michele maule art: October 2015

Baby Goats! Oh My!

12:21 PM

I finished up these two cuties on Saturday. I'll be making some prints and a new card design with them. I think they're pretty cute!

I'm hoping to have prints of them by the end of the week!

I'm also slowly adding some new versions of some of my prints to my Etsy shop. These are giclee prints printed on canvas and stretched on stretcher bars.

They came out really nicely!

I'm not quite sure how many of these I'm going to make just yet. I think it depends on how well they sell. I feel like my Etsy shop has been in need of a somewhat new kind of product and I think this is a good direction. I think one of the most important things about running an Etsy shop, or any kind of business, is keeping things fresh with new products and designs.

So, hopefully these sell really well and people really like them!

art

Happy Friday!

2:41 PM

You made it! It's Friday! Whoohoo! Here are the things I've been working on this week.

First my friend Tony's portrait.

This is the photo I'm working from. So far, I really like how it's turning out!

I also completed this raccoon watercolor painting a couple of days ago.

I'm trying to work on both my personal work as well as cute animal stuff for the big Crafty Wonderland Holiday show that's coming up in December. Lots of stuff going on. I'm excited and really enjoying the work I've been doing this week.

Hope it's a good weekend for everyone!

carye bye

Studio Space

1:13 PM

I've been dreaming about having my own amazing studio space for the past week. If there were any a time for me to dream big, this is the time.

I had a studio space that I shared with a number of other artists a few years ago. It was great. There were a few drawbacks but being able to get out of the house, make a mess, and leave were all great things. I really enjoy working from home but I do get lonely and sometimes I feel like I really need to get out more. I get a little stir crazy. I can always go to a coffee shop to get some work done, but have you ever really worked in a coffee shop? It's busy, loud and can be really distracting.

art by Carye Bye

I'm not totally sure that I can afford a studio space right now. Especially with the current rent situation for both apartments and work spaces. It's getting ridiculous in Portland. I read an article by Portland artist Carye Bye this morning that really hit home for me. It's in this weeks Willamette Week and in it she discusses how although she loves Portland and it's been her home now for 15 years, she simply can't afford to be a working artist here anymore. Her rents have gone up by 60% for both her home and her studio space.

I know, I know. It's the same old story. Artists move in and a few years later they're forced to move out because banks, high end condos and Lululemons are needed more. (I'll be honest, I do love me some Lululemon.)

Supply and demand, supply and demand. Build more, build more, build more buildings that half of the people who live in this city can't really afford. It's a heated debate on both sides. All I know is the city that I came to love is looking a lot more like California every day and sometimes it really bums me out. And please don't tell me it's still affordable than most major cities. It doesn't make the rising rents and the forcing out of artists, and other low income people, any less hurtful.

flock of birds

3:38 PM

Nate and I went to Sauvies Island to pick out some pumpkins on Sunday. As we were driving home, we came upon this field full of geese. There must have been thousands. People were pulled over on the side of the road videotaping them. It was beautiful and very loud.

We're so lucky to live in such a beautiful area. Sometimes I forget that. I often think about moving away just because it's become so expensive and crowded here. But then we go somewhere like Sauvies, which is just 15 - 20 minutes from our house, and I can't imagine living anywhere else.

We are really lucky to live here.

art

Works in Progress

4:21 PM

I started the sketch for a new painting yesterday. This is my friend Tony. He really wants a paisley background so that's what I'm going to attempt to paint!

This background is going to take A LOT of time. I hope it's worth it! I'm really looking forward to painting people again. This summer was really too hot to work in the garage, but now that it's cooling off I can get back out there and paint again.

Crafty Wonderland is just a couple of months away, so I'm trying to make some new pieces for that as well. Every year people ask me for specific animals, and usually I don't have them. I remember last year a few people asked if I had any raccoons, and I didn't. So this year I'm making some! I might also make a penguin. We'll see!

etsy

Tilikum Crossing

1:28 PM

There's a new bridge in town! Tilikum Crossing opened last month as Portland's newest bridge. It's a pedestrian, bike and public transportation bridge only. No cars are allowed.

