M.Lee

Monday, June 22, 2009

New ACEO

Green Hair - ACEO
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com

Time to experiment with my art. The whole direction I had been going with my woodblock prints while I enjoyed it at the time just isn't working for me right now. I've been slowly touching up an unfinished carving and I am almost done. But to be honest I'm not sure what I will do with it when I am done.

I would rather push myself to make little pieces like this piece I have listed on Etsy and soon to be put on Art Fire. This is how I got started before, experimenting with smaller pieces.

I need to finish up this carving so I can clear my desk and get to work on some new small pieces. I might need a little inspirational run to the art store this week.

Heaven knows with this weather we have been having I have plenty of time to be indoors and create. That is if I weren't chasing after a stir crazy toddler all day. We had a break in the dismal weather on Saturday and enjoyed the day at a Strawberry Festival. We picked a bunch of really good strawberries and took Alex on a hayride before we had to take her home for a nap. She's been waking up early and getting exhausted early.

The rest of this week looks like rain, rain and some more rain. Bah!

Posted By marissa At 2:18 PM • Trackbacks (0)

Monday, June 01, 2009

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.

Posted By marissa At 5:13 AM • Trackbacks (0)

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

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 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.

Posted By marissa At 5:47 AM • Trackbacks (0)

Sunday, April 05, 2009

BOGO Studio Sale

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.

Posted By marissa At 6:42 PM • Trackbacks (0)

Wednesday, April 01, 2009

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.

Posted By marissa At 4:24 AM • Trackbacks (0)

Monday, March 23, 2009

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.

Posted By marissa At 5:17 AM • Trackbacks (0)

Monday, February 23, 2009

Circle Collage

Circle Collage
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com

This AM I but the finishing touches on this most trying of pieces. All the bits of paper that had refused to bend to my will did in the end in this piece that pretty much sums up my past year. Bits and pieces of a trying but passionate year all thrown together in a quilt like collage. I always wished I had the sewing abilities for quits so here I am doing my own take on them. Making this piece in the passion with a baby literally strapped to my back while I created it.

I have this block that I started over a year ago that remains unfinished and I do not know what to do with it. To be perfectly honest. It reminds me of a more innocent time in my artistic life where I strived for simpler things. Now with this work half unfinished I don't know weather to continue with it or move on.

All I know is that I have a huge body of work from the years to draw upon.

Posted By marissa At 9:24 PM • Trackbacks (0)

Wednesday, February 04, 2009

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.

Posted By marissa At 5:58 AM • Trackbacks (0)

Monday, January 12, 2009

New Directions

#17 - Collage Challenge
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com

With everything that is going on in my life, especially having to chase after a sixteen month old, I just don't have a reliable amount of time or desire to make new artwork. Sure, it does happen every once in awhile. But not like before.

Because of this combined with some other factors I have decided to move my focus onto listing reproductions of my artwork on Etsy and Art Fire for the time being and see what happens.

This seemed like a great piece to start with since it is a work that is being published and under my agreement with the publishers I can't sell it until after the book comes out. It isn't a rule but I am going to focus mostly on works that have already sold or aren't available in their original form for some reason.

Muse on Etsy
Muse on Art Fire

Speaking of Art Fire I have decided to give it another chance, at least until March. The truth is that since the first month I haven't put much if any effort into it. Not listing and not doing any outside promotion. And with the economy being the way it is I need to do those things more than ever. So I am going to keep at it and I think you should too. I still think the site has potential.

Posted By marissa At 4:40 AM • Trackbacks (0)

Monday, January 05, 2009

We're back

beach at dusk
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com

Sorry I haven't been around since getting back from Florida. Before Florida I got really sick. So sick in fact I was puking all night the night before our flight out. Even though I am better now I'm still recovering in a sense. Alexandra has been a huge handful lately. I am learning to accept that being a mom comes first and at least for now my artwork and everything involved with it is a distant second. But I do have hope to get some new pieces out this month. I did make a collage on new years day that I haven't scanned or photographed yet. It doesn't feel 100% done yet.

