My Box

Lettering #2 Mosaic
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com

My project box that is. Through all of the not part of reality silliness in The Creative Habit I found a few gems. I finished it on my Kindle iPhone app the other day and am putting what I learned to use.

1) Start a morning ritual to get myself going in the right direction. My first thought and attempt was for this to be making green smoothies and then working out doing The Shred. But that was just too much to do every day, especially on days following a rough night with Alex. So it soon got whittled down to just the green smoothie part. Much healthier than a cup of coffee and a more long lasting energy, plus it is for the entire family. And Alex needs all the veggies I can get her to eat. Plus we are fasting for the next three weeks and coffee is out.

2) A box for my creative project(s). One box for each one to keep things focused. Right now I am using a shoe box, but when I get the chance I will probably take her advice and get the kind you can buy at Office Depot. In this box goes all the papers I have found that could possibly work for my project. Various papers including plain ones, pre-printed ones, washi and my own woodblock and gocco print scraps. Along with that I have a two tiered pencil case that keeps the small pieces so they don't get lost in the shuffle. And at the top level of that case are the ones I think I will be using. She just suggested a box, but she is a dancer not a visual artist, so I felt the need to expand to suit my needs.

3) I also have an computer based tool that I am trying out as a way to gather and organize various materials. I can save websites and images and put them into folders so they are easy to bring up whenever I need them.

Have I mentioned how much I love the Kindle app yet? Because I do, yet it actually keeps me from getting an actual Kindle rather than making me want one. I'm a minimalist when it comes to what I carry with me and having it in my phone is perfect. Now I read my physical books at home, but I always have something as backup on my phone.

Now along with a novel (The Blind Assassin for you curious types) I am reading another book to boost my productivity. This time it is a book that is practical for all people called Getting Things Done. The latter is on my Kindle app again which makes it handy for a quick read and note taking. I plan on always having one fiction and one non-fiction books going at all times. Funny how just six months ago I could barely find the attention to finish a book in six months and now I am reading books within a week tops.

Just another sign that things are improving.

Onwards and Upwards!

new materials
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com

Since I was so happy with this piece from last week I've decided that it needs to be a series. It just feels right and my energy for it is high and consistent. I haven't had that in ages, instead having short and sudden creative bursts where I make a piece in an hour and then may go as long as a few months before making another in the exact same way. The inspiration then was still real, but different and very fleeting. This feels much more purposeful and planned. Well, because it is more purposeful and planned!

Last week I downloaded The Creative Habit for the Kindle app on my iPhone and am reading it bit by bit daily. It isn't perfect, in fact some of the advice is downright laughable. Such as the one where she suggests to take a week and not talk, at all that entire week. I'm not a nun and I have obligations, as most people do, that require me to be able to communicate in more than just hand gestures and notes. Maybe some of the artists that don't have day to day jobs, or a family that needs them can do this exercise in restraint. But for the vast majority of us it is not only not practical but it is not possible. But overall it is a positive experience to read it and I am better off for it. For starters it has gotten me to rethink my day and try to get on some sort of schedule. Or at the very least get my day started with a bang instead of a groggy hour watching Curious George while downing coffee.

So I have been attempting to change my morning routine by going to bed earlier and waking up earlier and better. The attempt to wake up at 5:30am so I could use that precious time to work out before my daughter woke up did not go so well. I have pretty bad insomnia and when 5:30 came around I would be going on sometimes no more than four hours of sleep. Every time without fail I would turn my alarm off and go back to sleep. But now my husband and I have a schedule that allows me to work out in the morning and make the family a good breakfast and I don't even have to get up before seven on most mornings. Of course with a toddler, staying on a strict schedule is impossible, but for the most part it works. And that book pushed me to make this change.

This has impacted my health and ultimately my creativity. I'm not as tired any more and my head isn't so muddy. I've been working out whatever has been muddling my mind out slowly for the past few months and am really starting to see some results. I've been obsessed with Google Calendar and various scheduling apps for my iPhone, trying to find the perfect mix to keep me on task.

Collage Crazy

This past Sunday I had a very bad art making experience. It seems like I am tired all the time, even when Alex is sleeping or at her toddler group. But on Sunday after she went to bed I had energy and time. Jon was out so I had nothing to distract me. Excited I dug into my incredibly messy studio and began playing around with various papers trying to come up with a composition.

