hotcakes

little e studio has had quite the month. Whirlwind doesn't begin to describe all the emotional and physical toil of moving home and studio.

Before all the selling, buying, packing, and moving started, I had begun making cold calls on businesses and galleries in hopes of expanding my little business venture. Sales out of my studio had been so encouraging I felt that I was ready to take this next step. Unfortunately cold calls involve overcoming a plethora of phobias and a perpetual case of social awkwardness. I've had some pretty wonderful cheerleaders in my section who had set me up with a few shop owners, but even with them paving the way, I was a basket case. Ironically, it was on the way to one of the shops belonging to a friend of a friend when I made a wrong turn that landed me plop in the middle of a fabulous boutique in Brentwood named C'est Moi. C'est Moi has "funky junk", jewelry, original art, home furnishings, and Dash and Albert rugs all arranged with an artful eye and a nod to whimsy...in other words, my kind of place. After browsing for a bit, I gathered my gumption and my artwork and introduced myself to the owner. In the words of Sally Field, she liked me, she really liked me!!! She wanted my paintings in her store-a real, live store!

I was so excited, but my inventory was super low and I had committed to a street festival in Brentwood around the same time...oh, and I was moving!!! What was I thinking? I dropped off the planet for about a month while we uprooted our life. I tried to paint in between packing and chasing a crazed toddler, but i was derailed again and again. I had to drop out of the street festival at the last minute and wondered if I would ever get little e back off the ground. I decided to call C'est Moi and see if the owner even remembered me. She did! The next day my paintings made their retail debut! I felt like a singer hearing their song on the radio for the first time! Giddy!!

Even more thrilling was the call the next day that FOUR paintings had sold the first day plus they got a commission for another and a request for more small hearts for gifts!! Then the next day two more sold! Then a few days later, a customer took two out on approval and bought a big 24x24 heart! 7 days later, only 3 out of the original 13 were left in the store!! Selling like hotcakes!!!!

Needless to say, I am just in awe of this little streak of success! It could be a fluke but what a lovely fluke it is!

I just dropped off my second round of paintings today!
Check out C'est Moi if you get a chance! It is behind Judge Bean's on Church Street. I'm sure that you will find a few things you can't live without!!
shopcestmoi.blogspot.com

little e

So Long, Sweet Studio...

Blog posts have been few and far between the last few months. We are moving. Leaving the home we painted, remodeled, tweaked, tiled, refinished, landscaped, furnished, designed, decorated, loved. We bought the house for the light, the land and the location. It is still ideal. Still fabulous. Still a great house. Still a home. We brought our baby home here. We buried our two furry babies here. It is hard to leave.

Better school districts closer to church and friends have lured us away to suburbia after 16 years in the city. We swore we'd never cave but having a baby tends to change things.

We are also leaving behind my sweet, airy, original little e studio tucked into the carport behind our home. It began life as a craft/hobby room when I used to have a booth in an antique mall selling refurbished thrift store finds but quickly morphed into a cozy, creative, inspired place to paint. It has not been without drawbacks, With only a small window unit to heat and cool the space, I have been at the mercy of the weather, practically shutting down in winter when both my paints and fingers were frozen.

My new studio will have about five times as much room, its own A/C, tons of storage and display space. Definitely a selling point! But let's face it folks...it's a basement. Not the same as my open-aired, high-ceilinged, french-doored, happy place. However, I'm up for the challenge. Turning the new studio into an inspiring, bright, creative space so that little e studio can grow and expand will be a blast! I can't wait to scour thrift stores and thumb through magazines to get ideas!!

And if you were wondering why or how little e studio might be growing...stay tuned! I am coming to a gallery in Belle Meade, a store in Brentwood, and a street festival in Brentwood as soon as I can get cracking with my painting!! I'm up to my ears in boxes right now, but hopefully I'll be up to my ears in orders before long!!!

Happy Day!
little e

a banner day

 

Last week, little e studio had a HUGE day. Not in sales or productivity or exposure. But in encouragement. My favorite local artist and major inspiration, Deann Hebert, just heaped encouragement on my head by meeting me for coffee, giving me oodles of advice, and most humbling of all, becoming the proud new owner of this little heart:



As a primarily self-taught artist (and as just plain old me), I can easily succumb to self-doubt. I am oh so easily intimidated by those whose talent and training and success far exceed my own. I am hesitant to market myself or believe those who compliment me. I am quick to succumb to what I describe as the "American Idol Syndrome"...that people are just saying they like my art because they don't want to hurt my feelings. My steady stream of sales, repeat customers, and facebook fans have been trying to tell me what Deann finally validated for me over coffee. That I have created something unique with value and style, that makes people happy, that is worth pursuing, that is worth selling, that is worth buying, that is worth creating.

