Welcome March!

February is finally over and I am running head first into March. While March has traditionally been my worst month emotionally for years now I think that could change this year. So here I go with some big plans, goals and dreams for the month. Here is to a fabulous month for all of us! Begone winter!

I do believe that these doodles are building up to something major. People have been saying that they remind them of my woodblock prints with the layers of colors and I am starting to see that. I can't believe it but I haven't printed in over a year. I only touched my press in 2009 when we moved my studio into the smaller room and that wasn't even me but my husband and a friend. Not only have I not been able to get much art done the last year and a half or so (hmm that lines up to when Alex became mobile) but I've been so focused on collages ever since she was born. It is really difficult to set aside a chunk of at least two hours, preferably around four, to print. But a collage lends itself so well to being worked on in stages. I even did a few of them with Alex in the Ergo or wrap on my back! That just wouldn't work with printing. Whenever I did have any longer periods of time I was way too exhausted for printing as it is quite a physically and mentally draining process for me. So much of the creative process is done at the press and I need a clear and focused mind. Factor in a dash of boredom after doing printmaking pretty much exclusively for over two years and I moved on. But I'm feeling that this year the press will be used. That I will find a balance between my sketches/ doodles, making collages and printmaking. I even have paper that I tore in either early 2009 or late 2008 ready to go for printing. Eeep!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Needs Some Work

I had my new studio space set up so perfectly. It was even featured in an Etsy Storque article. But the truth is that version of my studio didn't last very long.



What happened to it? Life I guess. Between getting pre-occupied with finishing up the rest of the apartment and a sucsessive series of illness once again my studio started to function as a storage space for random junk. Something that always bugged me and I was hoping would stop after it got moved to a visible doorless room off the living room.

How am I supposed to get anything creative done in such chaos where I can't even move or find free desk space? So today i've decided to set the rest of the house aside and work on it. I must make something during my Wednesday chunk of me time and I need to prepare.



- Posted from my iPhone

And it's perfect

so clean looking
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com

While the entire move isn't complete by any means, my studio is all set up and ready to go. Now I just need to take care of that pesky rest of the house problem. Gotta say that I am pretty pleased with how it turned out and with myself a little bit. But most of all I feel very blessed and privileged to have such a great space. This downsizing and moving was something we always knew I would have to do as soon as I found out I was pregnant. But it was such a daunting task and I wasn't exactly thrilled to be giving up my studio. But I got over that selfishness a long time ago and have been itching to move for ages now. What stopped us was the hassle of it all. But we had an opportunity to get it started the Wednesday before Thanksgiving when Jon was home from work and Alex was at her toddler group so we started moving our furniture. But we couldn't move the 200lb press, that had to wait until he had a friend come over to help on the following Tuesday.

There is so much natural light I rarely have to turn the ceiling lamp on and I have no need for any of the clip or desk lamps like the old studio. I was able to hang my SAD light up on the wall so it can illuminate the entire room. This space was a blank slate for me to build on and I think I did the best I could with the space and without buying anything new. I made a lot of mistakes with the layout of my last studio, mistakes that I learned from.

And I finally framed and hung some of the art I have collected over the years!

Alex so wants to be in this room and that cannot be as there is way too much for her to get into. So we removed the door and put up a gate. Now I can be in there while watching her at the same time. We might hang a curtain for privacy and decor at some point in the future. I don't know how much work I will be able to get done when she is awake as she still requires a ton of my attention, but it has to be better than before.

Hopefully I will be back to making art sometime this month. There is still so much to do.

The Studio that Was

Printing Corner
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com

Is dead and gone made into our bedroom (makeshift at this time) and I now have a space that is about one fourth the size. We finally gave Alex a proper bedroom and in order to do that I had to downgrade my studio.

And it is awesome! Instead of feeling sorry for myself like I was I actually am loving the new space! Some would call it cramped but I call it cozy. There was a lot of wasted space in my old studio so everything is fitting a lot better than I expected it would. Originally we expected to need to keep my press outside the room in the neighboring livingroom. Not so! No inches to space, but the beast fits.