It did not go well. After a few hours in my studio I came out with nothing but frustration and feeling bad about myself. Nothing was working. The only thing positive it seemed is that I hadn't actually made anything, hadn't glued anything down. Later I realized that days like that are just as important as days of success. I knew that before, but after all this time I guess I needed to be reminded of that fact. Everything is a learning experience that I should appreciate.

Now just a few days later, on Wednesday, I had a much different experience. It started out much the same, except that I had much less time to work this time around. But I had time, desire and energy. Three precious factors that can be difficult to find at the same time. This time when I started pulling out papers and looking at them together I started finding stuff right away. I even felt confident enough to use my new(ish) sewing machine and then glue down this background.

I'm not done. Adding bits and pieces and taking pictures of the journey so I have a record of my ideas before I finish off the piece. But I am having a blast and know now that the journey is just as important as where I end up in the end.

On the left is a bit of one of my oldest print attempts sewed next to a piece of purple and white letter paper.

Unsure

layout
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com

Being out of a near constant stream of creativity and art making has left me feeling rather insecure and slow to nail anything down or complete something. I hesitate before bringing out the glue and sealer. I hesitate before making certain cuts to paper or wood.

This is my current challenge. I have a hard time feeling that I have wasted precious and sometimes expensive materials on a failed piece. This was much easier when I was just doing straight up woodblock prints. Sure, if I messed up an actual block that stunk because I was out one block and the time I put into it. But with actually printing I was much less scared of failure because paper and ink are rather inexpensive and I knew that even if some pieces didn't turn out I could use parts of them in other things eventually. I saved failed works sometimes for years, being a packrat has really paid off because now I am going through those pieces and finding bits of beauty even in the worst of them. Even a horrible piece can have an inch of beauty.

Many of these collages are rather spontaneous and fast. I wonder if that is wrong and I should labor over the layout for many hours or if I should just go with my instincts. One thing is for sure that this is something I need to figure out so I can keep it from holding me back.

I'm excited because I just got a wonderful and rather inexpensive refurbished sewing machine off of Overstock.com. Unfortunately I can't figure out how to even get it started, but that should be solved tonight with the help of a friend. I've been wanting to add stitching elements to my work ever since I started collage making two years ago. I've done a bit of hand stitching in some pieces but I really like the look of perfect machine stitching. I'm very excited about what is to come and I hope to share it here with you soon.

Time for DVDs

Inauguration Day
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com

I've already watched the first four discs of the Monty Python box set and I have Extras Season One on the way. Maybe I will rent Rome next, I love that show and could watch it again and again.

Now is a time where little blee needs a lot of casual care from me. She is happy to play on her own a lot but I need to monitor her so she doesn't get into trouble. So out come the DVDs so I don't go crazy with boredom or spend too much time on the computer. I tried doing some collage cutting because I can do that in the living room but she is going through a grabby stage so that didn't work. I can't even drink a glass of water in front of her without her grabbing at it and screaming when I won't give it to her.

I go to the gym and put her in daycare two to three times during the week and leave her with Jon so I can go on the weekend and that gives me a much needed break.

But my art life has been suffering and I don't know what to do. By the time she goes down I am tired and grumpy and I am just feeling creatively empty. I tried getting back into sketching but I just don't know what to draw these days. Ever since I lost my daily walks things have gotten much worse for my art.

I am just lucky that I used to be super prolific because I have so much older work to keep my shops full. But having some fresh pieces would be nice.

I guess I am going to have to learn to be a stay at home mom without much of an art life for awhile. How long I don't know.

sleep

playing at the Aquarium
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com

This little darling woke me up just before midnight with her crying. This is our first night together without daddy. He gets home on Sunday.

She wasn't hungry she was just tired and upset and falling asleep in my arms. But as soon as I put her back in her crib the crying began anew. So I did the most logical thing I could think of with my sleep clouded brain. I brought her into bed with me. It was sweet in a scary I hope she doesn't roll out of bed kind of way. But being there cuddled up next to her was very nice.

