The warmest day of the year, so far, was today! 63 degrees and wonderful!

I went for a 6 mile run, worked on some new pieces and played with Chloe in the back yard. It was fantastic.

Our garden is starting to really take off too. The Euphorbia is getting ready to bloom and the Forsythia has already started. I plated some kale and some lettuce, and I planted some lupine seeds and some poppy seeds on Sunday. I'm afraid I might be too late/too early with the flowers, but I thought I'd give it a shot. Fingers are crossed.

I was lucky enough to get quite a few art related things started this morning. I don't really know where the fox is going but I like it so far. I love making all of those tiny marks, and there is something about this little fox that I can't let go of.

The butterfly and moth are new too. I've had these little collages hanging out in my studio for weeks not knowing what to do with them. I've always felt a connection with things that can fly, butterflies and moths included. The fact that they are free to flutter about, but at the same time have to be so careful with the outside world.

Sweets. Mixed Media Collage and Illustration.

 I'm currently reading Flight behavior by Barbara Kingsolver which is story about butterflies and climate change.

Also, have you ever seen a moth's face up close. They're scary, cute and amazing. You should Google it right now. Oh wait, I did it for you.

The butterfly piece is done and already listed in my Etsy shop! Look at me being productive. 

an owl!

Just had to draw this dude today.
Originally uploaded by michele_maule
I was finally able to sit down and work on this little owl yesterday.

I had so many other things to get done, but I dropped everything I was doing, turned on some music and put paint to paper. He's not quite done yet, but I like the beginning so far.

It was very much needed time for myself and time to make art. The windows were open and there was the loveliest summer breeze blowing through the house. It was such a nice hour and half :)

I'm still debating on which image to use for my upcoming dog portraits, and I am also putting the finishing touches on the American Gothic painting. I'm having a hard time painting hazel eyes, for some strange reason...

In other news, we're planning on going to see Susie Ghahremani's show at Land tonight! I've been a fan of her work since I joined Etsy 5 and a half years ago. I'm going to try to put my shyness in check so I can say hello to her. We'll see how that goes...

Collage

Happy Wednesday!

I've been adding some new pieces to my shop the past couple of days! Yay! I like adding new work.

These pieces were in the Ristretto Roasters show that I had this past summer. I sold quite a few, but these were the ones that didn't find homes...

I'm hoping to add some brand new items, that I've been working on, tomorrow.

Hope everyone has a great day! 

Robert Hanson

Nate and I visited the Portland art Museum this past weekend.

We got to see some beautiful drawings by Robert Hanson, who was an instructor at Pacific Northwest College of art for a number of years.

We both loved the simplicity of his lines as well as his use of bold colors. There are elements of his drawings that remind me of the blind contour drawings we used to have to do in school. Then there are moments where he works out the details and creates a more finished area. It is quite lovely.

We were also able to get a glimpse of Titian's "La Bella." It was a little hard to get too close to it. There were quite a few people, and no one seemed brave enough to stand in front of the bench that was sitting in the front. It was beautiful and we were lucky to get a chance to see it in person.

 

Overall, a great weekend!
If you live in Portland I suggest you go out and see these works before they're gone.



I've been updated my shop with some pieces that I made this past summer for the Ristretto Roasters show. I've also created a sale section! I want to make room for new art and let go of some past prints. Once these prints are gone, they're gone forever! Change is good.

Woot woot!

I've been so busy!
I updated my Etsy shop, went to a meeting with some lovely crafty ladies, and went to pick up my........ (insert drum roll please) iPhone! woot woot!

I've wanted an iPhone since the very first one came out. Right now it's a bit overwhelming. I'm not 100% sure how to use it yet, but it seems easy enough....I'll get there :)

I'm mostly excited that I can check my mail e-mail while I'm a work! Yes!

okay, I seriously need to get some work done today. Seriously.

Love

Yesterday I worked and painted and drew and sewed and made a huge mess.
I totally lost myself and it felt so great.

It's been awhile since I've done that and I am so glad I was able to do so.

It's chilly and cool in Portland right now. The leaves are starting to fall off the trees and you can smell them decomposing in the cold air. I love this time of year.

Good Morning

Well, it's morning here anyway.

It's my day off and I don't feel like doing anything. It's rainy and cold and I just want to sit and drink coffee and work on my illustrations.

So that's exactly what I'll be doing!
I'm also hoping to post the two newest bird illustrations up in my Etsy shop today.

I can't believe that Thanksgiving is 2 and a half weeks away! The store I work at is getting crazy busy, and it is just going to get crazier. I thankfully was given a three day weekend that week and I fully intend to use every minute very wisely.

Well, these illustrations aren't going to finish themselves, so I off to make things and hopefully relax a bit today.

Hi!

Summer has yet to arrive in the Pacific Northwest. The gray, Portland, skies have left me unmotivated to do much these days.
I feel like I need to be charged up. all of the usual things that get me going just aren't doing it these days.

I did manage to get a couple of little illustrations done yesterday! I'm hoping to wrap up my little project today too. If I can just find that little glimmer of motivation in me.

Coffee. Drawing. Coffee.

Hi!

What a great morning I had.

Michael and I biked over to North Portland for coffee, drawing, and talking with Michael and Mona of Tinymeat, and Mary of Lollytots. It was great! I'm really hoping we can keep it up on a weekly basis.

Other than that nothing too eventful...just paying bills and trying not to get too depressed about it. I'm going to be doing Last Thursday next week, so if you're in the neighborhood come check out the party on Alberta.

