amanda stone talley

Back in November, New Orleans artists Amanda Stone Talley and Hayley Gaberlavage launched a flash sale art marketplace, Transport Studio, as a forum for new and established collectors to offer a three-day discount on their fine art pieces. The first sale was such a success that Transport is kicking off another limited-time event, running today through Sunday, Feb. 13!

As they hoped, Transport is expanding by welcoming fellow artist friends to the studio and continuing to offer great discounts to collectors. This go-round, jeweler Gogo Borgerding, and interior designer Gerrie Bremermann join the troop with sterling silver cuff bracelets and stellar antique light fixtures, respectively.One of my favorite pieces in the collection is Grumpy Greta by Hayley Gaberlavage ($1,750, reduced from $2,500), which features an inquisitive, elderly woman who's a dead ringer for many a snoopy neighbor I've known in my day. I love the grassy greens, lilac-tinted pinks, and sky blues, as well as Greta's oversize "housecoat" and her sweet '50s-style handbag.

Meanwhile, I'm also lusting after Untitled by Amanda Stone Talley ($1,610, reduced from $2,300). The bright, abstract painting evokes dripping orange Creamsicles and sweetly scented lavender on a hot Summer day. What could be better than that? Only a fab art sale, I suppose.

New Orleans painter Amanda Stone Talley has played around with "alterna-canvases" before, including suitcases, tortoise shells, and even pumpkins, but her new canvas surface is something much more versatile: fabric! Talley ventures into the textile world with three debut fabric designs featuring her signature abstract concentric patterns: Who Dat?, a black, white, and cream design; Broadmoor, a mustard and gray design; and Magazine, a multicolored design. Each is available in four different types of fabric: linen, cotton sateen, jersey, and upholstery twill. She also plans to introduce new designs in the future.

Until March 15, Talley is offering the fabrics at an introductory price of $50/yd with a no-yard minimum, and after that period, they'll ring up at $115/yd with a three-yard minimum. Now's the time to shop, so email Amanda to make your order! And head here to see close-up photos of the fabrics.

I asked Amanda a few questions about her new designs, so read our mini-interview below!

CasaSugar: How was it for you to transition from painting to pattern-making?

Amanda Talley: Not hard at all! It's mainly a digital manipulation of the original painting, and it is really fun. I love that it is a translation of the artwork and not an exact replica. It acts like a mirror that creates a Rorschach-type effect.

CS: How do you imagine the fabrics being used?

AT: I want people to use the fabrics as creatively as possible and send me pictures! I see tunics, tents, upholstered walls, Euro shams, and curtains. I just don't want to be the one to make all of those things . . . I want to paint, but I am working on making canvas rugs, too!

CS: What do you think separates these designs from others in the marketplace?

AT: I worked in a fabric room for eight years, and I really believe that there are no other fabrics that look like these patterns at all. I'm so excited and proud of the designs.

Two of New Orleans' finest artists, Amanda Stone Talley and Hayley Gaberlavage, have teamed up to launch a flash sale art marketplace, Transport Studio. Transport is a forum for new and established collectors and will offer a three-day discount on the work of featured artists. The premiere sale kicks off today and offers paintings by both Talley and Gaberlavage at a 30 percent discount, through Sunday, Nov. 14.

There are more than a dozen pieces by each artist up for grabs, including acrylic paintings, watercolors, screen prints, giclee prints, and mixed media works, ranging from $280 to $5,600. To inquire about a purchase, just use the contact form. And be sure to check out Talley and Gaberlavage's respective websites to see more of their work and read their artist statements.

I thought I'd ask Amanda a few questions about how Transport Studio began and her life as an artist in New Orleans. Check out our interview below!

CasaSugar: When/how did you come up with the idea to start Transport Studio? Is it something you’ve been thinking about for awhile?

Amanda Talley: The idea started percolating over the past few months. I get an email everyday from two sites called HauteLook and Gilt Groupe. They offer high-end items discounted for a limited time sale. Each time I would look at the site, even 15 minutes into the sale, so many things were already sold. I thought there was something about the limited time sale that motivated people to purchase something they might otherwise save and come back to later.

CS: Do you plan to add the work of other artists to Transport in the future, if all goes well?

AT: We would love to be able to offer the service to friends who are artists to give them more exposure.

CS: Personally, I do most of my shopping online, or I, at least, browse online before I shop in-store, so I love that your artwork, along with pricing, is available online. Do you find that most of your clients have found your work online? Or do you meet them through word-of-mouth and studio drop-ins?

AT: I've noticed that the bulk of my business is generated via the Internet with very few walk-ins, which is a wonderful feeling because you know no matter what happens or where you are located, you still have clients.

Many galleries do not put pricing on their sites and prefer to have the client call for that information. I think that people are very busy and if you have them on your site, you should give them all information they need to consider that piece of art. A first time collector might be scared senseless if they are looking at a painting and call to find out that it is $20,000.

Continue reading for the rest of our interview!

Martha Stewart has done glitter pumpkins before, but crafty as she is, she simply cannot compete with Amanda Talley. The New Orleans-based painter, who was featured as an Artist of the Day, was inspired to use a pumpkin as a canvas for her signature abstract designs. After a friend dropped off the pumpkin as a gift, she said she thought it was, "a perfect time to pull out the glitter and some Elmer's glue." I must say it's the most stylish pumpkin I've seen! It's inspiring me to paint my pumpkins, too. If you're up for the challenge as well, Talley recommends Martha Stewart glitter — well, I guess they do have something in common, after all.

Earlier this week, New Orleans-based artist Amanda Stone Talley was kind enough to give us a tour of her glamorous carriage house in NOLA's Garden District. You may have spotted some of her work in the tour, but I wanted to dedicate a whole post to her artwork because, well, it's amazing.

Amanda grew up in Baton Rouge, LA, studied studio painting during undergrad at Mary Baldwin College, and then received her MFA in Painting from Savannah College of Art and Design. She's called New Orleans home for the last 10 years, eight of which she worked with interior designer Gerrie Bremermann. Her work has been scooped up by several clients of Bremermann's; the synergy between Talley's work and Bremermann's sophisticated French antique aesthetic is truly powerful.

Hear more about her work and see a few of my favorite pieces when you read more