Jon moved it with a guy friend last night while I was out and I am going to work to make it usable today. Starting from scratch is great because I learned what to do and what not to do when setting up my old space.

I think I'm going to need to have a studio sale soon due to this downsizing.

growing up

go outside?
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com

My little baby isn't a baby anymore and she hasn't been for quite some time now. I have pictures of her from the first four or six months on the side of my studio that I don't really pay attention to. Every once in awhile I look over there and see one and am stunned. It can be hard to link the two together even though there are physical and even personality similarities. But a toddler is a little person while an infant not so much. The first year is all about them developing into a person.

She may not be a baby anymore, but she still needs me and my attention a lot. Actually in many ways she needs me more than ever before. When she was a newborn she slept a lot and that gave me time to work on art or simple housework. Or I could wrap her up on my back while she napped and work on a collage. That doesn't work anymore and it hasn't since she became mobile.

But now that I am finally learning how to schedule myself as best I can things are starting to slowly turn and I am getting bits of my own life back despite the fact that her needs are continuing to rise. It is quite empowering. Right now I am able to work on my art at a pace that I can live with. One that doesn't leave me missing it with a whiny miserable voice in the back of my mind constantly. And what a relief it is, like a weight has been lifted from my life. And now the world seems brighter and much more manageable.

I've decided that this Christmas season is a wash for me as I am too far behind in promotion, networking and more too close to Christmas. Once I admitted this to myself I felt a great relief and that gives me the ability to come up with a new plan and a new goal. And that one is for 2010. In 2009 I got my health on the right track and I am now healthier than I have been in years, 2010 is going to be about regrowing my business. It won't be the same as before I had Alex or before the crash as things are probably only going to get worse. But I'll have a plan this time!

But that doesn't mean that you can't buy from my store this holiday season!

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.

A Sudden Inspiration

Abstract #1
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com

Last Saturday I made this piece on a sudden inspiration. blee was napping, my husband was playing one of the video games I got him for his birthday and I needed something to do. So I did what normally isn't a good idea and got on the computer. Now this can lead to a lot of time wasting, but not this time. This time I saw how my Flickr art contacts were experimenting and was inspired to do the same. Rushing to my studio only to find it forever messy I grabbed some supplies and created on top of the mess instead of taking the time to clear it first. I knew that there was a good chance for the mood to leave at any moment if I took the time to clean first. I grabbed some canvas and various papers and started arranging and laying them until I came up with this.

It might not be much, but if I can do something like this at least every few weeks I am going in the right direction.

It can be found in my shop on Etsy here. I've been neglecting my Etsy shop like I have been neglecting my blog, but hopefully this is a sign of change for me.

Final Days

Jungle
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com

Of my Buy one Get One sale. On Saturday I am having an Open House in my studio in honor of Spring cleaning and will be shutting my shop down for the day. This might be the last chance for certain pieces. This woodblock print is just one of nearly sixty pieces that I have for sale now.

We enjoyed our Easter holiday with the family, but I think in the future we are going to ask them to visit a month or two later so they can enjoy good weather. They aren't religious so I don't see what the big deal about being here on Easter is. None of them joined us at church. Which is fine, but the weather will be so much nicer in May and early June.

Jon and I are making plans of our own for a nice little trip. We are finally going to make it to NYC in mid May. We got back into contact with some old friends and they invited us to stay with them in their spacious Brooklyn apartment. It will be nice to see them and other. I hope to make it to Etsy labs once, or at least see Anda from Etsy. I'm dying to meet her daughter!

The collage a day for a week went so well that I am doing it again, but with less restrictions. I just need to do some art daily. Yesterday it was a collage, today I'm not sure. I have a woodblock drawn on and ready to carve. It is quite small, but that is a good place to start.

Hope everybody has a great Wednesday. I miss the old days of blogging and reading blogs daily. I miss everybody.