We slept there with my arm around her for about five hours. Her well me waking up every so often to check on her. Finding he sprawled on her back sleeping so soundly her pacifier fell out without being missed.

But by five she was up and hungry with a touch of energy. I needed to satisfy both of those needs before putting her back to bed at six and sleeping until eight.

So that was my night and morning. How about yours?

I'm not doing much art wise these days (again) but I am forcing myself to start keeping a sketchbook. I remember this time last year I was drawing a ton every day. Every bit of free moments I had would be used on art. What happened to me?

Free Shipping Sale!

I Love You More
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com

Dark Leaves

I Love You More

These are just two of the most recent pieces I put up on Artfire in the past 24 hours and until Black Friday they will all have free shipping. Buy as many pieces as you want from wherever you are and I will refund you the shipping after you pay. This offer is only good in my Art Fire

shop but I can move anything from

Etsy

over if requested. I'm still in the process of filling out my Art Fire store and haven't abandoned Etsy just yet.

I'm going to try and be around listing my new pieces on Friday after Thanksgiving but we have family in town and they may want to see what New England has to offer. A month ago I would have said lots, but right now not so much.

I hope all of my readers in the US have a great Thanksgiving with family and/ or friends, and that my international readers simply have a nice Thursday.

Is anybody shopping on Black Friday? Looking for a killer deal on an HDTV maybe? My dad is going out at the crack of dawn per usual off in Chicago but I avoid shopping like the plague after Thanksgiving.

Envy Myself

Envy
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com

Sometimes I find myself envying the old me. The me that had all the time, energy and desire to print new art for hours multiple times a week. Now everything is such a struggle it seems.

But I am working on it and more importantly I am working again. Shutting myself in my studio during naptime with nothing but an iPod, a block of wood and my carving tools. My paper is still ready to go once I get these ideas that have been in my head out onto blocks.

On top of all that I have new supplies and a instructional DVD on monotype printmaking using the inks I splurged on last year but barely used. I was getting set to play with them again when I stopped and admitted to myself that I did not know how to use these inks properly. Thankfully I don't have to take the expensive class they offer an hour away a couple times a day because I found a DVD online for $35.

Things will never be like they used to be, they will be better.

Have a great Wednesday!

Four Choices

One of these pieces is already up on my Etsy Shop right now, the others are not. Yet. One will be making it up sometime on Monday, the others during the rest of the week. I need your help deciding what should go up first. Thank you.



The weekend was thankfully much less eventful than Friday. Nothing to freak out about. A replacement cape is already being made and hopefully be with us by early next week. Plenty of time for blee's Halloween costume. We never got her one last year because even though the little baby sized ladybug costume was tempting, it seemed silly to buy something that would only get used once for a picture. Making a costume out of things that will be used again suits us much better. Plus blee will make the perfect little hobbit girl! I just can't give her a ring because she is likely to swallow it and that would be bad.

Let's see. Dinner at an awesome Ethiopian restaurant with a good friend and her not new anymore boyfriend on Saturday was fun. If you haven't tried Ethiopian food and like eating with your hands you are in for a treat if you ever get the chance. I got my date mixed up and I'm meeting with two girlfriends for a girl's night dinner two Sundays from now and not tonight. Which suits me just fine because two dinners out in a row is a bit much.

We ordered new Marimekko bedding for our new bedroom. Bright and cheerful instead of dark and intense. Also no cat claw rips all over it.

Autumn is here in Boston and I am enjoying it fully. My art sales are really picking up and tomorrow I am going to be quite busy packing up orders. I'm well on my way to getting that D-SLR I have my eyes on. Provided I don't blow it on a baby carrier. I'm starting Week Four of "The Artist's Way" tomorrow and I'm looking forward to it. Last week was rough. While it is encouraging that my business efforts seem to be paying off, the fact that I am still not feeling all that creative hurts.

Hope everybody reading this had a great weekend and has a great week. Time for me to brush my teeth and head to bed.

Here's a little blee video to bring a smile to your face if my words could not.

Light

Branching Out
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com

ACEO
4x4

After two bleecentric birthday posts in a row I think it is time to get back to the original focus of this blog. The art. Something that has been neglected for months now that I am finally starting to poke back into.

