The Painted Bra Project

Here is my entry for the "Painted Bra Project".  The project, started by artist Anna Braden, is to raise awareness for breast cancer.

Here is the link to see the project and all of the entries:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/The-Painted-Bra-Art-Project/265252810167734?closeTheater=1

New Art Pillow

I am having a ball combining painting and fabric.  There is something about fabric that almost makes me cry, I love it so much.  The way it folds and takes color.  The way the wind can catch a piece of silk and wrap it gently around my arm.  There is a time and space for every piece of fabric I find.  Each piece comes with it's own memory.
 That is what I love about it.
Enjoy!

What's been going on?

Hey everyone. I haven't posted any thoughts lately. It's been all business and I can only do that for so long. Today I finally got to sleep late, did all of my "gottas" first thing and have been creating the rest of this afternoon. What a wonderful way to spend a lazy Sunday. I don't get to do this very often, so when it happens, it's a real treat. Life has been so busy lately. With the gallery going full speed ahead and my children getting into their last semesters and years of high school....there is little time for much else.

Two of my children went to prom last night! My goodness, I am so very proud of them. They are growing up to be beautiful adults inside and out. Here is a picture of them before they left with their dates. Just brother and sister. Aren't they sooo cute. They each have their own style when it comes to clothes. I think they expressed themselves nicely! I know....enough with the mommy bragging. But, I can't be ALL art all the time :) he he

Ok...back to life. Like I said the gallery is turning out to be a great project. People in the community seem to love it and most of the artists are selling their booties off. Even with this economy the way it is. It has been nice to see new people come in and immediately get a smile on their face! Isn't that what it is all about? Yes...I thought so.

It's been a whirl wind this year. We had a trip to Kauai that in three words....BLEW ME AWAY! I swear, when I stepped off the plane, I actually felt the hum of the earth beneath my feet. It was so inspirational. I came back from that trip changed forever. And one day, if God is willing, I will actually live there. Heaven....sheer Heaven.

My goal this year is to slow down a little....well...a lot :( I am having to really work at this. And it's hard! My body is not what it used to be and there seems to be something wrong with the joints. Long story short, I am being shown by God that He really wants me to slooooow down and enjoy this life, instead of running full throttle all the time. I am missing so much by doing it that way. So we will see if I can do it. hmmmmmm? Right now my energy is focused strictly on my family and the gallery. http://www.16maingallery.com/

(obvious plug) LOL

I will try to write more on here and get back to letting you all in on what is going on with me. Instead of just posting work. I love going to other artists websites and getting to know them as opposed to just seeing their art. It helps me to share....and in turn....it helps you all to hear the experiences.

ok....signing off for now. NEED to go back to creating. I can feel it in my bones.......

Night,

M

Valentine's Day 2 Give Away!

The winner is...

Sharon Brown!

Day #2 of our Valentine's Day Give Away.

Remember all you need to do is post a comment with your name. That's it.

The drawing will be Saturday Night 2/12/11 at 5pm

The next piece is....

The Lake

By Michele Lee

24x36 mixed media on gallery wrap canvas

Happy Birthday Carol!

Completed Painting

Reference Photo

Here is a commission that I just finished and was picked up today. It was done for a good friend of mine, for her birthday. Her sweet husband came in a few months ago and brought me a picture that they had taken. He wanted to have a painting done and give it to her for her birthday. I LOVE these kind of paintings! Not only for the fact that they are a secret...but that someone puts so much thought into a gift. It is easy to go to the mall and buy a gift...but it is ALWAYS more fun to really think about it and find something personal.
So...Happy Birthday Carol! I hope you enjoy your Jazz guys as much as I did painting them. The other artists were starting to worry about me talking to them so much in my studio! LOL!
Enjoy!

Great Class!

I had a great group of women in the Chinoiserie class yesterday! It was a great small group. And these women rocked! They completed a 6 hour painting in 2 1/2!!!! Way to go ladies! Now, I did prime and crack the canvases before they got there. So that knocked off about 2 hours. But still!!! Wow!