BOGO Studio Sale is Over

Studio Sale Mosaic
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com

From now until I decide to end it I am having a super sale in my Etsy shop. Buy anything in my shop and get another of equal or lesser value for free! (just put BOGO in the notes to seller and wait for a revised invoice)

This was inspired over the weekend spring cleaning of my studio. I reorganized my pieces and realized that even though I haven't been at my most productive I have a lot of art. Time to clear out the old to make room for the new. I'm ready to start fresh this spring and this seems like a good way to give it a kick start.

Something to Dance About

dancing babies
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com

After a long weather I think Spring is here to stay. And Alex is walking better every day so we will be enjoying the good weather fully.

I've been going to bed early and waking up early this week and it is really helping me out. Before I would never blog in the morning because I was virtually a zombie until 9-10am. I could barely care for her I was so tired. Right now I haven't even had any coffee or tea yet and I feel fine.

I have to do babysitting today, but hopefully after then Alex will nap and I can (re)clean my studio. I have some ACEOs to make!

Hope everybody has a great week.

We have a Deal

after
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com

As you readers may know I haven't had a very good year artistically speaking. I find myself wasting time more than making art whenever I have the chance. My husband Jon has joked about locking me in my studio without any books or a computer for awhile now but never seriously. I've also wanted him to find some sort of healthy activity for himself. Especially now that I am going to the gym 3-5 times a week.

So here is the deal we worked out. Twice a week he is going to lock me in my studio for a few hours. And twice a week I am going to kick him out of the house to go for a long walk. Hopefully eventually he will feel comfortable jogging. Just like hopefully someday soon I will feel comfortable making art without being forced to. Like the old days.

Maybe I will have him do what I do and strap blee on during his walks. That way he gets a nice weight bearing exercise and time with his daughter and I don't have to deal with her. Have I mentioned that she is teething her two year molars now and is a total disaster?

I already know that I want to do collage and mixed-media ATC/ ACEOs first. They were always what I did when I was in a smaller slump in the past. I have a bunch of printmaking paper torn to size, but that can wait for now. I need to experiment with very little pressure.

On the bus coming home from the gym the other day I got the idea to host a print class again. Maybe an ATC/ ACEO with collage, print and painting elements? People could make a handful and maybe trade one with the class. Keep an eye out here for more information.

Now I need to go pack up some orders and get thee to a post box. Hope you all have a fabulous week. My apologies for being so absent here and in other blogs. I've been in a very deep hole.

The Holidays Begin

Winter
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com

My special holiday promotion is still going on. Spend twenty dollars or more, including shipping, and I will enter you to win $80 worth of free art goodies. So far there are only three entries so your chances are pretty good. And no matter what you get something (your purchase)!

Also, if I asked you to let me refer you to Art Fire and you agreed but haven't gotten anything please check your spam folder. Also, please be sure to include mLee as your referrer. They upped the amount needed to ten and I only have three.

Thanksgiving was good. It was good to see family and to go away to Mystic on Friday and totally skip out on the Black Friday shenanigans. I even got a sale while I was gone. While I will be listing on Etsy and Art Fire more often in the next few weeks, overall compared to past years I am going to take it easy. My first batch of holiday orders goes out Wednesday. Packing up art is my least favorite thing and my studio is a disaster from the house guests.

Photos from the Mystic Aquarium. Have a great Cyber Monday and a great week. I will be back to posting regularly for at least awhile.

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!

Mixing Things IUp

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

New stuff is continuing to enter my shop a few pieces a day. Including this piece.

But I have been in an art slump every since finishing up that custom and printing new work. I've even been slow to scan in and upload many of those pieces. I decided to start journaling again and I came to a decision that it is time for me to step away from what I know and do some playing with art. For me that means monotypes of some sort. So today and tomorrow I will be brainstorming and I think collecting some leaves for stencils and on Saturday or Sunday I will lock myself in my studio and have some fun. Dammit!