Florida was great despite having the plague. We got to spend a lot of time wandering around the beach and the weather and air were just perfect.

Wishing everybody a fantastic 2009!

Posted By marissa At 5:30 AM • Trackbacks (0)

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Last Chance

The End of the Day
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com

To win this, or many other great pieces along with other goodies with a total value of $80. Come Thursday I am shutting down my Etsy and Art Fire
shops and going on vacation until past Christmas. As I right this there are only four entries in my little raffle. All you need to do is spend $20 (including shipping) or more and you are entered. I will announce the winner after we get home.

I hope everybody has a great Christmas, Hanukkah or whatever it is you do or don't celebrate. Have a great Festivasmetal poles are your thing.

All three of us are sick here, especially little blee, so any prayers and well wishes for us to heal before our trip from my readers would be greatly appreciated.

Posted By marissa At 2:45 AM • Trackbacks (0)

Friday, December 12, 2008

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?

Posted By marissa At 5:56 AM • Trackbacks (0)

Monday, December 08, 2008

Goodbye

with great grandma
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com

Jon's maternal grandmother passed away yesterday. He will be traveling to the funeral in Ohio on Thursday and be getting back Sunday. I am grateful that she was able to meet her only great-grandchild twice before she went. She was 89 years old and will be missed by us and many others. This is my first time caring for Alexandra on my own for an extended period of time. I'm very lucky to have such an involved partner.

I know I should be working my butt off on Etsy and Art Fire right now, but I'm not. Today was a busy morning and I just got home and I am spent.

Yesterday I had fun playing with monotype printmaking. Layering colored inks on a plexi plate and removing parts to form a multi colored image. I learned that I need to replace my Hansa Yellow because some air got in and ruined it and that I need some practice. But I had a good time and I learned how easy it is to cleanup these inks compared to oil which makes it much more doable during daytime naps when she could wake up at any moment. It was great to make something without regard for it being perfect or worthy of selling. I tend to get caught in that trap and I broke free of that last night. I expect to be doing more of this whenever I have the chance this week.

Also, in case you missed my post from the weekend I am going to repeat myself because it is important to me as I worked very hard for this.

Hi. If you were referred to Art Fire by me please send an email to Jessica Johnson and let her know. There has been some sort of bug and none of my referrals prior to today went through.

Thanks and have a great week. I'll be back tomorrow or Wednesday hopefully.

Posted By marissa At 11:04 AM • Trackbacks (0)

Thursday, December 04, 2008

The End

African Queen
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com

This is the last item I will list, renew or relist on Etsy until something changes. I relisted it from the depths of expiredland mid Thursday before I found out about the new "improvements" with Etsy's search. Basically they have made it so only five pages show in search and if you use reverse search to see the least recently listed item it only draws from those five pages.

And five pages move fast on a bloated site like Etsy.

I just got two very nice sales locally on collages that just weren't moving on Etsy. I'm feeling overall hopeful about Art Fire and I am fed up. I welcome any sales and will pay my fees from them gladly. But I am done with useless listing fees. Seems like a way to force desperate sellers to renew often so they can get their work seen. Disgusting.

I welcome people to check out Art Fire and use me as a
http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=sevenforlife&afuid=3212 because that is where my new work and the work that is close to expiring is going to be going.

Goodnight and good morning!

Posted By marissa At 9:26 PM • Trackbacks (0)

Monday, December 01, 2008

Florida here we come!

Jungle
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com

We are going to Florida on the 18th and returning on the 29th. This means I will have to put both my Etsy and Art Fire shops into vacation mode. So please if you are interested in buying for Christmas buy by the 17th at the absolute latest. I will be closing up early that night.

We are flying into Ft. Lauderdale where the inlaws live and staying there a couple of days. Then borrowing one of their cars and a carseat and driving to Sarasota to spend some time there. On Christmas eve the inlaws will come to Sarasota and things should be interesting as they have never met my grandparents. We won't be flying during the peak travel times so I don't think it will be too horrible. This is our first time flying with blee.

