M.Lee

Monday, December 21, 2009

5 reasons why leaving Boston is awesome!

first snow
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com

Pros!

1) Blizzard!

2) Florida sunshine in December might not be the warmest, but the contrast to here more than makes up for that.

3) Avatar! Movies and dinner dates out! Free babysitting from family is a rare and wonderful thing.

4) Getting to leave the house without some big production. Unless going to the beach and then it is worth it.

5) Having family fawn all over Alex.

Cons!

1) Having a six am flight and having to get up by four am with a sleepy and most likely grumpy toddler.

2) Packing is never fun.

3) Cleaning the house.

4) No more green smoothies in the morning. Vitamix doesn't travel well and I don't think the stick blender will cut it.

5) Wasting my membership to the Gym. But I think there is one that I can use at my Grandmother's complex. Actually using it is another story.

As you can see the pros far out way the cons! We're not bringing the laptop and will have limited internet access, mostly from our phones. See you next year! Hope everybody has a great holiday and New Years!

Posted By marissa At 6:14 AM • Trackbacks (0)

Sunday, December 06, 2009

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.

Posted By marissa At 7:10 PM • Trackbacks (0)

Wednesday, December 02, 2009

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.

Posted By marissa At 5:01 AM • Trackbacks (0)

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving!

found hat
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com

Hope all my friends in the US had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend and didn't get too bruised up if you did participate in Black Friday. Other than a few choice Amazon purchases we abstained from shopping on Friday. And I won't set foot in a mall until next year.

We're really busy right now totally re-arranging the apartment, but are well. It is going well and I am feeling good about it.

Alex says hi!

Posted By marissa At 7:26 PM • Trackbacks (0)

Thursday, November 12, 2009

continuing on

#2 with #1 in background
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com

The letter/ alphabet series can officially be called a series now. The second one is up for sale on Etsy and Artfire.

I found myself dawdling with this one after I got it going two weeks ago. I guess I have commitment issues. But really, I just have so much to do it is hard to find the time when I am in the right frame of mind to work on art. The timing is often just not right.

But with Alex going to her Toddler group every Wednesday that leaves me 2 hours and I should be able to use at least an hour of that to work on art. If I am diligent about it I might even be able to get back to making a piece a week. Not quite the same as the 20+ pieces I would make every week or two back in the day, but these are collages not prints. And my life has changed since then and I accept what comes along with those changes.

Anyhow, I hope you enjoy this piece as there will be more following it. Keep watching!

Posted By marissa At 4:08 AM • Trackbacks (0)

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

The past made current again

Night Falls on Two Trees
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com

It may not be new, but this piece is still lovely to me. I've always loved how the colors gently moved into and around each other. The coolest blue I could mix combined with a bright pale orange. Finished off with dark purple. And the mysterious shapes that overlap it all. It speaks to me now because this is basically the point in autumn that we are at here in New England. There is still some beauty, but it is fading quickly as the cold airs come in. But there is still this crispness to hand onto.

It was a lovely weekend filled with as nice as the weather is going to get until well into next year. Hope all my readers, wherever you may be, had a wonderful weekend as well with gorgeous weather. And if not, here's hoping for next weekend.

Posted By marissa At 5:14 AM • Trackbacks (0)

Thursday, November 05, 2009

My Box

Lettering #2 Mosaic
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com

My project box that is. Through all of the not part of reality silliness in The Creative Habit I found a few gems. I finished it on my Kindle iPhone app the other day and am putting what I learned to use.

1) Start a morning ritual to get myself going in the right direction. My first thought and attempt was for this to be making green smoothies and then working out doing The Shred. But that was just too much to do every day, especially on days following a rough night with Alex. So it soon got whittled down to just the green smoothie part. Much healthier than a cup of coffee and a more long lasting energy, plus it is for the entire family. And Alex needs all the veggies I can get her to eat. Plus we are fasting for the next three weeks and coffee is out.

2) A box for my creative project(s). One box for each one to keep things focused. Right now I am using a shoe box, but when I get the chance I will probably take her advice and get the kind you can buy at Office Depot. In this box goes all the papers I have found that could possibly work for my project. And inside of that I have a two tiered pencil case that keeps the small pieces so they don't get lost in the shuffle. And at the top level of the case are the ones I think I will be using. She just suggested a box, but she is a dancer not a visual artist, so I felt the need to expand to suit my needs.

3) I also have an computer based tool that I am trying out as a way to gather and organize various materials. I can save websites and images and put them into folders so they are easy to bring up whenever I need them.

Have I mentioned how much I love the Kindle app yet? Because I do, yet it actually keeps me from getting an actual Kindle rather than making me want one. I'm a minimalist when it comes to what I carry with me and having it in my phone is perfect. Now I read my physical books at home, but I always have something as backup on my phone.

Now along with a novel (The Blind Assassin for you curious types) I am reading another book to boost my productivity. This time it is a book that is practical for all people called Getting Things Done. The latter is on my Kindle app again which makes it handy for a quick read and note taking.
I plan on always having one fiction and one non-fiction books going at all times. Funny how just six months ago I could barely find the attention to finish a book in six months and now I am reading books within a week tops.