I am always amazed at how artistic people really are if they just let go. I can't tell you how many times I have heard, "I can't even draw a stick figure". I really believe that there is an artful side to everyone that balances out their "thinking" side. When the left side of the brain is turned off, the art begins to emerge. These women were fearless. They sat down and let their right brains run with it. Not a word of complaint or criticism of themselves...they just painted. Before we knew it, the time had flown by! Hopefully they learned enough to try it again on their own.

One of these three women will be taking a 4 week acrylic painting course with me. Can you guess which one it is? I am so excited to share what I have learned with her. I will have to post her final painting when we are done.

Thanks ladies for the wonderful class yesterday. I hope you will enjoy your new paintings for many years to come!

Romancing the Canvas

I learned a lesson a while back from my good friend Angie over at Pick My Brains Art http://pickmybrainsart.blogspot.com/

She taught me to "romance the canvas". This is a time when I put my canvas on the easel, face it so that I pass by and see it every day, stop and look here and there, pray and wait for the vision to appear. I carry a sketch book with me where ever I go. So during the romancing stage, and whenever I get a still moment, I put my thoughts to pen and paper either doodling, drawing or writing down what I feel. This book is full of daily inspirations. When the time has come and I can feel that the time is right, I start to paint.

So here is a picture of a canvas I have on the easel now. It is the same size as the commission piece I am still working on. So while I paint on that one I take time to glance over my shoulder at the blank one and give it a little wink. :) I think I already have a vision for this one....but we will have to wait and see if it comes to fruition.

So take time to "romance YOUR canvas". It might be an actual canvas or it might be something in your life that you need to ponder, decide or just slowly take your time with. In the end, it always pays to take your time. There's really no rush.

Enjoy!

(Update: A vision is starting to come to life)

Progress NOT perfection

We strive to progress in this life...NOT to perfect it. When I find myself disappointed about the outcome it is usually because I had expectations of how it should have gone. But when I realize that this life is not my own, but yet an adventure in learning and growing.....THAT is when I can see the beauty in this world I call....... "Paradise".

Enjoy!

Michele

New Business/New Website

Looking back at December...I had no idea where my life was headed. I thought I was going to work a little, spend time with the family, and of course paint for at least the next 10 yrs or so. Sometimes we don't always know what is going to happen in our lives...that's what makes this life such a wonderful adventure. Sometimes...just sometimes we have to close our eyes and jump! So that is what I/we did......
I have partnered up with a very good friend, Ricky Sauls, and created a new company! Artistic Finishes. http://artisticfinishesstudio.com/ It has been a lot of hard work...but with a little prayer, sweat,tears and the support of great families, we have created a wonderful adventure.
My husband has been very hard at work getting the website launched. Thank God...because I HATE that part of it! Ricky and I have been busy with new clients, painting and samples samples samples!
I have to give a big hung and thank you to Leigh http://fencepostings.wordpress.com/and Ashleigh for helping to create a beautiful logo. As artists, Ricky and I have way too may ideas to put together and it can get very confusing. So thanks again girls. THAT was a lot of work.
Thanks to Heather Bookout http://heatherbookoutphotography.com/and her staff , we were able to find the right website, have great photos taken and given enough encouragement to launch this company. Thanks guys for being so patient with us through all of this wild ride. You guys are the bomb!
I am sure that I have forgotten someone...but this is not the Grammy's. LOL
I guess the point of all of this is to say....when you are in doubt and don't know which way to turn.....close your eyes and choose a path. With even just a little faith and prayer.....it will be ok.
Enjoy!

Jackson Pollock's Birthday

Today is Jackson Pollock's Birthday. I love how large he painted and how he got LOST in the work. Some say a little too lost:)

My friend Angie http://pickmybrainsart.blogspot.com/ is having a few of our close artistic sisters over for a paint day to commemorate this occasion!

