It's Monday.

I actually don't really mind Mondays. Work is slow, we don't receive very much freight and things just seem more relaxed.

I also have three days of art making to look forward to.

Little Squirrel

Last week I received an e-mail from local shop Tilde asking if I'd like to be the featured artist for April. One of their scheduled artists couldn't make it and so I was asked and of course I said yes!

So, I have a couple of weeks to put together a show from all of the animal pieces that I've been working on. I'm really excited to show the originals. I've been loving this series and I want to share them with everyone.

I do want to create a few more pieces the show. There's always that chance of added pieces looking awkward with the rest of the series, but I'm going to try to avoid that as much as I can. Maybe I'll set all the pieces around me while I work. And maybe if I'm aware of the weirdness that sometimes happens, I can avoid it.

Narwhal Etching

I've been working on some new etching prints, and I'm experimenting with collage and maybe beeswax. I don't really know where I'm going with it, but I love the juxtaposition of the etching with the collage. I'm going to keep working with it and see what kind of results I can achieve.

fox. Etching with collage and paint.

I'd love to make a book with the etchings and maybe include some sewing. I have a lot of ideas about this and I wish there were more hours in the day.


Well, Monday calls and I have work to get ready for. Happy Monday, friends.

Sunday

I do believe that Sunday is my favorite day of the week.

Yesterday I really wanted to just spend time with Nate and art. We decided to go to the art museum and have lunch. We checked out the Cindy Sherman show and some of the Greek sculptures the museum is showing this month.

Me + Cindy Sherman

The Cindy Sherman show was great, I just wish there were more. There were 4 pieces total, all of them giant and fantastic. However, I kept feeling like I wanted to be in the same room with about 20.

Nate + Cindy Sherman

The Greek sculpture were great too. Trying to contemplate just how old they were was a little mind blowing.

It really was just what I needed. A day with someone I treasure the most and art.

Rain and beers at Oven and Shaker

We later had lunch at Oven and Shaker and headed home.
I feel like my heart is healing and that is a good thing.

Downtown always makes me happy.

Today Leigh Jackson of Noisy Dog Studio came over so I could show her some collage things and just hang out for a bit. She hung out with Chloe some too, and I'm pretty sure Chloe really enjoyed it. I know I very much liked seeing her.

Pumpkins

I totally forgot to blog about our pumpkin adventures on Sunday.

Chloe was helping me find the perfect pumpkin.

We decided to head over to Sauvies Island on Sunday, with the dogs. We were hunting pumpkins.

Bri and Carly

Sauvies Island is a weird place. It's a beautiful place. It's just odd how you can drive 10 minutes out of the city and be in the middle of farm country. Literal farm country.

lots o' pumpkins

Nate found a nice one.

Pumpkin farm entrance.

There are a number of pumpkin patches on the island. The first two are always crowded and crazy. We decided to head out a little further to try to avoid all the craziness. It was perfect. There were tons of pumpkins and it was much more quieter.

Volvo full of pumpkins.

friends. kinda.

field of zinnias.

The dogs loved it and Chloe passed out for the rest of the day :) 

New

It's a beautiful September morning. I feel like September is the prettiest month in Portland. The weather is still warm, the sun shines and there is crisp feel to the air. It's the last hoorah before the rainy, grey, weather sets in.

I'm kind of looking forward to the rainy season. It's so hard for me to focus on gettting art made when the weather outside is perfect. The rain and cold forces me to hunker down and draw. 

Despite the beautiful weather we had yesterday, I managed to get a lot of work done. I listed not one, but two, new items in my Etsy shop! Go me! They're two new postcards.

I also made a curtain for my new office. I say curtain, singular, because it's just one long curtain that stretched across the window. There is something very satisfying for me about making curtains. I suppose that's true for just about any home improvements that I do.

I also bought a new lamp for my little office. It's bright and white and I love it. I'll share pictures soon. I want to get it a little more put together before I post pictures.

Before and after

June 3rd

Remember a few weeks ago when I posted a picture about our evolving garden?

Well, I'm here to post a before and after picture for you.

We haven't been putting too much work into our garden the past few weeks, but it seems to have exploded on it's own.



Last week we finally got enough dirt in our troughs to plant something.

Sometime in april? I think?

Grow tomatoes grow!

July 12th. Still room for more plants!

We were at Home Depot and spotted these very sad tomato plants for $1.00. We decided to get them to just see if we could rescue them, and plant them in our troughs. So far they seem to be holding their own. I think with a little love and fertilizer they'll make it. We also got some more lavender because I just love it so much.


I want to plant some kale and some lettuces once the tomatoes are done! I'm so happy to have a house and a place where we can grow flowers and produce. I also love how many bees and butterflies we get in our yard! One of our neighbors has a couple of hives and I like knowing we help contribute a little something to their hives.

