Hi all! I'm Mandy, better known as "The Nerdy Artist", and this is my blog, or "therapy" as I like to call it. If you want to learn a bit more about me, then please read on. If you have no interest in my life whatsoever, then no worries - just take a look at the rest of my blog instead. Enjoy!
Who Am I?
I'm a nerdy artist from the small town of Reserve, Louisiana (about 30 miles West of New Orleans). Some people say I'm weird, but I think "eccentric" is a much better term. I'm just a sort of kookie, rocker girl who loves to make unique art. I am obsessed with art journaling as well - it's a great way to express yourself creatively and oh so much fun! I'm also a book nerd, animal rescuer, music fanatic, and a history buff, but ART is my real passion.
What Do I Do?
I. Do. Art. I love art! Art is my life!
I've always been creative but never really knew I had these mad artsy skills until my heart failed in July of 2010. I was stuck inside of my house, bored to death, so I started painting with acrylics just so I could keep my brain from disintegrating. To my surprise, the paintings were good. I got bored with acrylics and tried other things and discovered this amazing talent that I never knew existed!
Since then, I've created so many unique pieces of art, from watercolor paintings to upcycled furniture. I have so much fun making art - I get dirty and can express myself without any limitations, but the best thing about it is knowing that I create things for other people to enjoy. Sure, it feels great when I sell a piece, but bringing art into the lives of others is the best feeling ever.
What Inspires Me?
I find inspiration everywhere. If something catches my eye, I take a picture of it and use it for inspiration. I love everything vintage, and I'm obsessed with vintage carnivals and circuses at the moment. Why? I have no idea. I find beauty in the simplest things and try to recreate the feeling I get when I see something that I consider to be beautiful.
I'm also inspired by nature, but not "pretty" nature like flowers and green stuff. I love cypress trees covered with moss and the funky, green water of the swamp (I live in southeast Louisiana, so funky nature is everywhere). I love love love distressed furniture and try to "upcycle" as often as possible, and "junking" is one of my favorite hobbies. If I see a dirty, old table or chair on the side of the road, I pick it up, fix it, and create something new. Why throw something away when it can be re-created into something beautiful? Like they say, "one man's trash is another man's treasure".
I'm also obsessed with old, urban architecture. Every time I go to New Orleans, I find new inspiration. The buildings in the French Quarter are so beautiful - I could easily spend an entire day walking around and taking pictures. There are so many beautiful cities in Louisiana, with Natchitoches and Ponchatoula being two of my favorites. Old stuff just has so much personality. I collect several types of antiques and vintage items like bottles, match books, and random metal objects just to name a few.
Finally, I totally dig Gothic, Punk Rocky, Emo-ish stuff. I'm currently working on a collection of little zombie-ish, dead girls called Generation Dead, and it is coming along very well. I guess you could say I have a sort of dark personality, so instead of piercing my body and wearing dog collars and chains (tattoos are an exception - I have 8 and am working on a sleeve on my left arm), I express my dark side through my art. I've also been working on my first urban fantasy novel, which definitely fits into the "dark" category.
My Favorites
Color... Red
Books...
As I Lay Dying (William Faulkner), Die For Me (Amy Plum), the entire Chicagoland Vampires Series (Chloe Neill), and many more
Movies...
Pulp Fiction, The Other Sister, Juno, Blow, Sixteen Candles, & anything with Jason Statham
Authors...
William Faulkner, Amy Plum, Chloe Neill, Anne Rice, Justin Gustainis, Rachel Vincent
Actors/Actresses...
Jason Statham, Uma Thurman, Morgan Freeman, Mark Wahlberg, John Cusack, Joan Cusack
Visual Artist... Emma Uber - her paintings are amazing!
Song... Wonderwall by Oasis
Musician/Band...
I love all things modern rock - Aaron Lewis, Jack White, The White Stripes, The Black Keys, Tool, Chevelle, and many more.
Art Materials...
Acrylic & Watercolor Paints, Guesso, Mod Podge, Patterned Paper, Water Soluble Markers, Sharpie Paint Markers (oil & water based), Washi Tape, Rubber Stamps, Colored Pencils, and anything else I can use to make art!
Quote...
"Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits, the rebels, the trouble makers. The round heads in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules and they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them. Glorify or vilify them. The only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones that do." ~ Jack Kerouac
Who Am I?
I'm a nerdy artist from the small town of Reserve, Louisiana (about 30 miles West of New Orleans). Some people say I'm weird, but I think "eccentric" is a much better term. I'm just a sort of kookie, rocker girl who loves to make unique art. I am obsessed with art journaling as well - it's a great way to express yourself creatively and oh so much fun! I'm also a book nerd, animal rescuer, music fanatic, and a history buff, but ART is my real passion.What Do I Do?
I. Do. Art. I love art! Art is my life!
I've always been creative but never really knew I had these mad artsy skills until my heart failed in July of 2010. I was stuck inside of my house, bored to death, so I started painting with acrylics just so I could keep my brain from disintegrating. To my surprise, the paintings were good. I got bored with acrylics and tried other things and discovered this amazing talent that I never knew existed!
Since then, I've created so many unique pieces of art, from watercolor paintings to upcycled furniture. I have so much fun making art - I get dirty and can express myself without any limitations, but the best thing about it is knowing that I create things for other people to enjoy. Sure, it feels great when I sell a piece, but bringing art into the lives of others is the best feeling ever.
What Inspires Me?
I find inspiration everywhere. If something catches my eye, I take a picture of it and use it for inspiration. I love everything vintage, and I'm obsessed with vintage carnivals and circuses at the moment. Why? I have no idea. I find beauty in the simplest things and try to recreate the feeling I get when I see something that I consider to be beautiful.
I'm also inspired by nature, but not "pretty" nature like flowers and green stuff. I love cypress trees covered with moss and the funky, green water of the swamp (I live in southeast Louisiana, so funky nature is everywhere). I love love love distressed furniture and try to "upcycle" as often as possible, and "junking" is one of my favorite hobbies. If I see a dirty, old table or chair on the side of the road, I pick it up, fix it, and create something new. Why throw something away when it can be re-created into something beautiful? Like they say, "one man's trash is another man's treasure".
I'm also obsessed with old, urban architecture. Every time I go to New Orleans, I find new inspiration. The buildings in the French Quarter are so beautiful - I could easily spend an entire day walking around and taking pictures. There are so many beautiful cities in Louisiana, with Natchitoches and Ponchatoula being two of my favorites. Old stuff just has so much personality. I collect several types of antiques and vintage items like bottles, match books, and random metal objects just to name a few.
Finally, I totally dig Gothic, Punk Rocky, Emo-ish stuff. I'm currently working on a collection of little zombie-ish, dead girls called Generation Dead, and it is coming along very well. I guess you could say I have a sort of dark personality, so instead of piercing my body and wearing dog collars and chains (tattoos are an exception - I have 8 and am working on a sleeve on my left arm), I express my dark side through my art. I've also been working on my first urban fantasy novel, which definitely fits into the "dark" category.
My Favorites
Color... Red
Books...
As I Lay Dying (William Faulkner), Die For Me (Amy Plum), the entire Chicagoland Vampires Series (Chloe Neill), and many more
Movies...
Pulp Fiction, The Other Sister, Juno, Blow, Sixteen Candles, & anything with Jason Statham
Authors...
William Faulkner, Amy Plum, Chloe Neill, Anne Rice, Justin Gustainis, Rachel Vincent
Actors/Actresses...
Jason Statham, Uma Thurman, Morgan Freeman, Mark Wahlberg, John Cusack, Joan Cusack
Visual Artist... Emma Uber - her paintings are amazing!
Song... Wonderwall by Oasis
Musician/Band...
I love all things modern rock - Aaron Lewis, Jack White, The White Stripes, The Black Keys, Tool, Chevelle, and many more.
Art Materials...
Acrylic & Watercolor Paints, Guesso, Mod Podge, Patterned Paper, Water Soluble Markers, Sharpie Paint Markers (oil & water based), Washi Tape, Rubber Stamps, Colored Pencils, and anything else I can use to make art!
Quote...
"Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits, the rebels, the trouble makers. The round heads in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules and they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them. Glorify or vilify them. The only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones that do." ~ Jack Kerouac
