Episode 241 – Painting a Brighter Future with Amy Ringholz
Amy Ringholz is an artist, entrepreneur, mother and an author. She made a pivotal decision to pursue art full-time after a remarkable summer in Jackson, where she sold 30 paintings and gained immense support from the Jackson Hole community. Amy attributes her success to her strong work ethic, creating an average of one painting every three days and continually pushing herself to produce new and captivating works. Her dedication serves as a testament to the power of dreaming big and believing in one’s abilities, inspiring others to pursue their own goals.
During her college years, winning scholarships played a significant role in altering Amy’s path. This experience motivated her to establish art scholarships of her own, providing support to ten aspiring artists each year, helping them realize their dreams and achieve their artistic goals.
In addition to her acclaimed paintings, Amy has ventured into the world of writing and self-publishing. Her upcoming book, ‘Rabbit and the Crown of Dreams,’ draws deeply from her personal experiences, delving into the pursuit of dreams and the quest for a deeper purpose in life. Scheduled for release on May 13th, the book will be accompanied by a children’s show at noon and an adult show at four. Furthermore, an auction of the 14 original paintings featured in the book will take place on August 19th.
For more information about Amy, her remarkable artwork, and the release of her book, visit AmyRingholz.com.
This week’s episode is supported in part by Teton County Solid Waste and Recycling, reminding residents and commercial businesses of Teton County’s food waste programs; the next frontier material in the quest to achieve the County’s goal to reduce, aiming for zero waste. More at TetonCountyWY.gov or at @RoadToZeroWaste.JH on Instagram.
Support also comes from The Jackson Hole Marketplace. The Deli at Jackson Hole Marketplace offers ready-made soups, sandwiches, breakfast burritos, and hot lunch specials. More at JHMarketplace.com
Transcript
You are tuned into the Jackson hole, connection, sharing, fascinating stories
Speaker:of people connected to Jackson Hole.
Speaker:I am truly grateful for each of you for tuning in today and support
Speaker:for this podcast comes from:
Speaker:I will begin today's episode with a quote from Coco Chanel.
Speaker:Success is often achieved by those who don't know that failure is inevitable.
Speaker:And welcome to episode number 241.
Speaker:Before we begin, thank you for tuning in today.
Speaker:You can help others.
Speaker:Enjoy this podcast by getting out there and sharing it by word of mouth,
Speaker:Facebook, social media, that Instagram, however you listen to this podcast.
Speaker:I appreciate all the sharing.
Speaker:Send us feedback and any of those.
Speaker:Channels to let us hear what you think of this podcast.
Speaker:And my guest today is somebody that I've known since she drifted into town over
Speaker:20 years ago, starting off working at dude ranches, Amy Ring Holtz, and most
Speaker:people around town know Amy as the artist, and soon many people will know her.
Speaker:As a writer of a self-published book today, Amy shares with us.
Speaker:The back of the house of being a professional artist, what it takes to
Speaker:earn a living as an artist, and why Amy puts in so much time how she takes
Speaker:action and lives life with a heart of abundance through her generous giving.
Speaker:What we see on the outside is not always what's happening on the
Speaker:inside or on the back of the house.
Speaker:And Amy had a dream and continues to dream today, and you have the opportunity
Speaker:to hear from someone who knows what is involved, to take a dream to reality.
Speaker:And that's Amy Ring Holtz
Speaker:Amy, thank you for joining me today, here on the Jackson Hole Connection.
Speaker:It's delightful to see you today and be able to have some time to sit
Speaker:down and talk to you, versus just seeing you passing by on the streets.
Speaker:thank you for having me.
Speaker:I'm really happy to be here and talk about our town and what I do with the town.
Speaker:Will you Certainly do a lot here for our community and we will get into that.
Speaker:Before we begin, of you sharing your partnership and involvement
Speaker:here in town in our community, I love hearing people's background.
Speaker:So where were you born and raised?
Speaker:Where did you get to be dirty and as a kid and rolling around in the mud?
Speaker:and then how did you land here in Jackson?
Speaker:All right, thank you.
Speaker:I am an Ohio girl, born near Cleveland, Ohio.
Speaker:I remain a big baseball fan to this day, and I went to school in, in
Speaker:college at Bowling Green in Ohio.
