New Work, New Show.

I am in the midst of creating a brand spanking new body of work, for a show at Maison Luxe in Seattle, on November 2nd. I hope you will come and party with me.

Happy Fall!

Artist To Watch - Andrew Stewart

One of the most insanely talented people I have had the pleasure of connecting with is Andrew Stewart, formerly of Martha Stewart Living, and now head stylist at One Kings Lane. I enjoy his posts on FB and Instagram so much, I would dare to say he is in my top 5 favorite people to follow on these inter webs - as his eye for beauty (and his sense of humor) is spectacular. The name of this gorgeous collection is "Coyote." He told me, "On a roadtrip across the United States my friend began to call me this, and then several months later in Tulsa, an Osage member told me that Coyote medicine was strong in me. I've clung to the message ever since. Coyote is very important in the myths of many Native peoples -- a creator, teacher, keeper of magic -- similar to that of Prometheus and fire for the Greeks. But most importantly, his (Coyote's) overarching message is that wisdom and folly go hand in hand. I think that is kind of beautiful -- know you're flawed, you'll make mistakes, but learn by and teach through it with a lighthearted spirit."

I asked Andrew how he was inspired to begin his journey into this beautiful art form. He told me, "They were birthed from my love of ancient civilizations and the ceremony that graced their daily lives -- especially regarding mysticism, healing and magic work." His process involves talking with the person about the types of colors and materials they are drawn to, and the types of energies they would like to attract or dispel. Do they want to open their creativity?  Do they want to gain strength? He told me,"I try to use only objects with a found quality -- i.e. I prefer the stones be left raw vs. polished -- and employ an approach to the construction as if they were bound and created in the field -- i.e. no glues or fixatives.  Primarily I work in bone, antler, feather, leather, and mineral.  I often like to add a little bit of metallic leather to infuse a contemporary feeling."

I want these in a shadowbox on my wall. Christmas present anyone??

 Love this portrait of him! By Alyssa C. Lewis 

All of these pieces are made to order. Pricing for wands is available upon request.  An estimate is worked up after an initial consultation, often primarily based on the rarity of stones chosen. These pieces are either going to be in Bergdorf's or some small, amazing boutique, I can feel it in my bones... Get yours now! -- coyote.wands@gmail.com

Portrait of Andrew by Alyssa C. Lewis @alyssaclewis

All other photography by Andrew Stewart

Follow Coyote on Instagram @andrewstewart311 and FB here

Designer to Watch - Brian Paquette

Encaustic "Malachite Moon" 2014, Jennifer Ament 

My dear friend, Interior Designer, Brian Paquette asked me if I would hang a few different mediums of art in one these beautiful show homes on the coast of Washington in a town called Seabrook. It is one of the last parcels of land on the coast to be purchased, and it is beautiful. Misty, tree-laden bluffs with long stairways down to the beaches, it is picturesque. For this huge project, I used 4 different mediums. Oil on canvas, Collage, Encaustics, and Linocuts.  He did an amazing job putting it all together, to say the least. Thank you Brian for letting my work be a part of it! 

Electric Planet #115, Collage, Jennifer Ament

Here is a piece from my new series of collage. It is based on Planets, Moons and Suns, not yet discovered. I love how Brian used the green and black together with the piece, it is striking.

And more pics of my encaustic work, and linocuts that Brian put together so beautifully on the stairwell. I am so grateful. Watch out design world, Brian is coming, and you will LOOOOVE him.

Photo's from Apartment 34 and Coco Kelley

Can't, Won't, Not Saying Goodbye, Summer...

Summer in Seattle, in particular, this summer in Seattle is/was stellar, amazing, and perfectly hot. Have I mentioned that we are water people, my family and I? And that the lakes are perfect to swim in, and boat in, in the summer, but freezing cold in the winter?  We swim in them for hours, we challenge each other to races across lakes, it is our happiest of happy places. And It flew by faster than ever this year. All I can say is I am feeling very melancholy about this. I do hope you are having a easier ending to summer than I this week. :) 

Onward and upward, my friends. 

Photo:Tumblr-(Please let me know if you know who took this)

Shop To Visit - (In The Hamptons) - Serena and Lily

 My trip to the Hamptons was sheer bliss. I can't even tell you how excited I was when I walked into the first Serena and Lily retail store. I felt an overwhelming feeling of luck, gratitude, and elation that my work was hanging on the walls of this gorgeous shop. The team that put this store together are the most talented, and cool group of people, EVER. I want to be their best friend...

 What I realized, is, how badly I could use a beach house, haha , because my idea of heaven would be to decorate it with all of these beautiful, high quality goods. 