Warm and Loving It

Toms tan.
Originally uploaded by michele_maule

What another great weekend. I swear the sunshine makes these weekends incredible. Being able to go outside, ride my bike and visit with friends, is making me so happy.

We both went on the NE Sunday Parkways this weekend. The weather was warm and 2,300 people attended. For those of you who are unfamiliar with it, basically the city of Portland closes an 8 mile bike route in a quadrant of the city. So no cars are allowed, only bikes. They also have events set up in the neighborhood parks. So you can listen to live music, eat from a food cart, and hang out with your neighbors.

There are lots of people set up in tents along the way too. So you can get a free bike tune up, sign up to vote, and get your bike blessed along the way! Yes, there was a "Bike Temple" along the route, and you could stop and have your bike blessed, or they were freely blessing bikes as we rode by.

all in all, a great time and lots of fun.We ran into many people we haven't seen for awhile and ate delicious burritos.

Yesterday was more biking around town and visiting some friends.

I love late Spring and early Summer. We've been so lucky with the weather. I hope it sticks around for a little while longer. I think Chloe does too...

almost

It was sunny and 80 degrees yesterday!

We worked on the yard, rode bikes, drank beer, ate sausages, grilled, and went to see Caveman at Mississippi Studios. It was a full day and I didn't get any work done.



Summer time hasn't started in Portland, but it sure feels like is has. This is just a preview of what's to come... I hope it sticks around a bit longer, but I know not to get my hopes up. However, if the rest of the season is anything like it was yesterday, it's going to be a really fun summer.

Portland, Oregon

Oh hey!
Have you seen the show Portlandia yet? The first season came out last year, and the second season is currently running on the IFC channel.

I have to say, this show sums up this city very well. I admit, it's a bit strange watching a skit comedy show on the place where you live. It's even stranger when it's spot on.

My friend and I were talking about this clip and the countless number of times we've been in this situation. Even when the other person doesn't have even a stop sign! 

 

 This season is much funnier, in my opinion, than last season. I'm convinced that it's going to get better.
There are many people here who are opposed the show here. They refuse to watch it and write article about it for the paper and all the weeklies here.

I think it's fun. Don't take where you live so seriously, people.

Not Much

Not a lot to report on today.
It was a great weekend that included beers, donuts, antiquing, and cozy movie time.

We bought tickets to head out to Pittsburgh, and that is also exciting. We're planning on visiting the Warhol Museum and also The Mattress Factory. at first we thought The Mattress Factory was an actual mattress factory, and we were pleasantly surprised to learn that it is in fact an art museum!

Many people have told me that Pittsburgh is a lot like Portland, or a lot like Portland used to be. I've heard there is a lot of industrial architecture, water towers, and bridges. So, I'm looking forward to seeing the city, and maybe even gaining some inspiration.

On another note, I've been adding to my sale section on Etsy. Some prints, and now some originals. I'll be adding to this section, so keep your eyes open! 

Sickness

Oh my...
I had a short bout of some sort of plague yesterday.

I'm feeling much better this morning, however! Hooray!

Wonderful Place - Mixed Media Collage

Despite feeling like death yesterday, I managed to get two new little pieces listed in my shop. Wonderful Place lives here and Be Brave lives here. For the record, I didn't start to feel too terrible until just after I posted them ;)

Be Brave - Watercolor Painting

anyway, it's Saturday! We're supposed to get snow tonight and tomorrow! We'll see if that really happens... Thankfully it's a weekend so we won't see this city totally loose it's mind. Hope the weekend is treating you well.

Alberta Morning Run

Alberta. #morningrun
Originally uploaded by michele_maule
I took this picture on Saturday morning. It's not the best, but it's hard taking a photo with little light...

I love my Saturday morning runs on Alberta.
I'm typically the only person out on the street. There's no cars. I can run down the middle of the street if I'd like.

I can see all the cooks, baristas, prepping their cafes and restaurants. I can smell the sent of freshly baked donuts on one block and the smell of carnitas on another block. I can see inside Pine State Biscuits where the cooks are cooking up Reggie plates for people.

In a small cafe there is an older man who is in the same spot, sipping coffee, writing in a journal every week. I run past cute boutiques with the cutest clothes. One in particular always has shoes that I would love to own, but could never afford. I run past art galleries and tiny jewelry shops.

It's one of my most favorite runs all week. It's just me and Alberta and the people who exist in these buildings.

Paint

Hey!

I started new painting today and I'm really loving it. I almost didn't want to paint this image because I thought it would be too hard, and that I would really struggle with it.

as I was painting it I had a feeling that it would change the way I paint, and my subject matter, forever. Yes, it's a game changing kinda painting. I am so excited!