Just another sign that things are improving.

Posted By marissa At 4:27 AM • Trackbacks (0)

Monday, November 02, 2009

Crisp Air Days

Halloween Weekend Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com Hope you had a great weekend. It was the perfect crisp Autumn weekend that we have grown to expect from living in New England but haven't gotten much of this year.
Posted By marissa At 4:26 PM • Trackbacks (0)

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Onwards and Upwards!

new materials
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com

Since I was so happy with this piece from last week I've decided that it needs to be a series. It just feels right and my energy for it is high and consistent. I haven't had that in ages, instead having short and sudden creative bursts where I make a piece in an hour and then may go as long as a few months before making another in the exact same way. The inspiration then was still real, but different and very fleeting. This feels much more purposeful and planned. Well, because it is more purposeful and planned!

Last week I downloaded The Creative Habit for the Kindle app on my iPhone and am reading it bit by bit daily. It isn't perfect, in fact some of the advice is downright laughable. Such as the one where she suggests to take a week and not talk, at all that entire week. I'm not a nun and I have obligations, as most people do, that require me to be able to communicate in more than just hand gestures and notes. Maybe some of the artists that don't have day to day jobs, or a family that needs them can do this exercise in restraint. But for the vast majority of us it is not only not practical but it is not possible. But overall it is a positive experience to read it and I am better off for it. For starters it has gotten me to rethink my day and try to get on some sort of schedule. Or at the very least get my day started with a bang instead of a groggy hour watching Curious George while downing coffee.

So I have been attempting to change my morning routine by going to bed earlier and waking up earlier and better. The attempt to wake up at 5:30am so I could use that precious time to work out before my daughter woke up did not go so well. I have pretty bad insomnia and when 5:30 came around I would be going on sometimes no more than four hours of sleep. Every time without fail I would turn my alarm off and go back to sleep. But now my husband and I have a schedule that allows me to work out in the morning and make the family a good breakfast and I don't even have to get up before seven on most mornings. Of course with a toddler, staying on a strict schedule is impossible, but for the most part it works. And that book pushed me to make this change.

This has impacted my health and ultimately my creativity. I'm not as tired any more and my head isn't so muddy. I've been working out whatever has been muddling my mind out slowly for the past few months and am really starting to see some results. I've been obsessed with Google Calendar and various scheduling apps for my iPhone, trying to find the perfect mix to keep me on task.

Posted By marissa At 4:34 AM • Trackbacks (0)

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

A Newfound Hunger

a great find, but I need more!
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com

My collage from last week is officially finished and listed on Etsy and Art Fire. I worked hard, yet it all seemed to flow quite naturally, to balance color and form. The only snag was my own confidence making it difficult for me to commit. But after playing around with the layout of elements for the week I knew when I had the right one.

This alphabet paper I found last week has awakened a letter hungry monster in me! With my rather large collection of papers it is remarkable that I found these so quickly.

But I didn't know that I had multiple colors! This opens up a lot more to me, but I still need different papers, cut outs, fonts and colors. More please! The circle series didn't feel like a series at the time, but this piece is certainly the beginning of a new series. What fun!

So for now I must settle for a virtual online shopping spree collecting various papers, stickers and what not of various fonts. I'm thinking some stencils might be nice too so I can make my own.

I can't wait for my two free hours on Wednesday! It is a pity that I won't have more to work with by then, but I have enough to get started.

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

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Collage Crazy

and I stumble
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com

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.

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

Monday, August 10, 2009

Unsure

layout
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com

Being out of a near constant stream of creativity and art making has left me feeling rather insecure and slow to nail anything down or complete something. I hesitate before bringing out the glue and sealer. I hesitate before making certain cuts to paper or wood.

This is my current challenge. I have a hard time feeling that I have wasted precious and sometimes expensive materials on a failed piece. This was much easier when I was just doing straight up woodblock prints. Sure, if I messed up an actual block that stunk because I was out one block and the time I put into it. But with actually printing I was much less scared of failure because paper and ink are rather inexpensive and I knew that even if some pieces didn't turn out I could use parts of them in other things eventually. I saved failed works sometimes for years, being a packrat has really paid off because now I am going through those pieces and finding bits of beauty even in the worst of them. Even a horrible piece can have an inch of beauty.

Many of these collages are rather spontaneous and fast. I wonder if that is wrong and I should labor over the layout for many hours or if I should just go with my instincts. One thing is for sure that this is something I need to figure out so I can keep it from holding me back.

I'm excited because I just got a wonderful and rather inexpensive refurbished sewing machine off of Overstock.com. Unfortunately I can't figure out how to even get it started, but that should be solved tonight with the help of a friend. I've been wanting to add stitching elements to my work ever since I started collage making two years ago. I've done a bit of hand stitching in some pieces but I really like the look of perfect machine stitching. I'm very excited about what is to come and I hope to share it here with you soon.

Posted By marissa At 9:21 AM • Trackbacks (0)

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 the end of April 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)