Doing "The Artist's Way" is going very well. The art dates where I go out and do something by myself is by far the hardest, but probably the second most vital part of the program. The most important is the morning pages that I diligently do each morning while drinking a cup of tea. I've been getting up earlier just so I can be sure to get this, and some other art business stuff done. But it all started with doing the morning pages. Three pages about whatever written first thing in the morning. Even when I didn't complete the book in the past I did those and they helped.

This time I start each page with my list of seven things for the day. On my computer I have another list of seven business things to do. I go through and see what I completed and what I didn't from the day before. And each day I do more and more on both lists. I just hope I am not getting ahead of myself and can keep up this pace. I'm being very careful not to go too fast and burn out as I am prone to do. It is important for me to recognize my weaknesses both as an artist, a business woman, a wife, a mother and a person. Not to use those to beat myself up but to grow past them.

After every block I reach some sort of breakthrough. I wonder what it will be this time.

Please enjoy your day. I plan on enjoying mine and will keep listing new work from my last printing on Etsy.

Happy Birthday Again!

Poppies in the Night
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com

So, I'm back to doing the "Artist's Way" and am finishing up week two tonight. So far it is going much better than when I tried it in the past. And even then it helped me. I think I will be back in business by October. Which is pretty usual for me because looking back in my journal I've had pretty serious creative blocks the two summers prior to this one.

I'm actually feeling kind of excited because usually when I do break through a block I end up with a breakthrough in my work. And that is something that I feel my work needs right now. Something to give me the spark and the deep passion back.

~

But other than writing in my journal every morning and going for a long walk and hanging out at a cafe by myself on Friday night this past week has been pretty much a wash for me. And that is okay. Who knew that a first birthday could be so hard on the parents? Guess that is what driving to Ohio for one party and then hosting another one for friends in Boston the following weekend does. I'm exhausted but happy.

Today was the Boston party and our apartment pretty much had the maximum number of people in it that it could take without me losing it and running out screaming. It was fun. There was cake. There were brownies that had a toffee almond chocolate bar in the center.mmmmm Nothing as spectacular looking as the Pooh Bear cake from the week prior but everything was tasty and people had a good time. And she finally made a mess of herself with the cake. Somebody is getting a bath tonight! More like she should be getting hosed down.

I wore the bleeeeeee! pendant we were given. It has a sturdy chain and she is quite gentle so I am able to wear it even while wearing blee. I just hope I don't lose it because I want to put it in blee's memory box and some point. I think she would get a kick out of it when she is older.

These last two weeks have really driven home how much our daughter is loved and just how much she reflects that love back to others. We are very blessed to have her in our lives. She truly is the best thing that ever happened to me, I wouldn't change a thing about her.

Time?

She Speaks to Nature
Originally uploaded by m.Lee

Where is it going to? Because I seem to be losing all sense of it. I completed this piece on February 21st, five days ago tonight. Yet it feels like it was something I did ages ago.

I'm tired, so very tired. And I am sick with a cold round two just after recovering.

I was waiting to write the perfect post about what went into this piece but life just kept pushing it aside. Now nearly a week later and it still hasn't been written. But I love this piece too much to ignore it and not share it here in my blog. So much of myself went into the creation. Images taken from various sketches, block printing, gocco, collage and even some drawing and painting all dancing together on the stage of the canvas. They work together to hopefully create a vibrant and complex yet well balanced piece. Collage challenges me in a totally new way.

blee is good but very snuggly and needing to be held so she can nap and not get cranky. This is good in the sense that it encourages me to go outside and go on long walks. But creatively it is taking a toll on me. I am just very overwhelmed and can't focus on art or anything related to it. She is nearing six months now and just had her visit with the pediatrician. My little chunk is still under twenty pounds, weighing in at nineteen pounds and one ounce. Not too shabby! I'm pretty impressed with myself for being able to walk around with that kind of weight strapped to my front for multiple hours. My feet give way before my back does.







I hope this post finds you all well. I'm sorry for being so terrible about blogging and keeping my shop updated lately. I don't know what is the matter with me. Writing this has been incredibly difficult tonight. Please bear with me while I sort some things out.

Goodnight and good morning.