Speaker:I went to be an art major.
Speaker:I also got a degree in art education back in the day.
Speaker:and.
Speaker:throughout school.
Speaker:Kind of never had been out west.
Speaker:We went down to Georgia as a family on our breaks and went golfing.
Speaker:That was our family thing.
Speaker:So after school or in college, I had the opportunity to a semester and travel
Speaker:to a different college in the country.
Speaker:And I thought that'd be exciting.
Speaker:So I went off to the University of New Mexico for a semester.
Speaker:And I remember I got off the plane there and I saw the sand
Speaker:mountains and I was like, what?
Speaker:How
Speaker:one has ever taken me to the West or to the Rockies or to the
Speaker:incredible, don't know, the drama of the landscape of the West.
Speaker:that was it, man.
Speaker:I was hooked.
Speaker:I, felt like, you know, coming home, To a place you've never been before.
Speaker:Hello, John Denver.
Speaker:And was it.
Speaker:So I went to school out there and then I came back to Ohio
Speaker:to finish my senior year.
Speaker:Hung out there a couple years teaching art and just could not get
Speaker:the west out of my mind or heart.
Speaker:so I took a dude ranch job at the Arles Zs Ranch in 2002, cleaning cabins.
Speaker:just had a wonderful summer and when I wasn't cleaning, I was painting.
Speaker:got into that, art association, art Fair at like Miller Park
Speaker:I thought I'd won the lottery.
Speaker:It was very exciting day.
Speaker:I did that show August and I was just hooked on Jackson and
Speaker:I, I decided to come out here permanently and see if I couldn't.
Speaker:make it as an artist.
Speaker:the guests that came to the dude ranch would go to town all day and go to
Speaker:galleries, and then they'd come back to my little shack I stayed in and
Speaker:they would buy my paintings there
Speaker:Hmm.
Speaker:say, we just couldn't find anything like what you were
Speaker:doing, and we love your work.
Speaker:And that's how I got started.
Speaker:sold about 30 paintings that summer, and my roots began in Jackson Hole.
Speaker:2002.
Speaker:2002 kind of gathered all my things in a U-haul and a
Speaker:motorcycle and a Honda element.
Speaker:And I got out here and lived in a skid house and worked at the
Speaker:airport throwing bags until I had too many paintings to paint.
Speaker:And then began this journey as a full-time artist since about 2005.
Speaker:Which has been an adventure in itself.
Speaker:Amy, what did it feel like to say?
Speaker:I now need to take the leap of committing all of your energy to your
Speaker:art as a career source of income, and saying that, all right, I.
Speaker:Don't need to be having a side hustle as well.
Speaker:I'm not gonna treat art as a side hustle.
Speaker:I'm gonna treat art as my career.
Speaker:How did that feel?
Speaker:You know, something you could never believe could actually happen.
Speaker:I think of the, one of the advantages that kids get to have here in
Speaker:Jackson is they get to actually see artists and know them and meet them
Speaker:and know that this is a career path that people do make and succeed.
Speaker:In Ohio, no one had ever heard of something like that, so, I took my time
Speaker:in, in working at the airport part-time, to just make sure my bills would get paid
Speaker:and then I'd paint more and more and more.
Speaker:And then that feeling one day of like, man, I just cannot get these
Speaker:paintings done by keeping this job.
Speaker:And that's what you're waiting for with that side hustle where you
Speaker:can't any longer do the other job.
Speaker:And I was only at the airport maybe two years.
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:I was too swamped with artwork and remember all of the excitement and the
Speaker:kind of disbelief that I was now going to.
Speaker:Be an artist full-time and kind of really assume that title and understand
Speaker:what that job required, which is, you know, your own, your own drive and
Speaker:self-discipline and desire and, and also kind of staying true to yourself.
Speaker:it's a really wonderful job that it's so challenging and yet, it just keeps
Speaker:you on your toes and keeps you growing every single day, 20 years later.
Speaker:How cool and.
Speaker:You said that first summer you were out here, would you produce
Speaker:30 paintings, did you say?
Speaker:I hear that correctly?
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:How many do you produce now a year?
Speaker:I guess on average over the past many years that I have my own gallery, artists
Speaker:all do it differently, which is why it's such a beautiful career is that you can
Speaker:skin the cat in many different ways.
