Finally

I've finally posted a new painting in my shop. Yay!

What a day...
It hasn't been great, there were some moments...but in general I feel like I should have just stayed home. I know in the long run it's great that I got into my studio, and I feel really good about that, it's just that it felt like everything went wrong today.

Oh well.
It's over. Tomorrow is a new day.

I did get two paintings finished and photographed. So that's a plus. I just wish I had more hours in the day.

Well, hope everyone is having a good Wednesday, or Thursday, depending on where and what time you are reading this :)

Yes!

Yes!

So I got to spend my day in my studio this afternoon. I love it. So much!
It's so great to be able to make a big mess on the floor and not have to worry about cleaning it up anytime soon. I love the quirkyness of it too. It's right next to the railroad tracks in the industrial area on SE Portland. So there are a lot of noises going on. There are of course the big trains that go by, but there is also a rooster somewhere in the building and you can hear it call out every so often.

I can ride my bike there too, which is wonderful. It's not the shortest ride, about 20 minutes, but it's the route is through some very beautiful neighborhoods, and it's pretty much all downhill. The ride home is a different story...but that's ok.

So I've been getting back to making work, and it feels really great!

Things have been going really well life wise, business wise has been a little bleak. My sales have seemed to halt since moving here. I've gotten a couple of sales, but it's not what it use to be...
I'm hoping that it's just a summer slump, and that it will pick up quickly. I've purchased a couple of ads too. I bought an ad on Facebook on Sunday, and I got 40 clicks through to my Etsy, but no sales. I also traded for some ad space on IndieFixx, and that seems to get some clicks too, and a couple of sales. i also just bought an small ad space on LillyElla blog. That goes live in July, so hopefully that will help out a bit too. We shall see...

If you've got any good suggestions, or advice on advertising, please feel free to leave a comment! I'd love to hear your thoughts and experience!

Slow Kinda Day

I don't really feel like doing the heaps of painting that I need to do today.

I'm just not into it.
I think I'll give it a try, see what happens. Maybe it will come to be once I get started.

So, I finished packing up all my orders from yesterday, and the day before.
Being featured on a popular blog is a funny thing.

You sell and sell and get message after message, and then, once your featured item gets moved to the 4th or 5th page, it completely stops. Weird.

Well, it was fun while it lasted :D
hehe.

Anyway, I got two more illustration/works in paper done a few days ago and thought I would share...

That's about it. I should get to work. I really should...
Hope everyone is having a good Thursday!

Work Work Work

Hey!

*Today is the last day to vote/give a heart to my portfolio on Paper n' Stitch! Please visit it and click on a heart! If you already have, thank you so much!*

http://www.papernstitch.com/shop/michelemaule

So I've just been working these last few days.
I don't really know what I am doing.

I want to incorporate more drawing into my work, and I love making art on paper, so I completed these two pieces yesterday. I'm not really sure how I feel about them as of right now.

I love the colors, and I really like my Barbie coloring book style hair...but I just don't know.
I had a lot of fun working on them :)

So that's about it.
On another note, Michael and I started watching Mad Men last night.
If you aren't familiar with the show it based on a handful of ad execs working in
NYC during the 1950's. I don't know how I feel about this show yet...
We watched 2 episodes last night and I realized how lucky I am to be a young woman living in 2009. I don't know how women, people of color, and gays and lesbians put up with all that BS for so long. Granted, we are all still fighting for equality and fairness, but good god, if that show is even a little accurate about the treatment of everyone who is not a white male...we've come a long way.

Anyway, hope everyone is having a good Thursday! :D

New Ideas!

So I have been working on a lot of new ideas the last few days. I am really happy with some of the stuff that is coming out of my head...

I'll share them with you!!

Um...so Michigan is awesome.
The bugs here are actually pretty amazing.
I found this one yesterday. Well, actually Chloe did. At first I thought she was playing with an ant. She really likes to play with the ants and then eat them. I try to stop her from eating ants, but it doesn't seem to hurt her and it keeps her entertained...anyway I thought she was playing with one. But she kept at it for like 20 minutes so I went over to her to see if it was in fact an ant and not some nasty spider...I moved my yoga ball aside and low and behold was this ginormous beetle. (just a side not here my spell checker notices ginormous as an actual word! Cool!) Ok, anyway, I literally cried out Oh My God really loud when I saw this thing. i was not expecting this huge beetle!

So I had to figure out a way to get it out of the house. I am not much of a bug person. I don't mind if they are outside. I understand that's where they live and I am ok with that...but it's when they are in my space that I freak out. So I grabbed a piece of paper and kinda scooted it out. Ewww it was so gross. It actually made a thud noise when I dropped it a couple times. The whole time I kept saying OMG and ew ew ew ew....haha. I am such a wuss.

Anyway, that's all I got today :)

PS The little camera illustration is from a photo that my friend, Kristen, took.
She has this really great collection of old cameras and she takes these really beautiful photos of them. You can see her Flickr page here
This drawing is soon to be a painting too! :) Thanks Kristen!

Treats!

What's better than sugary treats???

Sugary treats from a different country!!!

I participated in a candy exchange with a fellow Etsy seller, MollyMooVintage.
who lives in Scotland. We each bought $20.00 worth of candy and sent it to each other.
I got my package today and have already eaten the package of shortbread cookies!
Mmm....shortbread....

I love it!

Just working and painting, and thinking of new silk screen ideas :)

Panera!

Panera is where I have been using the internet the last couple of days.

I ordered an ice latte yesterday and the lady looked at me like I had just asked her for a cup of dog food. She had no idea what I was asking for. She asked, "You mean an iced chai tea?"