Happy Late Birthday Indeed!

washiwashiwashiwashi!
Originally uploaded by m.Lee

I won the paper fetishist lotto tonight.

This incredible gift of washi and other beautiful papers that I recieved tonight has pulled me out of my hole to blog a bit. It is just spectacular and I haven't even gone through it yet. I need to find a good place to store all these pretties. I have some pretty wonderful, thoughtful and generous friends.

Speaking of friends, we took a little drive down to RI to see HeatherJeany, meet her husband and her precious new baby boy. Packed up all our gender neutral clothing along with the much loved but sadly outwiggled Moby Wrap and we took to the road Saturday morning after a sudden warmup after a bad storm. We had a great time. She's the best, her husband is very sweet and her baby is adorable and so tiny!





I actually have a lot of new work that I haven't blogged about yet, new work that I even love but something is holding me back. I keep waiting for the perfect words to talk about them, but I don't have time to come up with the perfect words these days so I end up here writing about paper, friends and cute babies.

One might say I am at a weird point in my art where I am trying to figure out what to do next. I've been going on a bit of a different path these last few months and it is continuing and it is exciting but sometimes very difficult.

I miss you guys. I miss the morning routine of tea, oatmeal and blog writing and blog reading.

March will be different. Can't February be over already?

Printing? Hah!

Weekend?
Originally uploaded by m.Lee

Too much housework babycare to do. Always.

Not a full day behind the HappyLight could get me feeling happy today. I thought today could be a me day. But not when the clothes are piled up, we (I) need to go through her clothes and separate stuff that no longer fits or doesn't fit yet or is weather inappropriate, dishes, vacuuming and lunch needs to be made.

It is not that he hasn't watched her and played with her but unlike me he isn't able to multitask and get stuff done while doing it. Watching a sports show while holding her isn't as helpful as carrying her in the sling and vacuuming.

I had high hopes for this weekend, but what is the point anyhow. Maybe I should be like those mothers that stop doing art/ making stuff when they have a baby.

Art Cards are back!

The Smell of Pine - ACEO
Originally uploaded by m.Lee

As well as many other small works. With more on their way.

I've had a lot of fun working on these smaller pieces lately and I think it really shows in the results. I updated my Flickr set this morning so everything should be in there now even if it hasn't made it onto Etsy yet.

It feels great being able to finally use this pine block again. It is one of the last blocks that I carved prior to having the baby and I was only able to print it for a limited time and then I couldn't print from mid July through the end of October. And I was completely out of pieces using this motif.

I needed to take a break from blogging, Etsy and just about everything yesterday after taking blee out on her first T ride. It did not start out well as our line was shut down due to something happening down the street the trolley trains and buses travel down. It didn't look like it was going to clear up anytime soon so we walked to the much farther underground line. Jon was late for work and I was late for my mother's group. The first group meeting since before summer! But it was such a beautiful day out we all enjoyed it and blee came back completely tuckered out as did I. She ended up passing out at five and not waking up until midnight. And she still did fairly well last night until around six in the morning.

And I think I may be coming down with something. I feel a bit like I got hit by a bus

Messy Desk
Originally uploaded by m.Lee.

Still sick, going on three weeks now. The doctor gave me antibiotics and I am better than I was, am no longer throwing up which is very nice, but I am far from well. Stil, I need to put what evergy I do have to climb out of this artistic rut that I have gotten myself into. My studio is a disaster so my first task is to clean it, starting with my desk. Once I have that done I am thinking it will be much easier to get back to work. I also need to get my butt to The Museum School store and pick up some paper.

Not having the motivation or energy to do art for over a month now has been really difficult. It is depressing really. I put so much of myself into my art that when I don't have that part of me dies. I'm thinking that doing the clearing of the big block in this picture is a bad idea at this time. It is boring and overwhelming. What I need to do is pick up a small block that I can carve quickly and have fun with. Working small is rejuvinating when I am down like this.

At least my Etsy sales are still pretty good. They were down for about a week or two in mid-January, but now they are up again. I'm pretty tickled about this since I am doing no promotion and am not even listing anymore yet buyers are still managing to find me. Too bad a lot of the money I have in PayPal has to go to taxes from last year. But I still have enough leftover to buy a fancy brayer if I really want to.