Speaker:when you're showing in several galleries, you know, and you have a show there a
Speaker:year that's about 20 paintings, a show, you know, a hundred paintings a year, I
Speaker:would say what an average has been for me.
Speaker:Now that's one every three days.
Speaker:So, it's a, it's an interesting job that's kind of misconstrued where
Speaker:some might believe the artist kind of just lays around all day and then
Speaker:maybe something comes to 'em and they hit the studio up for an hour.
Speaker:you can't just roll into the studio and something that you're super proud of.
Speaker:It's such a, it's a battlefield sure.
Speaker:And you're going into, of compete with the painting and there are times when it is
Speaker:winning and times when you are winning.
Speaker:And, uh, the goal is to, to win in the end without overworking the piece.
Speaker:So, just kind of job evolves.
Speaker:Yet there is a dedication to making a painting every three
Speaker:days that you cannot let up on, no one else can paint it for you.
Speaker:Talk about Go pro.
Speaker:Wow, . I think a lot of times people see the results of professionals so
Speaker:they see your results of your artwork, but they don't see how we'll say the
Speaker:grinding of the sausage takes place.
Speaker:and to produce a painting every three days is mind blowing to me.
Speaker:I mean, that's just remarkable.
Speaker:Talk about that is professional.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:the overnight success story, which is hilarious, you know,
Speaker:that that does not really exist.
Speaker:It's it's kind of the grind.
Speaker:And I don't wanna make art sound like a grind, but have to find
Speaker:the energy when you're losing.
Speaker:to go get back in the game, and it takes that kind of a,
Speaker:I haven't slept in 20 years.
Speaker:I love saying that to people because that's what it took to kind of get here.
Speaker:I would work the job, which is plenty of marketing and business in
Speaker:strategy and emails and run around and chaos and clean the studio and
Speaker:get the supplies and order them and carry them in, and then carry them.
Speaker:The gallery, unload to the gallery, I mean, a full on labor job.
Speaker:then when all that work is finally done and you're exhausted now, eat dinner, have
Speaker:a cocktail, say goodnight to everybody and head back in there to make your work.
Speaker:So that's how I have pulled this off is don't sleep a lot, but
Speaker:also, I'd have to clear my mind from all of the to-dos the lists.
Speaker:and, um, all the obligations order to have a space to actually breathe
Speaker:and pull something out, that's important to me to make a painting.
Speaker:So, I don't know how others really do it.
Speaker:I'm, I'm a pretty quick worker, which is a key element to actually making it in
Speaker:art because you have to be able to produce and, the walls filled and, make your
Speaker:deadlines and your shows and deadlines that come six months before the show.
Speaker:Uh, but you also have to have a, a spirit and a heart to create good,
Speaker:good things in the world, which that can be really challenging sometimes.
Speaker:you said every, you go through the whole process.
Speaker:You're running a business, you're an entrepreneur.
Speaker:You have the business side in addition to the creation side
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:and to get in the creation, how do you clear your mind to be
Speaker:in the space for you to create?
Speaker:Uh, this for sure has been a balancing act that I have not
Speaker:been very good at all these years.
Speaker:the, the key is that you are putting out so much.
Speaker:There's so many.
Speaker:there's so much coming from within and going out on the canvas or out into the
Speaker:conversations or filling or checking off the list that you have to find a
Speaker:way to refuel in order to create again.
Speaker:And, um, I guess in life, I, I like to play sports.
Speaker:I'm still the Ohio girl, where I like to golf, play softball, play tennis.
Speaker:That's kind of my scene here in Jackson.
Speaker:but later on recently I've got, I got a little tiny farm going here.
Speaker:I got some chickens.
Speaker:I got a nice garden.
Speaker:got three dogs that are looking at me all the time.
Speaker:And uh, this really beautiful couple acres that's like heaven on earth to me.
Speaker:And so I would say that now I refuel by homesteading and I'm building build.
Speaker:I'm always building kind of something.
Speaker:And this is kind of a.
Speaker:Uh, I don't know, probably a part that most artists feel is that they wanna
Speaker:create not always exactly in the same way.
Speaker:So, building a garden and building a chicken coop and designing this
Speaker:room and wallpapering that room.