So naturally I had to make a new postcard of it!

Before the bridge had a name, Tri-Met asked the people of Portland for suggestions. There were quite a few but one of my favorites was Lisa Simpson. The list of suggestions went to a vote for the people of Portland, and Lisa Simpson was one of the top 5! Sadly, didn't choose that one... They went with Tilikum instead which means people or tribe in the Chinook language. I'm okay with that, but it would have also been really fun to have a bridge named after Lisa Simpson.

art

Bat!

3:47 PM

Chloe was part of my inspiration yesterday when I started drawing this little bat. Her ears look like little bat wings sometimes. I also saw a picture of this little bat and thought it looked really cute.

Bat!

Also, it's October!! Halloween month! I love October and I really love Halloween. I don't really like getting dressed up because I always run out of time to make a costume and also there are only so many people you can dress up as when you wear glasses...

But, I do love everything else! I love my neighbor kids who trick or treat at our house, I love scary movies, I love the smell and the changing leaves. And CANDY! You can't have Halloween without CANDY!

Anyway, it's one of my favorite times of year and I'm loving every minute of it, right now.

creativity

2:21 PM

I think one of the questions and issues that I most struggle with is finding inspiration and creativity. It's not really something that you can turn on and off. Some days it comes pretty easy. Some days it's really hard to find. Today it's been rather difficult to find, for myself.

A few weeks ago I was watching our local news and they were interviewing a guy who was speaking at a creativity summit here in Portland. I wish I could remember his name! Anyway, the newscaster asked what was a way that he found inspiration or creativity. The guy said that this is is most asked question and that it was the main focus of his talk at the conference. He also said that in order to address a creative problem you have to first address what it is specifically you wish to express to solve it. For example, say you're trying to name your baby. Every name you hear or think of is a possible solution to your problem. Every interaction you have is a possible answer as well. The same goes for being creative. His solution is to go out into the world with your issue, look at everything, take everything in and see if it meets your creative solution.

I think that this is a great way to approach creative dilemmas. I don't feel like it's the only way to find inspiration, there are numerous ways to do this. I just thought this was a great way to handle it, a new perspective on it.

I'm Back!

1:37 PM

Flying into Salt Lake. I'm not sure what these are but they reminded me of an abstract painting.

I've been on vacation for a little over a week now, but today I'm back!

Nate and I traveled to Salt Lake City to visit his family. It was a great trip. Salt Lake City is an interesting. We did a little exploring.

We wandered around downtown Salt Lake and discovered quite a few vintage shops and this cool book store. This is a picture of the outside. These shutters open up and a bookshelf with dollar books is available for anyone to pick up and pay inside. I suppose they rely on honest people for this system. I like it.

Inside the bookstore

Fairy Falls

Back home in Oregon Nate and I took Chloe for what we thought was going to be an easy 5 mile hike. We didn't realize that the first 2 miles were all up hill. Poor Chloe. Luckily it was a cool day, so she didn't get too hot, but she was panting and slowing down quite bit by the time we got to the top.

The hike back down was a lot easier and she got a second wind! The total hike was 5.5 miles and she was quite the trooper. People kept asking how she was fairing and were amazed to find out she had hikes over 5 miles!

Go Blazers!

Sunday was Fan Fest at the Rose Garden. The seating was free and first come, first serve. So Nate and I got there about an hour before the doors opened. I think the wait was worth it! We got some great seats and I'm not sure we'll ever be able to afford them so it was a treat. The Blazers played each other in a scrimmage and it was a lot of fun to watch the new team.

Vacation is officially over and there's a lot to do! I'm happy to be back and I'm really happy to be writing in this new blog!

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Baby Goats! Oh My!

Happy Friday!

Studio Space

Works in Progress

Tilikum Crossing

Bat!

I'm Back!

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