Featured artist: MicheleMaule

My day at work it was crazy again but finally I have the time to publish my weekly interview. For this week I choose an artist from Portland, Oregon. Her name is Michele, she lives a simple & quiet life with her boyfriend & Chloe, her Boston Terrier. She has a degree in Drawing, Painting, and Print Making & dreams one day to become a full time artist.

MicheleMaule is up & runing since 2007, it's quite a successful shop with almost 1500 sales. At Michele's shop you can find paintings, illustrations & reproduction prints. Art for every budget I might say.

Let's find out a bit more about Michele & her creative life

1. Is it easy to be creative everyday?
No. Not for me. I wish I could be creative everyday, and I suppose in some ways I am, but to be able to make art everyday is hard for me. Some days it is easier than others, but I think that to be true for most things in life.

2. What's the best part of your day?
The best part of my day is waking up to my Boston Terrier, Chloe and my boyfriend, Nate. Without them both in my life I would be one unhappy camper.
{I had a Great Dane a few years back & I also loved to come home & go for a walk with her :-)}

3. The first time you sold something to someone who was not a friend or a relative what did you feel?
It was so exciting! Whoa! Especially the first time I sold something to someone I didn't know on Etsy. That was really amazing!

4. Is there anything else you can imagine yourself doing for a living?
I watched this video about making croissants on YouTube a few weeks ago. It looked like so much fun. There was this really involved process that goes into making croissants and it was very intriguing to me. So, if I wasn't an artist I think I might be a croissant maker.
{I've to search on YouTube, but I'm guessing it's not an easy thing to make perfect croissants}

5. Is there anything in particular that fuels your creativity as an artist?
I think being alone really fuels my creativity. I love the people and animals in my life but it's not until I find myself alone that I can really get into it.
{I know what you mean, for example I only take pictures when nobody's at home}

6. What was the best strategy (in case you tried any) to increase your sales?
I wish I could tell you. There really isn't one. When I first started on Etsy things were a bit slow and then sales started to really increase. Things were going really great for me in 2008 and 2009. I was blogging, Facebooking, Tweeting, you name it, I was doing it. Then in the summer of 2009 things kind of came to a halt. My sales really started to slow and they've continued that way for 2010 and so far 2011.

I don't know what I was doing right and I don't know what I am doing wrong now. I think it all comes down to being in the right place at the right time most of the time.
{Maybe it's the economy, art is not food, you might love it but when you have to opt between having a beautiful painting on your wall or feed your kids the answers is simple, right!}

7. Tell us something random or quirky about yourself.
I make my bed everyday. My grandmother told me, when I was very little, I'll always get a good night sleep if my bed is properly made. So I've done it ever since. also, soggy, wet, bread products make me gag a bit.

I hope you enjoyed Michele's interview & shop. You really should spend a few minutes on her shop, I'm sure you'll fall inlove by the colors & drawing lines.

{ Thank you so much Michele for this lovely interview & hope your dream comes true because your art is amazing }