I can't wait to have a full day of painting with my girls. And I can't wait to see what beautiful work comes off our canvasses. I will post that later. But for now...here are some photos of Pollock and his work. Plus some interesting facts.

Enjoy!

In the 1940s artists around the world tried to deal with the impact of World War II. The Surrealist art movement, born in pre-war Europe, had great influence in postwar America largely due to the wartime migration of significant European artists. In New York, Surrealism continued to be a major influence on the free association method of working, called ‘automatism’. Through this method, artists sought to unlock images from the depths of their unconscious.
Many artists took an interest in Carl Jung’s theory of the collective unconscious and sought to explore symbols that had powerful shared meanings across different cultures and throughout history. This theory often provoked the desire to study tribal art and symbols as seen in the early work of Mark Rothko and his close friend Adolph Gottlieb.
The notion of a ‘return to origins’ of our deep humanity informed a renewed interest in the spontaneity of children’s art and what was then known as ‘the art of the insane’.
Philosophies such as existentialism, which stressed personal responsibility for creating meaning in one’s life, contributed to artists working with personal imagery. These ideas were incorporated in the work of artists such as Jackson Pollock. His distinctive style incorporated signature linear gestures and a layered surface made up of energetic drips and splatters.

Pollock's Materials and Techniques
Pollock did not produce preparatory drawings, colour sketches or other plans for his work. After long deliberation before the empty canvas, he used his entire body in the picture-making process, as he dripped, poured and splattered commercial paint – including Duco (automotive paint) acrylic and aluminium – across its surface with the aid of sticks, hardened brushes and garden trowels. In Pollock’s classic poured paintings, line no longer serves to describe shape or enclose form, but exists as an autonomous event, charting the movements of the artist’s body. As the line thins and thickens, it speeds and slows. Its appearance is modified by chance behaviour of the medium such as bleeding, pooling or blistering. In short, Pollock broke free from the conventions and tools of traditional easel painting.

Fun Story

Here is a fun and interesting story of a lady who bought a Jackson Pollock painting at a thrift store for $5. Then found out what she had bought!http://www.cincyworldcinema.org/z_70426jp.php

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Well guys and gals, another year has passed. I hope that it was a good one for all of you!

Sorry that I haven't posted in a bit. But there are some big things a brewin' for 2009. As soon as I can get my bearings I will fill everyone in. But for the past few weeks it has been a whirl wind around here.

So stay tooned, stay happy, stay healthy and most of all stay creative.

Love and peace,
Michele

WLRH interview

This past week I had the pleasure of being a guest on WLRH radio 89.3 here in Huntsville, Al. Beth Norwood invited me to come and take part in her "Talk About Art" program that she has started. Every Friday at noon on WLRH she will air a different local artist. It was so much fun! Beth really had some good questions, that made me think about myself and my art. And what a sweetheart she was. She has the ability to calm a person just by talking. Very Zen-like. Thankfully my back held in there for the 45 min. taping.
My spot will not air until sometime in March or so. I will let you all know when it is coming.
Thanks go out to Beth for opening my eyes to myself and my painting. I learned a lot!
And my friend Leigh, who helped get me to the radio station and for video taping the interview. I will post that later.
So remember to tune in every Friday to WLRH, 89.3 to hear "Talk About Art" with Beth Norwood

The Bunny baby is here!!!!

The Bunny baby is here! As some of you remember, I did a commission piece for his mother a while back. Well on Oct. 19th Thad made his grand arrival. He is the new son of my dear friends Erika and Bo. And he has got to be the most beautiful baby I have seen in a long time. I think I will have to rank him right up there with my little chickadees.

I got to go over the other night right after he got home from the hospital and hold him and feed him and smell his little head. How I miss that baby smell. A hint of powder and soft new skin. Looking at his little face and the cute little half smile (gas from the bottle I'm sure) all I could think was, How precious we all are when we start this journeyof life. I wish that we could all remember how precious we are when we are walking through it. Sometimes I forget that God sees me that way ALL the time. Just like that little baby.

