working – Jes Lee

Made Here launch and on to summer

June 5, 2015 by Jes

The Made Here MN launch party was Wednesday night…and it was amazing!

I enjoyed meeting the other artists, catching up with a few I have known. We went on a walking tour of all the installation sites, ending with a lovely continuation of the party at the new Mayo Clinic Square. It was so much fun! I loved the chance to catch up with friends and fellow artists I have not seen in a while, meeting new, interesting people, and seeing a slice of the creative energy that exists in this city. I have said it before, but being a part of this installation project has been amazing and exciting for me!

photo taken by Shannon Hady!

Photo taken by a lovely tourist walking the bridge at the same time!

We parked on the other side of the river, and had a lovely walk back to our cars at the end of the evening. I love the view of our city, and especially our river at night.

Escapes, the site-specific image I made for my Made Here installation is now up in my Etsy shop in print form.

This was one of the last big events I have planned for this summer break from work. I have thought a lot about the directions my work is going in, and what is next. More musings about this in another blog post. I still have a lot to work out in my head…but the future is bright.

Everything worth prepping for

April 13, 2015 by Jes

This weekend I have been in crazy-get-it-done mode. The contents of my studio are encroaching on our tv-room space, and there is a definite blanket-nest and butt-print where I have been parked on the couch with my laptop working for hours on end.

It was a good weekend! John and I did manage to get out for a walk last night, now that he is finally feeling better. But the rest of the time we sat together, watched movies, and I worked.

I am not only working on the images for Made Here. That is just the first of many deadlines! Saturday, May 9th, from 10am-5pm is Craftstravaganza! Dad and Kiddo Pottery will have a booth there, with many new glaze colors and pretty new things you can use in your home. I have helped my dad as much as I can with creating and glazing, and soon to be pricing and wrapping up new things.

May 15th, 16th, and 17th is Art-a-Whirl. I think this is my favorite weekend of the year, and I know I have mentioned it a million times already. I’m super lucky that the 15th happens to be my last day at work and that I can leave and head to Art-a-Whirl and begin my summer vacation. I plan to have new images created just for that weekend.

I’m sure there will be even more coming in June and July. Or maybe it will be quiet, with a few more calm days in there.

And just now as I am typing this, I received a text message from my uncle, that spring flowers will be popping up soon in this place he knows of, and I am invited to tag a long with my camera. One more thing worth prepping for…

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Back to working on artwork for Made Here! This image might make the cut for my four window spaces. I haven’t quite decided yet…

This new year is still new

February 10, 2014 by Jes

I am still getting the hang of this new year.

I have introduced a lot of new practices into my creative life. Some are sticking well, others not as much.

I have kept up with my film 365 project, and in the process fixed one of my broken cameras.

I have kept up with my ‘morning pages’ journaling practice, though not quite every morning, and not always 3 full pages. But I am journaling and writing more, and it is helping me more than I ever thought.

I have started doing yoga. I went to three classes last week, and really enjoyed the challenge and calm they provided. (Also, yoga makes me feel warm, which I desperately need now!)

I have started working with the studio manager at MCBA on a very exciting project there.

I have started a new book making class at MCBA that will guide me towards making a new editioned book. I admit, I was scared to death to go to this class. I still am, though much less than I was. It is intimidating studying under and next to book artists that I look up to and admire, and feeling like my work belongs. But it has been amazing. I have a lot of work to do on this project, and many articles and books to read to help guide me through this design process, and I am looking forward to it!

Through a very kind friend’s amazing generosity (if you happen to be reading this, you know who you are!) I am the owner of an Impossible Project Instant Lab camera. This amazing little invention creates instant photos of any image you can put on a cell phone. I have played with it all weekend, trying different exposures, making images of cell phone photos and artwork compilations, and double exposures.

There will be a full blog post on this very soon! I am still too amazed at what it can do to really put in words yet.

I have had to do more healing this winter than I ever expected to. For the first in quite a while, I finally feel like I have a better grip on it. 2014 is still new and still fresh, and still great.

Today also happens to be the birthday of the guy I adore. I am very happy to be enjoying 2014 with him. Happy Birthday love!

Love and a little shameless self promotion

January 6, 2014 by Jes

It is beginning to sink in how much I love this new role in life of being an artist.

Only an artist.

Feeling like I have a bit more brain space again, time to plan, apply, create.

Having actual time for a hobby.

Feeling happy, and happy with the work I am doing…which I must get back to.

But first! A tiny bit of shameless self promotion to remind you that I do indeed have an Etsy shop where I sell all of the things I am creating. It is full of cards and prints currently. I have so much more that will be added soon. Also, for pottery fans, here is a link to the pottery shop I work on with my dad!

And, this is my studio today. I’m so happy to be working here!

New supplies, new colors

March 26, 2013February 27, 2013 by Jes

After sorting through a bunch of new supplies for pieces for my show, I was so excited I just had to post about them!

I took a few photos with me (Impossible Project instant film photos to be exact) to Wet Paint so I could pick out papers to cover boxes with. My paper color palette ended up going in a completely different direction than I thought, with a lot more warm and sepia tones than I usually have in my artwork. But you know what? I’m super excited about it! This is honestly the first time I have picked out a stack of papers that just look so cool together.

Of course the lighting is just a bit funky in my kitchen where I had these lovely pieces out of their wrapping, but you will get better visuals soon when I start putting them to work!

What else came today?

A set of Smart Plates (no photo of these, they aren’t very exciting until I get the text put on them) from Takach Press, lithography ink,

and a gorgeous new brayer!

I also purchased one more large piece of binders board and a large piece of rag board for constructing boxes.

*swoon*

Now to get to work!

Caution: brain working

January 10, 2013 by Jes

It is another studio day here today, and my brain has been working at high speed since early this morning. The ideas are coming together for my upcoming show at MCBA, and I am trying to run with it while they are there!

*head down, back to work*

For now, one more instant photo from last weekend’s drive: