Jes Lee

Steady on

First, I want to thank everyone that has congratulated me on my latest project! All of the kind words really, really mean a ton to me.

I wouldn’t be honest if I didn’t admit that I am a bit overwhelmed thinking of everything that is coming up, and needs to be done. But it will all happen. I have learned to have faith in that, and keep going one bit at a time.

Today was supposed to be a busy day filled with work, followed by an evening with friends. But, due to me still not being back to feeling 100% after the upper respiratory crap I have had the last couple of weeks, and John starting to not feel great again, we are slowing down. Something I probably need more than I care to admit.

So, after work today, I will go home, and curl up on the couch with John, watch a few movies, and work on the mechanical processes of getting images ready for this project. Thanks to a new hard drive in my little laptop, working on those things from the couch is possible!

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Made Here!!

I have been waiting to be able to announce this!

I had a proposal accepted for the Made Here INTERSEC+IONS exhibition taking place this summer in empty store fronts along Hennepin Avenue. Starting later in May, four of my images will be printed (very very large!) and displayed in four of the windows in the second floor of the old National Camera building at 930 Hennepin Avenue.

This is huge! I am beyond thrilled that I get to be part of this, participating with so many other talented artists and groups….I am shocked!

I have sooooooo much work ahead of me this month to prepare… But it will be so amazing and worth it!

Stick around, I will post many in-progress reports of how things are going with preparations, on top of my regular-semi-daily updates.

And save the date! June 3rd, 7-9pm is the big public launch party for the exhibition with a tour of all the installations!

I’m pretty certain this will be one of the images I have in this installation….it is one of my favorites….

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Little updates

It has been a little quiet around my blog since I finished the last major run of printing on my book. It has been nice to have just a short break.

Of course I have been working on other little things after the printing was complete on my book. I am in a great workshop at MCBA, learning about photopolymer photograveur from Paulette Meyers Rich – an amazing artist and person. The class is full of great, creative people, and I am so excited to learn more about this medium and technique. I would really like to create more of my work in this way. And considering that my new job will allow me some extra funds to pay for the supplies needed for this medium, I’m certain I will continue with it in some form.

Yes, I said that. I have a new job. I start in just under 1 week as one of the studio managers at Anoka Ramsey Community College. It will be great!

Of course this means a lot of changes in my life in the upcoming years…as if there haven’t been many changes already. I think the hardest so far is having to step back from all the free-lance jobs I usually take on without really thinking. Time will be much more precious now.

And of course I will still be trying to finish this little book! I spent a lot of time at MCBA yesterday, and managed to get the pages organized, sorted, and the edges trimmed.

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I still plan on working on this book as often as I can. Though my progress on it will slow down considerably. The work I completed yesterday was amazing to finish. Those steps were the last that needed to be completed at MCBA, and represent one more massive step complete in this book’s process. The rest I can complete on my own, wherever I need to be.

Today is the first Wednesday this summer that I haven’t been volunteering at the library. First up today is working on pottery with my dad. There is also a photo job scheduled later today, other little errands, and some work on weekend plans. But the sun is out, and I think today will be a good day.

Prints 14

On Friday I finished three runs before it was time to be done. I can really feel myself getting closer to the end now. Sunday I stayed up late getting the negative ordered for the last few polymer plates I have to remake. Things are coming together. It will be a few days before I can print again due to a photo job and an appointment to get my hair dyed. But I am honestly quite happy to have a short break.
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In other bits, this weekend felt wonderfully long, and I was able to spend a lot of time with John running off to new places, and old favorites. It was lovely. We also managed to finish two of the many yard work projects we have going. Cheers to a new week!

Prints 13

I know my printing time has been gradually decreasing over the last week. Each color run I finish completed the hashtags for one more page, meaning each run I do there are 32 pages less to print on than the time before. Today was the first day I really noticed that it was taking me less time to print. I finished two color runs in only 3 1/2 hours. I still have 8 more color runs, plus a large run for the map, and three short runs for the colophon, and title page. I am making up the colors as I go.
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Prints 11

I made it past the half-way point today!

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Also, it is Holga Week! It has been awhile since I have brought my Holga with me. So, I have it in my bag this week. Today I photographed my letterpress project with it.

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Maybe I will get a photo of the river tomorrow with it.

Prints 10

I managed to squeeze in two word runs instead of only one. Both were runs that had multiple words switching between pages, requiring a lot of organization. I am a bit uncertain about the blue color I mixed yesterday. I hope I feel better about it today when I see it again. I am actually getting very close to the halfway point of printing. Of course a couple of other large deadlines are creeping up on me…closer than I would like to admit. But I do keep making progress, and that is what counts!

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Prints 6

I admit it. I skipped yoga class today to print more. But I managed to get two runs done instead of only one. Two colors instead of one. One single word run, and one run made up of three words. It felt good to make that much progress!

Another day of printing tomorrow, and monitoring the screen printing studio tomorrow night. I love being at MCBA as much as I am right now!

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Prints 4

Today there was more printing
And purple ink
And awesome people in the print studio
And so much laughter
And hula dancers
And after-chemo hair
And popsicles
And learning
And feeling a part of a community
And I am exhausted, but I can’t wait to go back.
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Bright lilac ink (the fluorescent lights throw the photo’s color off) on the Universal 3 Vandercook at MCBA.