That, my friends, is a good day indeed!

little e

fine feathered friends

Spring is finally in the air! My fingers are crossed that the warmer temperatures and sunshine will stick. This winter seemed so long, frigid, blizzardy, gloomy, sickly and overcast that I am having a hard time actually believing that daffodils are poking up all over my backyard. I have decided not to put my winter clothes up just yet. Not because I'm being pessimistic but I just don't want to jinx spring!

So in honor of birds chirping, trees budding, and sky blue-ing, I've put together a little montage of tweets!

oh so happy day to you all!

little e

More love...

I am not sure what sparked this new heart series (is it February 14th looming just around the corner?), but I do know that i heart it!!!

Now, as a disclaimer, hearts have never been a favorite of mine...something to do with growing up in the 80's with lots of country blue, mauve and peach and heart motifs in everything. However, I have to say, I seem to have changed my own mind about them with fresh new colors and texture out the wazoo!

Check out this scrumptious new color palette...dove gray, soft yellow, chocolate brown and creamy white! Love it!



Enjoy!!
little e

I heart 2011

Forget the former things. Do not dwell on the past. I am doing a New Thing! See how it springs up? Can you not perceive it?
Isaiah 43: 18-19

One of my first entries on this blog was entitled New Things. The past three years have been jam-packed with new things. I left a career of 13 years as a learning specialist. I had a child after 15 years of marriage. I started painting. I don't take any of it for granted, nor do I take credit for any success I've had as a mother or an artist. This is not the vision I had for my life...it is far greater than anything I envisioned, trust me.

Left to my own devices, I am plagued by a chronic lack of self-confidence, fear of failure/change/unknown, social awkwardness, anxiety, insomnia, loneliness and doubt. I hide it well. I'm not saying that I'm a hot mess all the time, but I could be easily. And I have been in the past. This verse spoke to me three years ago, telling me that if I just let go of all the stress of my career, if I stepped beyond the known, if I cast aside the anxiety that ruled my daily decisions, if I "forgot the former things," God had something better, much better, in store. I never wanted to be a mother. I had no training as an artist. Yet, here I am today, a mother overwhelmed by love for her baby girl and an artist overwhelmed by passion and potential. I could not have imagined any of it, but God is creator and author and comfortor and healer. Thank goodness!

So for my first painting of the year, I did this little heart, entitled I heart 2011.



It is my reminder of the other part of this verse, "Do not dwell on the past." I am a huge mega-dweller on past things. I want to embrace 2011 and all the new New Things God has in store for me!

Happy New Year!
little e

Merry Christmas from little e studio!

It's been a busy few months since I last posted. A house on the market. A baby turning one. A husband turning forty. Frigid temperatures in my adorable but not centrally heated studio. Not super-conducive to painting, I'm afraid, but with Christmas orders pouring in, I kicked it into high gear. In a true Christmas miracle, I managed to finish some well-deserved teacher gifts and a few other commissions in time to gloss on the day before the snow and single digit temperatures began.

I have been so blessed this month to have received so many custom orders. It is so humbling to me to be chosen to create something special enough to be given as a gift to a loved one...whether that be a teacher, friend, mother-in-law, boss, or sister.

This little red tweet was bought as a gift for a special mother-in-law to remind her of her mother who had recently passed but who loved red birds.



The tiny tweet on the top row went to a mother-in-law who loves turquoise. The flowers went to another mother-in-law. The yellow cross to a mother who recently redecorated in fun, bright colors. The trio of crosses went to a trio of friends who have been instrumental in the life of another friend. Each one was picked with love and care and thoughtfulness.



I even sold my first gift certificate, given as a token of respect and love from a group of teachers to their beloved boss.

On top of all that, I reached 200 fans on my facebook page (www.facebook.com/littleestudio) !!! I'm still in shock!! All I can say is that I am grateful, grateful, grateful for your support!

Thank you all for letting me be a part of your Merry Christmas!
Peace and Joy,
little e