Welcome home Mr. Thad. We are all so glad you are here.

Enjoy!

See you all Monday night

CORK & CANVAS

Monday, October 20th, 6:00-8:00 pm.

This month’s subject: “Reflections of Me" An interpretive painting of you!

Monaco Pictures, in a partnership with Average To Art and local artist Michele Lee, would like you to come and relax on the patio, sip a glass of wine or two and learn how to paint your very own masterpiece.

Cost is $40++ prior to the event and $50++ the day of—includes two glasses of wine and all materials. *For this event, you will need to bring 3 things that represent who you are. This will create your still life.

Space is limited so email Madeline Sandlin, Special Events Coordinator or call 256.327.8342 to reserve your spot at this unique and fun event!

*If it rains, we will move the event indoors to our beautiful Scene Lounge.

Monte Sano Art Show-This Saturday!

Saturday, Sept. 20,2008

9am-5pm

160+ Artists

http://www.montesanoartshow.org/

If you have some free time on Saturday, please come out and join us. The Monte Sano Art Show is held on Monte Sano Mountain in Huntsville, AL. It is a beautiful way to spend a Saturday!! Art, music, food and children's activities.

And it's FREE!

Commission Done!

The Bunnies

16 X 20 ea. acrylic on canvas

By Michele Lee Copyright 2008

Ok, so I was a day or two behind. But I finally got it done. YEAH! Here is a picture of the commission piece that I finished his morning... and with just a few weeks to go before the baby arrives....she will have plenty of time to get them hung. I love it when I can finish a job early.

Now let's see what else is on the agenda.....2 uniforms for my friends daughter that have to be sewn....finish 3 paintings before the Monte Sano Art show on the 20th....work.....and of course fit the family in to all of this time I have to spare. LOL

A little coffee and a lot of prayer and I am sure it will get done just as it is supposed to....or at least that's what I am telling myself :)

Enjoy!

New commission piece

New commision piece that I have started for a girl who is about to give birth to her first child! Hope to have it done tonight...key word, "hope"...kids are home from school so we will see how that goes. Wish me luck...the due date is coming up fast!

Enjoy!

Two more sold!

"Her Shell" (pictured here) and "Spitting Image"(no pic) sold today at the studio! Thanks guys! I am so grateful I can hardly even get through the day without tearing up thinking about this beautiful gift God has given me.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU. THANK YOU!

Enjoy!

LET'S PARTY !!!!! This Friday Aug 15th

Let's have a party!

This Friday, Aug.15 7-9pm

Ok, so here it is. Friday night we are going to have an artist reception party at the Average To Art Studio, 905 Meridian St. Huntsville, AL, from 7-9pm. So dress as you are and come out for some Friday night fun. I have decided to get rid of all of my previous inventory of painting! I am headed in a new direction with my art and NEED to clean house! I need to be able to start from a new beginning...So here is what I'm doing.

1. ALL PAINTINGS will be 40-70% off the original price!

2. 9pm I will raffle off one painting!

3. Any purchase of a painting comes with a $250. discount on ANY decorative wall finish by Average To Art http://www.averagetoart.com/

Plus lots of food and drink.

So grab some friends and come out!

Here is a sample of some of the art that will be on sale Friday

Huntsville Sidewalk Art Stroll

Sidewalk Arts Stroll is Back!!!!
Thursday July 17, 2008
4:30 to 8:30 pm It's FREE !
Downtown on the Courthouse Square-Huntsville

Featured Artist: Gina Percifull

http://www.ginapercifull.com/
Register to win her "Sidewalk" original artwork.
Proceeds to benefit the
Madison County Veterans Memorial Foundation


A great event for all ages. See you on the sidewalks!
http://www.sidewalkartsstroll.com/

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