Speaker:And I just did a mural and, you wanna make things, build things,
Speaker:design things, dream things.
Speaker:And so I kind of refuel by making other types of artwork.
Speaker:Hmm.
Speaker:and, I, our gallery has turned into a event place in the evenings well,
Speaker:because I love to throw a party.
Speaker:I love the, the, uh, the planning and the layout and the tablescape and the
Speaker:dishes and the lighting and the music and how you feel when you walk in the room.
Speaker:I'm creating art a different way.
Speaker:I, I love it and.
Speaker:, you're creating art in a different way, and I've known for many
Speaker:years and seen for many years.
Speaker:You are heavily involved in the community to support especially in
Speaker:that, high school realm where they're going to college to become help.
Speaker:Raise money for them to go to college to find their path in the world of art.
Speaker:Yeah, I was, when I moved to Jackson, of my mentors told me that I, in order
Speaker:to live here, which I love and I'd love to like put this out there in
Speaker:the world, but in order to have this amazing gift that you get to live in
Speaker:Jackson Hole, Wyoming, which we are also.
Speaker:Just so lucky to be here.
Speaker:He's like, you gotta work and contribute.
Speaker:You've gotta have a job.
Speaker:You've gotta contribute to this place, then you have to
Speaker:give back to your community.
Speaker:And those two things just have always stuck with me.
Speaker:And I think that's such a great thing to teach our kids.
Speaker:And be a, a citizen of a town is to, um, not only do your part, but then also.
Speaker:your part as far as contributing to making this a wonderful place?
Speaker:So, off the bat, it's been a long time.
Speaker:I have been in some way donating or giving to many, many, many, many
Speaker:organizations that come that work in Jackson, and been a privilege to be
Speaker:able to use my talent to not only, you know, keep our bills paid here, but to.
Speaker:Continue to make Jackson special and also show that I do care about the people the
Speaker:animals and this and this town's future.
Speaker:So after doing that for a long time, finally I felt like I'm always pushing
Speaker:for the dreamer cuz that's what I am is.
Speaker:I say Dreamers, don't sleep because I'm up at night working, but working.
Speaker:So I thought that starting my own art scholarships would be the coolest
Speaker:way to keep encouraging the dreamer.
Speaker:They also played a giant role in my life and the direction of my life when
Speaker:I won a couple scholarships in college I really shouldn't have I was an art
Speaker:education major, I was competing with the fine artists for these scholarships.
Speaker:And when I won them over them, it really hit me that I, maybe I've got something
Speaker:here, maybe I've got some talent here.
Speaker:it really helped me, you know, go home and say to my parents, I, I really
Speaker:think I wanna try to be an artist first.
Speaker:So it, it totally turned.
Speaker:My life's direction because I didn't have that direction from
Speaker:a mentor or a parent as a kid.
Speaker:So these scholarships have been a big deal.
Speaker:ring holds art supply awards.
Speaker:The rasa supplies are very expensive for artists, so it's hard enough just
Speaker:to make things, but then you gotta go pay for a paintbrush that's $40.
Speaker:So I
Speaker:of them a year.
Speaker:been complete.
Speaker:honor and delight to be a part of 10 different people's lives every year
Speaker:and give them a tiny bit of financial help, but really give them that
Speaker:push that I got, which was sees what I'm doing and they believe in it.
Speaker:And that's, that's all I need.
Speaker:So what I continue to do.
Speaker:I, I work with the rotary, uh, club in Jackson and, um, I work with my old high
Speaker:school and then I give out five across the country to artists of all ages,
Speaker:and it's just such a, a wonderful to my life and full circle part my story.
Speaker:Very gracious and kind of you to, go back to your roots.
Speaker:That's just phenomenal.
Speaker:I love it.
Speaker:so how did you get involved to give to or other scholarships around the
Speaker:country that weren't related to your high school or related to here in Jackson?
Speaker:I kind of tried to start my own foundation a few years ago and then
Speaker:God bless you, all the foundation people out there, that's a lot of work.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:high, nonprofit people, that's a lot of work and it's, it's a full-time
Speaker:job, so I wasn't able to keep up all the and regulations of the nonprofit,
Speaker:so I just moved into a private.
Speaker:privately funded.
Speaker:Um, I let a a hundred people apply a year from around the country I pick five
Speaker:winners and they get, a little scholarship from me and a little boost every June.