It hasn't been easy because on top of everything blee isn't her normal easy going self. She's constipated and pretty darn cranky about it. Other than feed her certain fruits and give her plenty of water there isn't much I can do other than wear her a lot and ride this rough patch out. And that is exactly what I did this morning when she couldn't be soothed by any means other than putting her in our gorgeous and snuggly Zidee pod and going for a long walk with a friend. Worked like a charm, and for about an hour or two after getting home as well.

I'm planning on purging a few carriers in the near future but the Zidee isn't going anywhere. As she grows it just gets better and better. Learning how to wrap her on my back has made using the pod a snap. Here, have some cuteness and have a great weekend! Hopefully come Monday I will have some interesting work. It doesn't have to be great it just has to be free and experimental.

Waking Up

Waiting for the Dusk
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com

I'm a little nervous because this morning I woke up early with pretty bad eye problems. I was in quite a bit of pain for about a half hour, not that I could look at a clock to see how long I just lay in bed with my eyes closed waiting for it to pass so I could go back to sleep. This may have happened because last week in a desperate attempt to get some energy back I took that medication again. Except I did that early last week and only did it once. I should probably call my doctor and get my eyes looked at just in case if this keeps happening. It hurts a lot. I'm lucky it was better by the time Jon left for work because I would have a hard time caring for blee with this kind of pain that made it hard to see.

Some of you may remember when I kept a list of seven simple tasks to complete during my day. I got out of the habit months ago and think it would be best for me to get back into it. So here is my list for today. I have laundry done and with this blogging will be as well. If she lets me I will soon break out the Wii Fit and do some yoga. This way at the end of the day I can feel a sense of accomplishment and am properly motivated, even if I don't do everything on the list.

1) diapers
2) tidy studio
3) print
4) yoga
5) blog
6) put away clothes
7) dinner

Hope everybody had a good weekend. Ours was busy. On Saturday I started off with a dental appointment and then went to lunch with friends before heading to the MFA to see an exhibit we were given tickets to before it ended on Sunday. On Sunday we had a birthday picnic to go to and had dinner with an old friend from high school that found me via Facebook. Turns out she lives just a few minutes from our place. Funny how things work out like that.

Have a good one!

Enjoy Summer!

walk on
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com

Hope everybody is enjoying summer and doing their best to keep cool in this heat.

I am doing my best to enjoy my little vacation. It hasn't been easy to shake the dark cloud that has been following me, but things are getting better. I haven't been able to take a 100% break from art as a custom print order came in and I am working on that. But that is a good thing not a bad thing! It is a fun custom representing the four seasons, I can't wait to see it completed.



We've spent a lot of time outdoors going on walks combined with going to Cedar Point amusement park when in Ohio I have gotten a bit of a tan. I always make sure to use sunscreen with blee and put a hat on her, I even have a UV reflecting and blocking parasol for really sunny days. I'm a touch paranoid about her skin as she is so much fairer than I am. I just hope that even though she seems fair she is like my little sister and tans instead of burns. I hope the tiny bit of Indian blood she has in her protects her.

I'm enjoying babywearing more than ever and continue to lose weight. I'm hoping to fit in a single digit pair of jeans come fall, that is my big goal. Sometimes I get negative comments from strangers but mostly people smile, say something nice or make a silly joke. Just today an older man commented that I seemed to have quite a load on. I just smiled and told him that weight bearing exercise is good for me! Then I kept on with my walk.

Blee is napping and I need to get back to prepping my studio to print tonight. I would like to print now but I don't want to get ink out only to have her wake up crying in the middle of printing. I need a chunk of time and I won't have that until she goes to bed.

Being Thankful

Thank you!
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com

Feeling overwhelmed and needing to take a step back. This is about all I have energy to blog about right now. But I wanted to do this and to thank my readers, my customers and my friends for being there. I try to do the same.

What are you thankful for this Thursday? It is Wednesday night here and I am thankful that I got done some of the more mundane tasks that I have been putting off today.

