish and birds, seeing the patterns that no human or computer could ever recreate, but I try. The chevron stripe on a blue jay's tail fascinates me. The red speckled spot on a house finch will hold my attention for as long as the bird sits still enough to see it.

The last couple of weeks were a little rough. My dog passed away, which was expected because he was sick for a long time, but unexpected because I kept thinking we had more time. I took it harder than perhaps I should have or perhaps most people would.

I did my best to keep up with posts and painting and all my other life activities that have to be done. But whereas some artists of the past (and maybe the present) used their adversity to express emotion through their art, I am the opposite. Sadness tends to suck the inspiration right out of me.

Now that I've had a little time to grieve, I'm painting again, working on my new studio, and trying to enjoy some cooler weather I hope is coming down the pike. Today's highs were in the upper 80s. I am very much looking forward to autumn. She's running a bit late.

You May Never Look at Music the Same Way Again!

9/6/2015

My biggest seller is my music series. If you know about music theory, you know what these symbols are. Musicians love these decorative renditions of the symbols they use all the time. I know because I'm a musician myself and have lots of family and friends who are musicians, too. I learned music theory in elementary school and have played several instruments throughout my life.

One of my earlier posts showed some initial work on a new pair of treble and bass clef paintings, and I had put them on the back burner for a while to work on other projects but also to ponder what direction they should progress. They have stood on my paint desk for a long time, occasionally covered by another piece being worked on but usually visible so I could think about them. This week I did some more work on the pair, particularly the second piece, and I like where it's going. I still have some work to do on them, but they have a much clearer trajectory now.

Of course, not everyone is into wildlife as much as I am, so if you have a phobia about snakes (ophidiophobia), just don't look, but please come back for the next post. I have something for just about everyone. :)

Are you ready for some football?

9/1/2015

After spending a lot of time working on my website this week, improving its usability and streamlining its look, and also working on a little marketing, it was really time to focus on more painting. Last night, I couldn't stop thinking about football season starting up again and looking forward to the Saints' first regular season game just 2 weeks away. What else would I paint? So I started sketching, and painting, and painting, and painting. Below you will see the almost finished product and the stages of completion as it progressed. If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram, you've probably already seen these.

The only thing left is to decide which jersey numbers to put on the players in the painting. I didn't use any specific picture for this, just sort of made it up from old football pics I had taken and memory of watching games and being in the dome, so I don't have an actual point of reference. Besides, the players have changed this year, so I want it to reflect who's on the team right now.

Once it's finished, I think I'm going to auction off this painting to the highest bidder by kickoff at our first game September 13th. Happy Bidding!

New Fall Colors

8/21/2015

In celebration of the new design colors forecast for the fall, I'm doing a whole set of 12x12" canvas abstract color paintings that will be available soon. The new colors are looking to be very similar to the 2015 colors, but a little more subtle. I'm going to use both 2015 and the forecast 2016 colors. So, whether you already repainted in 2015 or are planning a new design this year, you'll be covered.

Add a little burst of color interest to a wall near you. Prices have never been better! Look for these special paintings to be up on the site within the next couple of days. And with the coming store feature, you'll be able to purchase them right off the site with Paypal.

AM

P.S. If you don't wish to use Paypal, I can accept other forms of payment by phone or by mail.

Feeling Adventurous

8/10/2015

Summer's almost over, and I can't say I'll be sad to see this heatwave go, but whenever the seasons change, there's that feeling of time creeping away together with excitement about what's coming next. In the spirit of change, I'm going to try something I have never done before.

While I work on my big paintings that take more time, I want to offer a mini-painting sale. This is an opportunity for those who have wanted a piece of original art but couldn't afford it to get something custom made.

For $10, I will make a 4x6" mini-painting of something you like*, and for $15, a 5x7" mini-painting. You will get to be the owner of a commissioned artwork, and I will get to experience a little more diversity of design. It can be acrylic, watercolor, color pencil, or ink.

Just go to "News/Events" and look for "COMMISSIONS." There you will find a form to help get you started. For these small commissions, full payment will be due only upon acceptance/completion (not in advance or in increments). Feel free to ask questions in the comments below.

This sale will be available for the rest of August. Have fun with it!

*I cannot reproduce another artist's work for any client without the artist's express permission.