Speaker:get to just kind of see what kind of art's going on out there.
Speaker:And I pick people based on talent.
Speaker:hard work and heart.
Speaker:So I have them answer a little questionnaire about those things
Speaker:and, and look at their portfolios.
Speaker:And then, you know, kids have won my scholarship are
Speaker:coming back to intern for me.
Speaker:will write to me or thank me and tell me what they did or how they passed on that.
Speaker:kind of that good karma onto others and, you know, I'm just trying to do good the
Speaker:world in whatever capacity I can handle.
Speaker:That is leading with a heart of abundance and
Speaker:you.
Speaker:beautiful,
Speaker:Thank you.
Speaker:And you have some other.
Speaker:Cool projects going as well.
Speaker:And I, before we get into that, you, you get it about the generosity, the
Speaker:abundance, the heart of, of giving and teaching other people to be a part of
Speaker:the community, to be good citizens.
Speaker:What is the feeling you have that you could share with people?
Speaker:I think this is said over and over again, but it's so
Speaker:important to reiterate it that.
Speaker:Fame slash making some money.
Speaker:That feels pretty good.
Speaker:I mean, usually you're so tired, you can barely, um, enjoy those two things.
Speaker:But know what really feels good?
Speaker:Like really helping somebody out and really making a difference for
Speaker:somebody really being there somebody.
Speaker:Um, the act of giving is so underrated sometimes that.
Speaker:That's the best feeling you're probably ever gonna feel.
Speaker:And it's, you know, it just is, it's so nice to complete the circle of feeling,
Speaker:the gratitude of how I've gotten here.
Speaker:The people that have helped me, the collectors that have bought my paintings,
Speaker:have gotten me to this amazing place.
Speaker:You know, without them I wouldn't be here.
Speaker:And now I can, you know, turn back and give what I can to help.
Speaker:Keep those circles continuing.
Speaker:I can be the person supporting someone else.
Speaker:So I would just say that, you know, when you're down and depressed, where
Speaker:I've also found times and places they say to go out and help somebody else in
Speaker:those moments, cuz you're so wrapped up in your own pain, in your own strife.
Speaker:And I have found that yes, that can help pull you out is by
Speaker:focusing on some other people.
Speaker:Doing other things, and I think that's just the heart of that
Speaker:giving emotion and feeling it.
Speaker:It's powerful and everyone should give it a try.
Speaker:So true and a beautiful statement.
Speaker:And one which we should all remember.
Speaker:because how you see someone respond from your generosity, it's priceless.
Speaker:it is.
Speaker:priceless.
Speaker:Amy, we're gonna take a quick break to get a word from one of our sponsors,
Speaker:and then we're gonna come back and talk about the big project that you
Speaker:have going on, which is very exciting.
Speaker:Amy, welcome back.
Speaker:You just were sharing with us how you feel when you are giving
Speaker:to others and helping others.
Speaker:And as I mentioned and you have shared with me, you have a
Speaker:little project, a big project.
Speaker:I don't wanna call it a little project.
Speaker:It's a big project cuz what you've done, not many people have done.
Speaker:And it's happening very soon, where if you've done it, it's
Speaker:just being released very soon.
Speaker:Why don't you take the mic here and share with everybody
Speaker:what's, what's going on there?
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:This is pretty exciting.
Speaker:this kind of came to me in the middle of the night.
Speaker:If you can imagine about four years ago this story, That pretty much kind
Speaker:of summed up my life as a dreamer, following a dream As a rabbit, way
Speaker:more interesting if you're an animal.
Speaker:I'd go back and give talks to my college and I'd, and I'd talk to
Speaker:the kids about, you know, kind of following a dream and what that takes.
Speaker:And had, uh, things that are gonna stop you from getting there.
Speaker:And I call 'em the dream killers.
Speaker:That was in my lectures.
Speaker:And so have a story of how the rabbit achieved his antlers
Speaker:and became a jackalope.
Speaker:We're all wondering how they got there.
Speaker:So it's, it's great that somebody's put some thoughts to that.
Speaker:I made a, a children's book.
Speaker:it's really an adult book disguised as a children's book.
Speaker:And someone just recently said to me, aren't they all, which
Speaker:I loved that little thought.