This weekend will be full of prepping panels, working in the yard, and trying to stay cool.
Hope everyone has a good weekend :)

Mmm...Easter Candy

I love Easter because in my opinion it has the best candy...I am currently munching on Cadbury Mini Eggs. The chocolate egg candy with the thin crunchy sugary shell. These are my favorite.

So my throat is feeling better. It's the Virattack I think. I do want to try that tincture Kick Ass that Linda suggested. That stuff sounds awesome! If it still hurts on Monday I will for sure go to the doctor, it's just that I don't have health insurance and I really can't afford any more medical bills...but I feel fine and I think it's going away :) Thanks for all your concern.

I finally got all caught up on my orders!

I started posting some illustrations in my Etsy shop. I am really excited about them. I think they look great and I am really enjoying making them. It just feels so good to draw. The whole process of mark making has made my day.

If you haven't stumbled upon Indie Pretty Perfect Blog lately I suggest you do. There is an interview with me! You can find out all about my secrets and some juicy gossip...well...not really but it sounds good.

It's Friday! That means I will be catching up on my Lost and my Survivor! Oh, and drinking a healthy amount of beer. I love Friday!

Drawing, Screen Printing, Art

March so far has been good.

I had a bit of a melt down this morning, but I am feeling a lot better now.

There are certain things that I have begun to realize since moving here. One being that I feel as though I have changed quite a bit. I can't really put my finger on it, but I feel different. Like my attitude towards certain things has changed, but I can't think of any specific things. It's weird.

I think I might have strep throat, but I am trying to convince myself otherwise. I have been doing myself with herbal nasties, and drinking lots of emergen - C as well as taking lots of vitamins. I think it's working...I know it's working!!

I have been watching this great documentary about young hip artists, and I think it's called The Run Up, I could be wrong. Michael returned the dvd before I had a chance to memorize the title. Anyway, it's a little hipster for me, but it's really inspired me to get back into drawing and I really really want to do some screen printing. I feel like if I am going to purse graphic design, I want to learn all aspects of it. I also want to be able to rely on making art/design with more than just my computer. The idea of bringing a handmade quality to graphic design is so appealing to me, and I want to make that a huge part of my work.

Printmaking is really where graphic design began, and I want to remind people of that. I also want to include book arts as much as possible in my design work.

So I did a drawing of the steel bridge today, and found myself rediscovering how much I love to draw. I love all the materials I used too. The illustration board has such a nice surface to draw on, and I love love love Micron pens!

I would love to turn this illustration into a screen and print it. I am afraid my lines are going to be too small to get a good screen, but I think if I can find a really fine screen, it can be done. I hope. Now it's just a matter of finding the money to get all the right tools. I love art, and making it, but it can be so expensive...

While I was gone Michael built me these great new shelves for all my shipping supplies. I was able to get a lot of stuff off the floor of my studio, and it looks so much better now. He rocks! So there is Thursday. Done and done.

Homework

Wow.

Homework = not much fun.

So I've been working on this design project the last couple of days. Graphic design homework is so far from drawing or design homework. In basic design when the professor tells you to do 24 sketches, you just do 24 sketches. It takes maybe 30 minutes to an hour. When a graphic design instructor tells you to do 24 sketches you don't just do sketches. You measure, you mask, you use rulers...it takes more like 3-4 hours.

Oddly enough, it's really satisfying to me. I guess it's because I love to organize, and plan, and have everything tidy. Which is really weird, because if you've ever seen my studio or the way I create my paintings, you'd never guess that I was a neat freak. I guess that's how I keep sane. I have that one outlet to be completely unorganized and messy.

I also like the graphic design work because it almost feels like you get to make stuff using office supplies. I've always wanted to make art just using office supplies. It seems so contained and streamlined. MMmmmm...organization.....

I got a lot of work done for my upcoming show today too. I'll take some photos and post them tomorrow. I am pretty happy with them so far. I've been really exploring illustration in them. I have been itching to just draw and illustrate little aspects of my life. It's been fun. I forgot how much I really just like to draw, and drawing is so much like speaking a foreign language. If you don't practice you tend to forget and never improve.

Which brings me to another topic. In my class on Wednesday almost everyone came out and said they couldn't draw. That they thought it would be a computer class and that they don't have any drawing skills. I really don't like when people say they can't draw. Everyone can draw. It just takes practice and some people pick it up quicker than others. Like I said it's like a foreign language or math. I can draw, but that's only because I practice and I've taken a million drawing classes. It's not like I could draw portraits when I was two...you have to learn. I've worked really hard and put a lot of years in, to be able to paint, draw, and print, it isn't just a matter of talent.

Ok. That's my little rant. :)
I'll explain my photos. That's Angie and me at my first craft fair, and the older lady I am talking to was my first customer that day! I had an awesome day that day. I met really cool people and had great sales.

No Talk

I have laryngitis and I can't talk today. I can, but I sound like a cross between a frog and a ninety year old smoker.

Not a lot going on today. I went to the gym, but stayed far away from the Crunchmaster 3000. It was calling my name...but I resisted. My abs finally feel normal again, and coughing and laughing no longer send me into tears :)

I tried to get some work done today...I did manage to get some drawings on some panels, but I just can't seem to find anything that I really want to draw/paint. I never realized how much I loved have a studio until now. It just seems so much harder to get work done when you are working in the same place you eat and sleep. Plus you have to clean up after yourself every time you make a mess. Only a year and a half left. Just a year and a half....

I did find this really amazing blog. I am not sure what the story is behind it. It seems like there are two friends that live far apart from each other. Every morning for a year they took a picture then post them side by side on the blog. There are some really beautiful shots. I love the simplicity of their photos..

http://3191.visualblogging.com/