So I had to kinda explain it to her...

Other than that their sandwiches are pretty good.

So yeah, Portland still looks like it's not going to happen. Things have been a little slow in the Etsy world lately and tickets are getting unbelievably expensive....

In other news, we get our screen printing equipment on Monday!!!
I am so excited. Also, today while taking out the trash I noticed a heap of silk screens in the dumpster!! One of the pluses of living in an apartment building full of other artists is the amazing amount of stuff you can find in the dumpster. :) So brave Micheal jumped in and saved 7 screens that hadn't even been used yet! What a great find.

So maybe, just maybe, this screen printing thing will be a total smash hit and I will become a millionaire over night and be able to fly to Portland as planned after all :)

Hope everyone is having a good Friday, and have a good weekend.

No Internets

So my neighbors whom we shared the internet moved yesterday...

That means no internets until the Comcast guy comes out and sets up the new connection. I have no idea when that is going to happen, so until then I can check my e-mail about once a day at a coffee place...

Hopefully it will happen by Friday, but I am not getting my hopes up about that.

I think this might be a good thing.
I am a little addicted to the internet, so maybe this way I can get more work done.
Or I could totally loose my mind.

It doesn't look like I will be able to go to Portland this summer after all. We were looking at tickets the other night and there is no way we can afford to go...

I am trying not to get upset...but this is hard.

In other news, it's a beautiful day here and I really want to be outside enjoying it.

Remember to Take Breaks

I think I qualify to be a work-a-holic.

I can't seem to stop. I need to stop. But I can't. Does anyone else have this problem? Last night I was freaking out because my little Etsy shop is looking bare, and I only have three illustrations doe before I leave. Michael had to remind me that I just finished three paintings for this upcoming show, and that it was going to be ok. It was going to be ok because there is no one but me telling myself that I HAVE to have more things....

I wish I could be less hard on myself. I wish I could feel like it's ok to take a break. To just walk away.

Well, it's a good thing I am leaving for New York tomorrow. My gouache, paint brushes, panels, oil paint, gesso, and butcher tray are all staying home....

I leave for a week, starting tomorrow. I am going to take tons of photos, visit museums, sit in parks, sketch, people watch, visit art supply stores, drink lots of coffee, take everything in and explore.

I am really looking forward to this...

These are the three paintings that I recently did for the Fact and Fancy Gallery.
The red one is my favorite. Expect more red typewriters :)

In case you happen to live in New York and would like to go to the opening, the address is:

75 Hoyt Street
Brooklyn, NY
11201

I Like Thursdays

I have so many little things to do!

It's kind of annoying. I hate doing all the little things that need to get done. I feel like I am not getting any work done, when really I am. I like big projects. Big projects make me feel like I got something done. Like I did a lot of work...

Anyway, I posted a new painting today, and yesterday. I got to work on some of the 83 panels that I have today. I think I am going to work on them in groups of six. I can handle six.

Tomorrow is Cranbrook Graduation. There is going to be a big party tomorrow night, and I have a feeling it's going to be a little crazy. Those sculpture kids know how to party, and the painting department isn't exactly tame either :)

Tuesday Tuesday

Hey!

It's Tuesday!
What does that mean? I don't know. :)

Anyway...just work today. Nothing exciting.

Went for a run. That was good. I love running.

I think Butch and I might try and run the Portland Marathon in October.
We'll see. It's one of my goals in life.

That's all I gots.
Hope everyone is having a good Tuesday!!

Critiques

Blah!
I have a critique tonight in my digital photography class.

I thought I had seen the last of critiques when I graduated....nope!

I really hate critiques. Really. I mean, it would be one thing if they were actually useful, but most of the time it's a bunch of people staring at your work saying things like, "I really like how you used red in your picture."

Or I love it when people say, "Oh! It looks like a toaster I had when I was growing up." Or I think it looks more like the Easter Bunny wearing a Santa suit." Yeah. I just want to get this over with....

I don't want to sound like some sort of art snob or something. I mean, it's not like I ever say anything remotely intelligent or helpful. I just find the whole process really painful.

On another note. I think Michael wants to move to New York. He said I was going to love it, and want to move there too. I've always wanted to live in New York, but I don't know. I guess we'll have to wait and see. I still love Portland. It will always be my home.

Speaking of New York...I leave in like 2 weeks! Eeeee!! I am really nervous. Really. I am afraid of getting lost mostly. I have the worst sense of direction, and can't read a map to save my life.
Butch will be there...but I know he has to work, so it's up to me to get around most of the time. I will probably just stay mostly in Williamsburg, and venture out with Butch. I am excited though. Very excited.

Happy Monday.

Thanks!

Thanks everyone for being so supportive!

It is greatly appreciated. :)

This morning is going so much better.
I am getting work done, listening to a new mix CD, and it's sooo nice outside.

It's weird to think it was 34 degrees yesterday, and it's 57 degrees right now.

So I have several special orders to get done, and I am just about finished with two.
I painted this Pink Bike for ArtsyOrange.
You should check out her Etsy shop!
She has some really pretty pendants.

I am also almost done with a little chair painting for the DDP gallery.
It for a charity event that helps to benefit people with disabilities become acting members of their community.

I just realized that I forgot to take a picture of it...
opps.

Moving on...I also finished this painting this other chair painting this morning. I like the lone chair, on the floor, and the the little balloon. It's sad, but happy at the same times.

I am almost done with this typewriter painting too. I painted the keys this morning, and now I have to sit down and figure out the letters, and give it a nice coat of wax.

I have digital photography class tonight and I am really not looking forward to it.
Really.