Now here is my list for the week.

Things done:
1) packed and shipped orders
2) took cat to vet
3) spent $200 at vet on treatment and meds
4) dragged 14lb overweight cat back home in carrier while wearing 20lb blee
5) rescheduled dental appointment
6) called about getting a pet sitter in June (expensive!)
7) walks
8) house cleaning
9) got meds refilled ($60 ouch)

Things to do:
1) tidy studio
2) print
3) sketch (whoops)
4) sleep better
5) relax
6) fast (no meat until June)
7) waste less time
8) treat cat with meds until he gets better

My Art Groove

Bitter Pills - ACEO
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com

I can't sleep so here I am making a hopefully quick blog post after dusting off the Wacom tablet and doing a little sketching. A sketch that I added to my sketch collection on Flickr.

Both blee and I are still a bit sick so I am going to try and get back to sleep and take it easy today. Getting back into the swing of things slowly.

Done this week:

1) Made this new ACEO/ ATC
2) Finished carving
3) Hung art at cafe
3) Cleaned studio
4) Sketched with Wacom tablet

Things to do:

1) List ACEO/ ATC
2) Print
3) Finish hanging art
4) Tear paper
5) Keep sketching

I'm such a loser

New Old Clothes!
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com

And I couldn't be happier about it. Looking for an extra curtain we should have that we need now I stumbled upon a bin filled with spring and summer clothes from three or more years ago. And for the first time in all those years they fit. This is the smallest I have been in ten years except for the summer that I biked into a job downtown five days a week.

I'm not done yet but I am feeling excited and ready to keep getting in better shape. For me it is not about weight loss but about losing inches and toning. I want to be healthy.

The first fifteen or twenty pounds of babyweight came off easily due to the baby herself combined with breastfeeding. But then I totally stalled and possibly even backtracked a bit. Then I started doing a lot of walking while wearing an increasingly heavy blee. Either around the house doing errands or outside when the weather was decent. Long walks when it is really nice are a must. I purchased a couple of pretty carriers and they helped me feel pretty even though I didn't feel pretty at all most days. And that got me out of the house.

Then Jon and I gave up soda and slowly started making major diet changes. Keeping junk food out of the house and rarely eating meat and only eating free range organic when we do eat it. It felt wonderful.

And then I got a horrible stomach bug and lost an additional few pounds! Oh wait, that part isn't so great is it?

-

Both blee and I are still sick, and I still haven't hung my art. But I will hopefully be doing that first thing in the morning. So after I finish typing this I am going to bed. I am filled with snot, have a nasty cough and am very dehydrated even though I seem to be drinking gallons of water. But I am getting better and I think she is too.

Art has been on the back burner but I did finally finish carving that block from the other week of the girls playing. I need to do a studio cleanup and tear some paper before I can do any printing. Hopefully this week! Look for new work in my shop, here and on Flickr soon.

ciao!

Shop Changes!

Duality
Originally uploaded by m.Lee

After being sick feeling well feels incredible. Things were pretty good yesterday, I had some time while blee napped in the Pack n Play (a big deal) to tinker with my shop so tinker I did. If you mosey on over and have a looksie you may notice two distinct changes. The first one is that the size categorizing has been replaced with categories based on subject. I think this will make searching easier, and to help even further I have added dimensions to all my titles. Other than ACEOs, I think the ACEO label is enough for now.

I also removed and added some items from my Studio Sale section. I'm going to be doing some further tweaking while I get ready for my show in May. I'm not sure if I will be directing people to my Etsy shop for purchase or if I will be taking the work hanging down from Etsy for the duration of the show. Since the venue is not taking a commission (yay!) I can probably keep everything on Etsy. I will probably make a section of the work featured so buyers have an easy time finding what they saw in person without having to go through all my listings. I want to make purchasing as easy as possible. These pieces will have an unframed and a framed price that will only be available to local buyers.