I've been struggling with the new pieces that I've been working on, but this piece really helped me figure out why exactly I'm struggling.

I discovered that I am painting way too fast. I slowed it down today and started painting very thinly. I used lots of paint thinner and built my layers up as I went. What a difference that made!

I'm also muting my colors a bit. The colors I've been using have been so bright, which I really love, but I feel like the gloomy Oregon weather has started to influence my palette. I'm so tempted to paint a room dark grey too!

Hello!

Wow!

What a wonderful day I just had.
It's a beautiful, sunny, warm day here in Portland. I decided that working was just not going to work for me with this lovely weather outside. So I dropped everything and went for a bike ride along the Portland waterfront.

On my way there I discovered a new vintage shop in the SE industrial area. It's called Seek the Unique. It was so cute. They had three dogs just lounging about. I love businesses that allow their pets to come hang out. The owners were really great and friendly too. They had all these great typewriters and they allowed me to photograph them.

I biked all the way home and went for a 4 mile run. My legs feel like Jell-O right now, and I feel like I could eat a whole pot roast, but I feel SO fantastic.

I forget how much I need days to really take care of myself. To really just get away from painting, drawing, and over-thinking.


Hope all is well for you :)

Remember

It feels so fall like today.
Which is great. yesterday was 94 degrees and the sun was blistering hot. Today it's 65 degrees, cool, and cloudy. Just like that.

I'm looking forward to fall, chai lattes, snuggling, and holing myself up in the studio.

On another note. I really want to paint these succulents.

I Like Thursdays

What a beautiful day.

I was inspired to make some new pieces today.
I'm really liking them.

Taryn and I went on a little bike ride today too. We rode over to St. Cupcake on Belmont. The cutest cupcake shop ever! It also shares a space with Noun. One of my very favorite shops in Portland.

I wanted to share a photo of the cupcakes I got there...but all the frosting melted, and slid off them on my bike ride home. Opps! They don't look nearly as pretty as they did when I bought them...

Summer and bike rides are not good for cupcakes.

Well, that was a good day. Good day.

Blog Makover!!

Whoohoo!!
I made over my blog yesterday! I like it. I've been meaning to do it for years, but never got around to it. Then, I discovered, that Blogger made all these new templates, and layouts.

I geeked out for like an hour and a half before deciding on this one. :D

On another note, it's a beautiful day here in the City of Roses!! I went for a run in the sunshine this morning, and it was just what I needed! It felt so good to have the sun on my face.

I was able to finish these two new illustrations today, as well. I'm really happy with them. They will be up and ready in my Etsy shop very soon.

Well, today is laundry day, one of Chloe's favorite days. Must get back to it! Hope everyone is having a good mid week day.

On and Off

Wow!
The weather today has been so crazy.
One minute it's beautiful and sunny, the next stormy and dark.

They say that if you don't like the weather in Oregon, in the Spring, just wait five minutes and it will change.

Got lots of things done today and I'm feeling like it's almost time for me to get back in the studio again. For now, though, I plan on playing more computer games and making some potato leek soup for dinner.

Happy Thursday everyone!

Today.

Today I am happy that the sun is out.

I'm happy that I got a chance to run a couple of miles, in said sunshine.

I'm happy that I have health insurance.

I'm so happy I live in Portland!!

and I am happy that I have the best dog in the universe. :D

I'm also happy that I got some new things posted in my Etsy shop.

Lovely, Lovely, Day

Well, I had the most lovely day on Sunday. Sunny and warm and wonderful
I decided to take the day off and go for a bike ride around Portland.

Nate and I headed to North Portland for tacos at Por Que No? Some of the yummiest tacos in PDX! We wandered around North Portland and stopped in at Land. Land is a really cute boutique that is also home to a lovely gallery space and is also the Portland Buy Olympia head quarters.

after that we rode out to St. Johns and sat under the St. Johns bridge. It was a great day and I am so glad I decided to enjoy it.

Today is back to grey skies and rain. I'm okay with that though...I need this weather so I can finish my paintings! Which by the way are getting so so so close to being done!! Hooray!

I'm a bit under the weather right now, so hopefully I can shake this bug so I can put 100% of myself into this work. I hang the show on Monday. Yikes!

I think a nice hot bowl of Pho is exactly what I need right now. :)
Hope everyone is having a wonderful so far.

Succulent

Well, it's another beautiful day in Portland. 60 Degrees and sunny!

So lovely! I just want to drink coffee, draw, ride my bike, and hang out with Chloe all day...

I have tomorrow off, and it's suppose to be another beautiful day, so I think that will be the day I have. I'm really looking forward to it.

I've been a little obsessed with succulents lately. They seem to be taking over my neighborhood. I think I love them.

I also found the sweetest little whitish pink cabbage on my morning walk.

Well, I hope everyone has a great weekend :)