Speaker:and so Rabbits and the Crown of Dreams has finally showed up
Speaker:on my porch after years and and writings and edits and rewrites and.
Speaker:I painted 14 beautiful paintings that went that go into the book.
Speaker:Um, they're super special because they are kind of Amy Ring holds as an illustrator.
Speaker:it kind of just shows me in a different light, once again, being
Speaker:creative for me in a new way.
Speaker:And then I got to be an author, is still a fun word to say that I
Speaker:never thought I would say, I got to tell this wonderful story about,
Speaker:you know, feeling a, a calling.
Speaker:actually before the calling, feeling like, is this all there?
Speaker:Is, is this it?
Speaker:Is this the only reasons I'm here?
Speaker:What are they?
Speaker:And a calling to go be more who you are and more, more
Speaker:than what you have to offer.
Speaker:And then, uh, Jack left goes on his journey and, learns his way through
Speaker:life to achieve something special.
Speaker:And then maybe.
Speaker:that that, that that thing wasn't exactly what he thought it would be anyway.
Speaker:And maybe it's even more than that.
Speaker:So I'm really proud of this first adventure with, with putting words to,
Speaker:to art and, writing this story, which I feel is, a common story the Dreamer.
Speaker:but it's also told in a really fun way that relates to us here in
Speaker:Jackson that the Tetons show up in the book, but they're never mentioned.
Speaker:but all of us from here will, will, will know the, the viewpoints of the, of
Speaker:the mountains you'll all feel connected to this is a, a story from our place.
Speaker:I'm very excited that it's here.
Speaker:It's beautiful.
Speaker:It came out.
Speaker:a beautiful hardbound book with 14 gorgeous acrylic paintings painted
Speaker:on with a, with a lovely storyline.
Speaker:So I hope that everyone will of fall for it when you see it.
Speaker:we are going to release that book, May 13th at the gallery, we're
Speaker:having a kids show in the afternoon.
Speaker:So I wanted the kids to feel like they were going to an adult art opening at a
Speaker:gallery, there'll be a lot of cake pops.
Speaker:and we're gonna read the story and I'm gonna dedicate the books.
Speaker:And I love it if the kids want me to dedicate something to them specifically,
Speaker:like a certain sentence, like, you know, go, go number 32, go Bronx, whatever I'm
Speaker:dedicate for the kids.
Speaker:And then that evening, um, have some surprises for our adult
Speaker:release party, on Saturday.
Speaker:So I'm hoping that people will, know it's a busy day, like every
Speaker:Saturday in Jackson Hole, but swing in there for a minute, a minute and
Speaker:and, and take a look at the book.
Speaker:And I hope you, you know, either can love to have this in your own home or think
Speaker:of someone that would love this book.
Speaker:we're excited to share it with everybody.
Speaker:We're gonna start it locally just at the gallery on the 13th.
Speaker:What time is that for the kids?
Speaker:The kids starts at noon and I'm gonna read the book at one.
Speaker:the adult show starts at four and I'm gonna read the book at five
Speaker:My kids will be in school
Speaker:on Saturday.
Speaker:on the 13th.
Speaker:No.
Speaker:No, we could do that.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I didn't realize it 13th.
Speaker:I had to look.
Speaker:Thank you.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:on Saturdays,
Speaker:No, no, we do not have our kids go to school on Saturdays.
Speaker:That's nice.
Speaker:Good Dad.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:, Well, congratulations.
Speaker:Um,
Speaker:Thank you.
Speaker:I'm, I'm interested.
Speaker:I'm, I'm a details guy.
Speaker:My brain goes in that direction.
Speaker:Um, how many books did you have to buy to have it published?
Speaker:well, I self-published this round.
Speaker:Um, I bought 2000 books.
Speaker:That's about all I can afford and I'm hoping that it's a, a success and we
Speaker:may have to do a second edition print.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:. Cool.
Speaker:One thing that's kind of cool about Children's Book, when I tell people
Speaker:that a lot of people immediately say, I have a, I have a story
Speaker:I'd, I really wanna make a book
Speaker:Uhhuh
Speaker:And I love that.
Speaker:I love that thought that we all have had, you know, a storyline in our
Speaker:lives that we think is important enough that it's worth repeating and sharing.