 My Mask! Surrounded by some amazing artists.

 Ok, the most exciting part of the day, was walking in, and one of the sweet girls that works there, telling me that 5 minutes before I got there, Drew Barrymore had just  purchased my Ferry Boat! Sorry if I sound stupid, but I thought I was going to die...

 This little vignette, kills me...So pretty...

 I will take 20....

 These are so good.

 As soon as I find out who this artist is I will tell you, because this piece is so beautiful...The colors are insane.

 You need a pillow? They have a pillow for you...

 The outdoor pieces were unbelievable, and made me fantasize about that beach house that I could use, for DAYS.

 Could you imagine???

  My mind is blown at this point, and my knees are shaking. Here is a quick pic of my bliss, and the killer mirror, haha.

Hope you all are enjoying the dog days of summer. I can't believe I am saying that, because it seemed to have just started for me and my family now that we are home, (from a little too much traveling.) Summer, don't leave pleassssse....

Please check out Serena and Lily here! XX

New York Part Deux / Sag Harbor

On my way home from upstate, I stopped by the Hampton's to see the new Serena and Lily store, and to visit my friend Gina and her family. She showed me the most beautiful places in Sag Harbor, and it felt like I was in a dream. There are definitely similarities to Washington State, as the place is steeped in Maritime history...The only difference is that their Maritime history goes back much much farther than ours. 

 The massive amounts of land that surround the houses on the beaches here, blows me away...

 The lobster roll is by far the cutest restaurant on the road to Montauk, but The Clam Bar (below) is the better place for the legendary lobster rolls, and it is right across the street.

 The Sag Harbor Whaling Museum was the topping on the cake of this lovely town...

More to come...Happy Summer!!

Our Adirondack Trip, and Our Continuing Obsession With Lakes...

Taking excerpts from this months Elle Decor, Sue Halpern writes,

 "Once the summer haunt of cultured and sophisticated New York, here the Rockefeller's, Posts, and other industrialists built their "great camps", where luxury mixed with rustic style. There are 46 Adirondack mountains over 4,000 feet, known as the "high peaks", and almost all of them have well maintained trails. There is not a better climate than in the Adirondacks in the summer, the average temperature is 73. There is no humidity. Just make sure you come after the black flies have left in early July. Protected by law, as the Adirondack Forest preserve, in 1895, it became the country's first wilderness playground. It is bigger than Yosemite, Yellowstone, and Glacier national parks combined.But unlike those places, which were established to ensure the existence of wild spaces largely removed from human habitation, the Adirondacks is a 6 million acre patchwork of of public and private land where the human community coexists with the wild one."

My entire family history is steeped in Upstate New York or, the Adirondacks. Both my Mom and Dad are from there, and I have always felt a connection to it even though I am firmly planted on the West Coast. My mom just bought an old "Camp" on Chateaugay Lake, that was originally built by my great, great, grandfather, who was once the Senator of New York, after blowing his arm off while duck hunting. (weird story, I know) This was our first summer there, after extensive renovations and clean up, and we had so much fun! The initials of kids who stayed there in the 1920's are still there, all the way up to the 1980's. West Coast history has nothing on the East Coast, everywhere you look there are small, late 1700's early 1800's cemeteries, gorgeous old houses crumbling from age, and a wealth of old timers ready to tell you their story.

One of my favorite things in the house...This phone....

 I love big ol' screen porches, where the breeze can come in, but the bugs can't...   

The cemetery where almost my entire mother's side of the family is buried. 

Cemeteries are everywhere in New York. You don't see them nearly as much in Seattle, especially the tiny little ones that are everywhere, which must have only had a few family's buried there. I feel like the tradition of getting buried has lost some steam in recent years. It seems many more people just want to be cremated, am I wrong? I don't think I want to waste valuable resources, like land, or even money, on getting buried, and yet I have so much respect for the tradition of it, and the beauty. The old tombstones, the beautiful old family gates are so interesting. They always bring me out of my little fantasy world for a moment and make me realize how quick we are to forget about our own mortality.

My sweet boy having the time of his life in the sand.

My mom's amazing house that she grew up in...My grandmother still lives there.

Next up... Sag Harbor... Hope you are having a happy summer! 

Photo's by Jennifer Ament

New Encaustic Work

My new encaustic series is coming along and here are some snippets from some of the pieces. My inspiration is coming from the world of minerals, agates, rocks, and the water that moves them.

Encaustic on Wood Panel

Encaustic on Wood Panel

 I hope you are having a beautiful summer!!

Chemical Beauties

These beautiful photographs are artist Christian Stoll’s abstract take on chemical products, coming into contact with water, and each other. 

Dreamy.