Art Books
Welcome to Literary Garden, a journey through the enchanting world of nature and literature. What started as a personal art challenge blossomed into a celebration of both my passion for the natural world and the joy of reading during National Reading Month (March). For 31 days, Shannon embarked on a creative odyssey, breathing new life into rescued antique books, each one with a history as rich and diverse as the wildflowers they depict.
Using books that have weathered over a century of existence as my canvas, Amidon infused each cover with miniature encaustic paintings inspired by the untamed beauty of North American wildflowers. Literary Garden is more than just a collection of paintings; it's a tribute to the resilience of nature and the enduring allure of literature.
All of the paintings have been brought together to create a beautiful 8.5" x 8.5", full-color, 69 page, softbound art book
Postal Entomology - 30 Days of Art and Letters
A rich visual collection of encaustic art from Shannon Amidon, whose 30-day art challenge reflects on insect life to dramatize the need for connection during a time of crisis.
Oregon artist Shannon Amidon has frequently focused on insects as her artistic subject. In Postal Entomology, she merges her entomological interests with a new project. Every day for the month of April 2020, Amidon created a new encaustic painting from vintage postcards and envelopes, then sent them by “snail mail” to various recipients across North America. Produced during the 2020 shelter in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the series works as a moving homage to a nearly obsolete mode of communication. At the same time, Amidon’s work—each piece integrates the image of an insect—reminds us of the essential connections insects and pollinators build across ecosystems. Like these creatures, Amidon’s Postal Entomology uses art to create and keep alive distant connections.
This book brings together each piece in Amidon’s month-long challenge. Lovingly photographed, the images show Amidon’s encaustic designs: vintage mail, covered in the beautiful scrawls of intimate handwriting, overlaid with the lines and colors of Amidon’s bees, beetles, moths, and butterflies. 30 days of art and letters: 30 color images—an important new publication that speaks to the art of connection during an unprecedented time of isolation.
An 8.5 x 8.5 full color, soft cover art book
Bugs and Botanicals – The Interconnectedness of Nature
Internationally exhibited and award winning artist Shannon Amidon presents her collection of 50 pieces of artwork created in 50 days for the Sanchez Art Center 50|50 exhibition. The 8.5 x 8.5 full color, soft cover art book contains beautiful and intriguing imagery exploring her theme of Bugs and Botanicals – The Interconnectedness of Nature.
Amidon’s imagery features elements of geometry and symbolism with a variety of insects and botanicals. Each piece was created with the ancient medium of encaustic (molten beeswax) and incorporates a variety of vintage paper ephemera, 23k gold leaf, thread, glass beads and more layered beneath the wax.
Each painting is titled after botanists, naturalists or entomologists, encouraging the viewer to look up the names and learn more about the wonders these scientists contributed to the world.