Speaker:And so I just wanna take that little two seconds to encourage everybody out there.
Speaker:If you do have your own story, You know, don't wait.
Speaker:Don't wait for the perfect printer and the perfect artist
Speaker:to tie up with it, write it down
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:and share it, you know, with, with your, with people and
Speaker:with your kids and all that.
Speaker:But I love that we all have a story, so I just wanna set that out there.
Speaker:And all of those, pictures, the 14 pitchers, what's
Speaker:what's happening with those?
Speaker:Are they gonna, I think,
Speaker:I, I'm excited about this as also a gallery, an artist and gallery owner
Speaker:that we, I wanna sell these 14 paintings because they're lovely and I think
Speaker:people will fall in love with them.
Speaker:so I've decided instead of you coming in the gallery and there's a red sticker
Speaker:on there and you're heartbroken that it's sold, the coolest invest thing to
Speaker:do would be to have an auction for them.
Speaker:So gonna let the book, um, come out for the summer and let everybody see
Speaker:it, and hopefully fall in love with the page and maybe find a place for a
Speaker:page in your heart and in your home.
Speaker:then we're gonna do a live auction August 19th in the gallery.
Speaker:that's also gonna be something that's online.
Speaker:So if you don't live in Jackson, you can also have that opportunity to
Speaker:bid on a painting then everyone will get a, get a fair shot at each piece.
Speaker:And then I just wanna like reiterate the specialness of that, that these paintings
Speaker:are gonna be seen by thousands of people in these books and how, how cool to have
Speaker:original from that book.
Speaker:especially if it really speaks to you or one of the images
Speaker:really touches your heart.
Speaker:just, I think there are 14 very, very special pieces.
Speaker:and there's only one original, so it's just a great opportunity, to
Speaker:collect something special that maybe this book could go on and on and on.
Speaker:And then in these, and these images would be just, um, highly regarded.
Speaker:So very excited about the second half of the book, which is the artwork.
Speaker:And with your heart of generosity, is there a plan that you have for the
Speaker:funds generated from the sale of the book and or the sale of the paintings?
Speaker:Well, um, I guess I haven't really gotten there yet.
Speaker:I am gonna give
Speaker:to all of my scholarship winners this year.
Speaker:So that's a
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Possibly they could lead that, that some funds from that could lead back to the
Speaker:scholarships as well, cuz that's what
Speaker:following.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:and curious question.
Speaker:You said, did I hear you correctly that these are painted on wood?
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:These
Speaker:acrylics on wood
Speaker:panel.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Acrylics on wood panel, is that normal?
Speaker:Your, A lot of what I've seen you do is on canvas, are you doing wood as well?
Speaker:What I'm able to do on wood is, um, I'm, I use pencil and I can get more
Speaker:detailed and more of the environment.
Speaker:in a more detailed way around the animal.
Speaker:So a lot of my paintings are oils on canvas and they have to do kind of
Speaker:with being close up to the subject.
Speaker:And then these book pages just really, they needed to show
Speaker:so much more of the story.
Speaker:And the best way for me to do that is with a pencil.
Speaker:And the most interesting way for me to do that is to draw on wood.
Speaker:And then I used wood stain.
Speaker:acrylic paint to kind of build up these paintings.
Speaker:So the pages look like they're, they're on a woodgreen, so it's got this
Speaker:cool illusion where the page looks
Speaker:and it just kinda added a, a depth to, to each page in the, in the, in the book.
Speaker:I've, I use wood and I draw on wood in the gallery and I sell that as well.
Speaker:But these are just different that there's an illustration piece to it that's,
Speaker:um, something fresh and childlike.
Speaker:I, I, I love it, Amy,
Speaker:Hey, thank you.
Speaker:dreaming.
Speaker:It's so important and.
Speaker:I can just hear, Hey, get your head out of the clouds.
Speaker:Stop dreaming.
Speaker:But it's dreams that bring about new things in life.
Speaker:would we be without dreams?
Speaker:Exactly.
Speaker:That's the start.
Speaker:the creativity and the dreams kind of go hand in hand.
Speaker:And then when I say dreamers don't sleep, it means because they're
Speaker:up working, they're not laying in bed, having amazing dreams of life.
Speaker:They're up working on those dreams, which hard work and a
Speaker:dream can maybe get you somewhere.