My neighbor will be walking our dog Maeby for us. She has a year old daughter that just adores her. I owe her some serious babysitting time!

Posted By marissa At 8:32 PM • Trackbacks (0)

Cyber Monday

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.

Posted By marissa At 8:31 AM • Trackbacks (0)

Friday, November 28, 2008

Like Getting Free Stuff?

Dark Branches
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com

Then check out my contest!

Spend $20 or more (including shipping) in my shop between now and Xmas and be entered to win a prize worth $80. You pick the 8x10 print ($60 value) of your choice and I will make up the rest. Consider it a holiday present for yourself. I will choose from my sales list on the day after Christmas and draw one randomly.

This offer is good on Etsy and on Art Fire.

And remember; Register on ArtFire.com for $7 a month for life.

Posted By marissa At 6:19 AM • Trackbacks (0)

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

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.

Posted By marissa At 6:10 AM • Trackbacks (0)

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Printing Again!

After Dark
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com

Yep, today and yesterday I printed a total of two layers of color on about thirty sheets of fine Japanese paper. Hopefully this weekend I will finish them off and have some brand spanking new work to show off. Hot off the presses.

Until then I will keep my shops on Etsy as well as my new shop on Art Fire
updated with pieces from when I last printed along with renewing older listings. But I have some exciting stuff coming, I'm feeling excited about my work again for the first time since probably April or May. That is when I really lost it.

Speaking of Art Fire, it is this great up and coming site for selling that reminds me of how Etsy used to be. I signed up for it last week and think it has great potential. And the best part is that for $7 a month for life I can sell as much as I want and pay no fees! I joined Etsy in November 2005 when it was about the same age as Art Fire is now and the wow feeling I had with Etsy back then is back with Art Fire. Etsy has (mostly) been good to me and I have no plans of leaving the site anytime soon. But there are a lot of problems that I don't expect will ever get addressed so a fresh start is nice. This holiday I will be keeping a presence on both sites.

Posted By marissa At 8:18 PM • Trackbacks (0)

Thursday, November 13, 2008

I've Felt Better

it's back!
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com

Ok, so my eye thankfully doesn't look like this anymore, but I am still feeling down. That the eye problem came back in the middle of me struggling with a cold while caring for a daughter and a husband with colds really got to me.

I hate making excuses but I had three blocks ready to print, paper torn and colors picked out a week ago last Thursday and I was ready to print that night. But I postponed because I meet with a group of friend's every Thursday night and that is important too. So I get sick on Friday. Then on Sunday I wake up with my eye in flames and think I have to go back to the doctor. Just looking at the picture now sends chills of memories of how much it hurt down my spine.

So, one week later here I am again with paper, blocks and ideas ready to go. I can't print during the day because I can't get a block of time secured while watching blee. But unless I have the energy to stay up late there is no printing tonight because of that meeting. And since I am still sick I don't think staying up late is advisable. But do artists always do what is advisable? I remember how spontaneous I used to be.

So I am left with Friday and the weekend. I can't waste it this time around.

But then I am depressed about my work, wondering why I should even bother creating it at this point. Thinking that it isn't valid work anymore. That I should just keep taking pictures of blee and forget about making art altogether.

I want to be making art right now while she is being good but I am filled with this fear. I think maybe I could get my inks out and do some printing and it will be okay if I have to stop, I've done it before and it didn't go too badly. Have I lost the passion?

I wish it wasn't so cold outside we could go for a walk.

Hope my readers are having a better day/ week/ month than I am. I'm going to make myself a cup of tea. Parts of my day that I have been lacking since getting sick is yoga and drinking a cup of tea in the morning. Maybe I should put new batteries in the Balance Board of the Wii and do some yoga and Hula Hoop in Wii fit. Maybe maybe maybe.

Posted By marissa At 6:10 AM • Trackbacks (0)