A few years ago I had this semi-creative idea when I found these super cheap coasters with awful stickers stuck to the tops. So I spent the next few months running around buying up all the coaster sets I could find, peeling off stickers and stocking up on paint. What came next were these brilliant little art pieces that could be functional and customized for all my favorite people. I am thrilled to say that several years later, this happy little accidental art project has turned my home into somewhat of a coaster factory!
Since I moved to Austin in 2010, AmandaHoffmanART has been established to offer both hand-painted goodies and fine art photography prints and portrait services. I have been a frequent seller in the “Pop Up Shops” on Sundays on South Congress, my Etsy site and photography site continue to grow and gain exposure and I have the pleasure of selling some of my work in Trianon Coffee Shop on Bee Caves Road. While I am no longer using the pre-packaged coasters, my materials have become one of the things that makes my coasters unique. I buy all my tiles from the Re-Store, a home supplies store benefiting Habitat for Humanity. These tiles are donated and recycled, which means that I can almost never find the same kind more than once. Each coaster set shares the same style tile but almost no two sets are alike.
My work varies in style and ranges from bright, bold colors and designs to subtle, rustic, classic pieces. Among my own creations I greatly enjoy the challenge of creating custom pieces tailored to the visions of my customer. Monogram sets have been a great success (so I hear), as wedding gifts. For me art that functions, art that you can enjoy while being useful is often the best kind. These art pieces have taken on their own life and have evolved into what I hope will be a successful and marketable consumer product that people can use and enjoy!