Speaker:I'm gonna challenge what you just said.
Speaker:You said maybe it can get you there, get you somewhere.
Speaker:I, I think the dreams and the hard work can get you somewhere.
Speaker:It might not be where you originally thought you would go.
Speaker:think we have to all be prepared with, once when we start taking action and
Speaker:putting in that hard work for our dreams, we could in end up in a different
Speaker:place, but then we have a new dream.
Speaker:Yep, that's true too.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And then maybe that giving back that, um, that good karma plays a role too.
Speaker:I feel as though it does,
Speaker:and as a Rotarian thank you for all the years of your commitment
Speaker:to the Rotary Scholarship Fund.
Speaker:That is for,
Speaker:um,
Speaker:been.
Speaker:Which is, I am just still in awe of you producing on average, you know,
Speaker:it comes out to three, painting a painting every three days.
Speaker:Yeah,
Speaker:a painting can take you a week or two weeks depending on size or how hard it is.
Speaker:So I have several going at the same time and you know, some don't make it,
Speaker:some are in detention in the back of the barn, uh, They're gonna remain there
Speaker:until they're allowed out of there.
Speaker:They have their face against the wall.
Speaker:So I didn't just get all that bad
Speaker:the room.
Speaker:I haven't had a weekend off, let's just say that.
Speaker:I don't have a, there's no week and weekend in my life.
Speaker:So,
Speaker:the job.
Speaker:the job, that's how I can keep up is, is I work a lot and luckily I love my work.
Speaker:So that's kind of my lifestyle.
Speaker:Well, would you say that when you love your work, it doesn't feel like work
Speaker:maybe work has a bad connotation to it.
Speaker:You know, work doesn't, work isn't bad.
Speaker:Work is you're growing
Speaker:No.
Speaker:becoming,
Speaker:know, a better you and hopefully learning and succeeding.
Speaker:And there's a lot of great things with working.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:know, if you're working with a bunch of paint all day, it can't be that bad.
Speaker:I work with a bunch of bottles all day.
Speaker:It's not that bad.
Speaker:Love
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Well, Amy, what is a great way for people to contact you and to keep an
Speaker:eye out for this August 19th auction?
Speaker:And I would guess that they can buy the books on your website too,
Speaker:in addition to being in the store.
Speaker:Will that be possible?
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:son.
Speaker:We're just waiting for the release date so that um, everything can be ready to roll.
Speaker:So May 13th, you know, probably early in the morning they'll be available online.
Speaker:We'll ship 'em to ya they'll be available in the gallery.
Speaker:just keep an eye on Ring Hall Studios.
Speaker:We'll be in the paper and we'll have shows throughout the summer.
Speaker:Um, we have events at, in the evenings if you need a place for
Speaker:an event, a small dinner party.
Speaker:It's really lovely space to be downtown and.
Speaker:Close to an after party at the Cowboy Bar, let's say.
Speaker:and then the book, hopefully we'll start at the, the gallery and then
Speaker:move on to some shops in town.
Speaker:hopefully you'll be seeing it around.
Speaker:And then anytime I'm around, I'd love to dedicate it for you.
Speaker:So if you do get a book and then you're, in the gallery later on
Speaker:this summer and I'm around, I'd love to write in there for you.
Speaker:So that's kind of a fun thing to do too.
Speaker:But we are on Broadway.
Speaker:We have our website@ringhallstudios.com and uh, we'd love to see you.
Speaker:We're open every day, 10 to four.
Speaker:Thank you, Amy, for
Speaker:your kind heart, your, your generous outlook and abundance of living.
Speaker:Thank you for having me.
Speaker:It was fun.
Speaker:You got it.
Speaker:We'll see you soon.
Speaker:Bye.
Speaker:To learn more about Amy and her book Rabbit and the Crown of
Speaker:Dreams and the other works that she's done, visit the Jackson hole
Speaker:connection.com, episode number 241.
Speaker:Thank you everybody for listening today Get out and share this
Speaker:podcast with your friends and families, Instagram and Facebook.
Speaker:If you know, if somebody would like to be a guest, send us their name.
Speaker:We'd love to have.
Speaker:Take care everybody.
Speaker:Look forward to seeing you back here for the next episode of
