Recently I had the funniest conversation with my lover.  I told him that I wanted to have higher standards and if he liked me, he would encourage me not to see him anymore.

This has actually nothing to do with this painting but it is a female way of saying the famous Groucho Marx Quote ”

These Amalee Originals are on display at Spressa Coffee Bar until May 16th. 

The story behind the couple of couples.  I was at a bar at Burning Man and the first couple was standing next to me. They were so beautiful and so sensual. I took about 7 photos of them. They were so soft and tender to each other. I end up losing my camera before the end of burning man.  About 4 months after I return I contact burning man head quarters and get my camera back. At which point I am extremely excited to see my couple.  I open the photos and low and behold the second couple is on the other side of the bar and in every photo.  I call the second couple “the happy couple” because they are so free and fun.  That is the story of the couple of couples. If you want to see these originals get to Spressa before May 16th.

“The Writer” is a conceptual piece. I was getting into the texture of painting. I was in the Filmore of San Francisco at a coffee shop before work and I drew myself feeling kinda wacky.  As I have always
had a big hand thing, I made her writing hand big.  The first attempt I made it backwards so I had to change it along with the legs.  I put the legs in and made the table round to make it more interesting.  Come check out this painting before the 16th of  May.

These Amalee Originals are on display at Spressa Coffee Bar in San Francisco until May 16th, Come check them out!

“Tracy Chapman” An Amalee Original

“Tracy Chapman ” An Amalee Original.

To be completely honest I never know anything for sure.  I am never sure whether I am a talented artist or just a person who needs to paint.  There is part of me that believes those are one and the same and yet there is the same amount of me that believes the opposite.  I suppose this might be due to the fact that as a child I never learned to trust myself.  I am not blaming my family for I had, for the most part, a wonderful family. However my brother died at the age of four of an aneurism.  After pleading with my parents that I was actually sick and he was faking it, he went off to Sunday school and I never saw him again.  

I never saw him again dead or alive. While me and my family survived this trauma, I did not get therapy until  this year.  I banished a part of myself when he died and this left me unable to trust anything including myself.  So while I love this painting, I question why I cannot have one style.

Is it true talent that I have to paint whatever I need to paint the way I feel it or is it just A.D.D. And does it matter.  If it satisfies me, what do I care if  I satisfy the fucking “Art World”!

While I find undefinable satisfaction  in painting, I want monetary compensation.  I refuse to believe the starving artist myth.  It might be a reality for me at this moment but I think it is crap.  I am going to do everything in my power to make some money.  You can help me.  Buy my art products online and at the different events around the Bay Area.  You cannot find these products in the big chain stores.  Thank you for your support.

 “Tracy Chapman” An Amalee Original is comic fine art.”

“To Meryl Or Not To Meryl” An Amalee Original.

I started “To Meryl Or Not To Meryl” as a 12 inche X 12 inche painting, and turned into a 4 feet X4 feet Painting.   When I saw Sophie’s Choice in the theater many years ago, I remember thinking how I loved her confession in blue light.  The colors in her face while she confessed her choice made an impression I wanted to paint.

Sometimes After I finish a painting like “Toulouse and Egon Frolicking”, I find it difficult to start another painting.  A painting that surpasses my expectation of myself makes it difficult to start a new one.  I started small and realized I had to overcome my fear and go big.

After Meryl made her speech at the Golden Globes Awards, I remembered her blue confession.  As I started painting her blue portrait from Sophie’s Choice, I came up with the words “To Meryl Or Not To Meryl”, which made me laugh.  I realized it might not be funny but as an artist I decided it didn’t matter, I liked it.

I used  the comic look of “Toulouse and Egon Frolicking” on the big beautiful face of Meryl.  The comic look works well with the beautiful depth of colors.  The words ‘To Meryl or not to Meryl”  are written across her face adding another layer and relates to the style of my other paintings.   Here is a sample of these paintings:

Looking at these images together I see that Meryl is different but I like it.  While some paintings take on a better or at least equal quality in photographing them, Meryl is more beautiful in person.  I think the bigness of her face makes it hard to appreciate the size and beauty of this painting.

Isa Amalee, Featured Artist , Rosenblum Cellars, Oakland CA, January 2017

I am very excited to be the featured artist at Rosenblum Cellars for the month of January.  It was fun figuring out which originals I wanted to display so I came up with the musicians.  I decided  to try and stick with a theme because as an artist, I resist painting with a recognizable style.  I am proud that “Patty Smith” and “Johnny Cash” are making their public debut in this show.

Come enjoy a delicious glass of wine and check out these beautiful paintings any day Rosenblum Cellars are open.  Join us at the Artist reception, January 28, 2017 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.  Meet the artist and there will be art tiles and prints available to purchase.

Join Isa Amalee as January’s Featured Artist at Rosenblum Cellars, January 28th, 3 to 6 p.m.

“Egon and Toulouse Frolicking”

“Toulouse and Egon, Frolicking In Bed, As Women” An Amalee Original.

I started this painting with the desire to paint another soft beautiful painting but something went haywire.  I somehow ended up on this time strand where a horrible entertainer became president.  So instead of feeling cozy, it made me want to be ironic.  I realize it might only be funny to me but as I continue to grabble with loving myself, thats good enough. Thats Good Enough!

As a person, who is a painter, I gets to do what I wants.  My favorite painters this week are Toulouse Lautrec and Egon Schiele.   The painting was already started as a man and a woman in bed (how boring).  So when the unthinkable happened, I realized I was still painting for the approval of other people and had to stop.   I changed my favorite painters into women frolicking in bed.  I used a self portrait of Egon for the blue headed woman and his drawing style.  The red headed woman’s face and boots are from self portraits of Toulouse, and I shortened his lower legs.  The perspective is mine or maybe from a picture from the internet, who can say for sure.

The style is kinda a new one and yet pulls elements from my Working Women Series.  This series is darker humor with a more calculated criticism of society. While I love this series and I think it is brilliant, it is also a bit too depressing to always be critical. Here is a sampling of that series.

“The Wellfare Woman” 1991 An Amalee Original

“The Prostitute” 1990 An Amalee Original

“The Housewife Mother” 1990 An Amalee original”

I think “Toulouse and Egon Frolicking” is fun and funny while at the same time loving the freedom.  Freedom to choose your gender, freedom to be in love with a woman or a man, freedom to paint what makes me laugh.

“Johnny Cash, I’m recalibrating my inner sanctimonium!”

There are times in life when I feel like this.

I am in the process of trying to change my emotional wiring. There is a part of me that wishes I could just download a new operating system. However, I am in the process of dredging my soul for the small and large injuries that created a wiring that I am finding unfulfilling.

As I dig around in the underbelly, I realize the instability of my foundation.   While survival is important, I look forward to enjoying life.

I love this painting because it is funny.  It captures the underground figure in my soul.  Sort of a love/hate reality with humanity.  On the one hand feeling superior and on the other feeling jealous, but not really feeling part of it.

 Thank you, Johnny Cash, for being so truthful, so real!

Amalee original oil paintings now displaying at Adventure in Food and Wine, 3331 24th street, San Francisco.

Come to Adventure in Food and Wine and check out the beautiful dining room displaying Amalee originals.  Enjoy some delicious food and an eclectic wine list amidst original art from local artists.

On most second and forth Fridays of every month, I will be selling art tiles here. You can also order tiles online and use coupon code “Adventure in Food and Wine” which will take off the shipping fee. This means you get to come by, pick up your tiles and have a glass of wine with me.