3K ♥s!

It may be silly but I'm pretty excited! One of my goals for 2015 was to hit 3000 hearts on things from secret minouette places... which I did today! It really is the most encouraging thing and one of the reasons Etsy is a great place for selling handmade - it does come with a community of people who appreciate what artists and craftspeople do. Thanks to each and every one who ♥ my shop! And while I'm at it, thank you for following this blog, the 1008 who follow me on Etsy, 677 Facebook fans, 426 Instagram followers, the 4K Pinterest followers, and the 1614 who follow me on twitter! Part of my job as an artist is to bring my work out into the world and it's wonderful to see that people are interested and appreciate it. Coincidentally, EtsyCA sent out some love to their Etsy Made in Canada captains and I received a little gift in the mail today, so I'm feeling the Etsy appreciation!

Now, please excuse me... my toddler son has invented an animal which I must create in linocut form as soon as possible.

Thanks for all the hearts!

I like to take a moment to thank people who leave ♥s every time I reach a milestone. It's quite incredible to me: things from secret minouette places has surpassed 2800 hearts! Thank you very much to the 2812 minouette shop favoriters, 985 Etsy followers, 667 FB fanpage likers, 1391 twitter followers, 3956 pinterest followers, 205 instagram followers, and each of you who read this blog or magpie&whiskeyjack!

I remember reading, years ago, on kozyndan's old blog, that they felt that once you reached a thousand fans - people who would appreciate and purchase your artwork - that you could make a reliable living as an artist. I don't know what the true ratio of ♥s to fans who collect your work might be. Maybe half of the ♥s are people who just want to tell you that they like your style, and want to bookmark your shop, though they never purchase anything. That's still cool and much appreciated! Maybe it's more than half. But once you start to see numbers in the thousands, I think that means you've gotten to the right order of magnitude! Maybe you're only one tenth of the way there, but it's not a hundredth and it might be only a half or closer. Thank you thank you thank you.

Women of Science bringing Science to the Public on Twitter

#SciArt Linocut cloud classification http://t.co/sxJ1Xhz92b Diagrams themselves make larger cloud shape #meteorology pic.twitter.com/YC7BqSNn8Z
— Ele Willoughby (@minouette) March 4, 2015

I was really flattered to be included in the io9 article by geophysicist and science writer Mika McKinnon's round up of all sorts of scientific women who are actively communicating science, in all sorts of ways, on twitter! She mentioned my science and history of science linocuts (including the tweet above), and listed roughly 40 others, both well-known and not. Just recently, I was asked by a couple of my mother's friends about twitter: why would one be interested and how can it take up one's time. It was one of those, "Why would you want to read, 'I ate a sandwich for lunch!'?" type questions. I gave a fairly standard reply that if that is in fact the only sort of thing a person tweets, you simply don't follow them; instead, you can follow @NASA. This round-up is a better answer; you can follow - and actively engage with - some of the most creative, knowledgeable and interesting, entertaining people out there. You can stay abreast of your own interests and follow those who work in radically different areas and are excited about topics which you might not even have known existed. If you're looking for great people to follow, and kick-ass women in STEM to boot, this is a good place to start, as well as the other lists she links to.

The #SciArt tweetstorm did put my work in front of new eyeballs and I'm also flattered to have gained new followers. Thank you to all 1258 twitter followers, 667 FB fanpage followers, 960 Etsy followers, 2700 Etsy ♥, 3861 Pinterest followers, and 83 Instagram followers. I had to correct the numbers in the previous sentence twice, in the time it took me to type it (and I type quickly). It was quite amazing to find my work spreading so quickly and get so much feedback that I could barely keep up. If I failed to reply to you, my apologies; please try again. I usually do reply promptly and don't usually feel that popular. ;)

Thanks for the ♥'s

Oh, I do love those ♥'s. Just a quick note of thanks: today, things from secret minouette places passed 2500 ♥'s which is truly amazing to me! Thank you!

It seems apt to say thank you in French. Though I know my French isn't perfect and I do occasionally make the accidental sin of the anglicisme like many anglophones, I do make a point to run a bilingual shop, to the best of my abilities. Now, most of my traffic comes from the US, Canada and France even ahead of the UK and Australia - which is statistically a bit unusual for an Etsy shop, and the sales do follow suit. So, I would also like to say merci à vous!

While I'm at it,  I'd like to take a moment to thank the 920 Etsy followers, 1020 twitter followers, 2677 pinterest followers, 645 fans of the things from secret minouette places fanpage, and last but not least, anyone who follows this blog!

Year of the Salamander, Talk and Hearts

Axolotl, linocut on blue Thai paper with a deckle edge, 8" by 10", (or 20.3 cm by 25.4 cm) by Ele Willoughby

My Axolotl linocut is currently part of the Year of the Salamander show at Art.Science.Gallery in Austin, TX, which runs through to June 21. Gallery founder Dr. Hayley Gillespie is an artist/herpetologist, who specifically studies salamanders, so this exhibit and working with Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (PARC) to raise awareness of salamander conservation issues are clearly a perfect fit for her. If you are in Austin, not only can use see how 22 international artists interpreted the salamander theme, you can even attend her lecture or take Herpetology 101. Get your art and science all in one place! The the amazing axolotl, by the way, known as the Mexican salamander or Mexican walking fish, is an endangered amphibian which originates in lakes near Mexico city. Unlike other amphibians, they do not usually metamorphise and develop lungs. Rather, they remain gilled and aquatic. Axolotls are used extensively in scientific research due to their ability to regenerate limbs, and in some cases, portions of their brains! They appear to have crazy hairdos, with their three pairs of external gill stalks (rami) which come out behind their heads and are used to move oxygenated water.

June 18th, I've been invited to speak about balancing art and science careers (or, what I've gleaned in my quest to be a modern-day Renaissance woman), by the Neighbourhood Arts Network as part of their 'Making A Living Making Art: Creative Business and Social Media Strategies for Artists' series at the Lakeshore Arts Gallery. They asked me to give them my Top 5 Tips which they've published on their site. If you are in the city, you can join us Wednesday June 18th, 2014 at Lakeshore Arts Gallery, 2422 Lake Shore Blvd W at 6:00 PM and hear me and Arounna Khounnoraj of Bookhou speak. I'm quite flattered to learn that NAN, which is part of the Toronto Arts Council, had me on their radar, knew I am both artist and scientist and captain of the Toronto Etsy Street Team.

I also noticed that my shop things from secret minouette places  hit 2400 hearts today! I really do love the ♥s.  Honestly, I harbour a possible absurd fondness for them. A second round-number milestone, I hit 900 Etsy followers. So, I'd like to take a moment to thank each and every one along with 960 twitter followers, 2077 pinterest followers, 633 fans of the things from secret minouette places fanpage, and last but not least, anyone who follows this blog!

♥♥♥

Another ♥s milestone on things from secret minouette places yesterday - undoubtedly thanks to the Etsy blog article! The shop now has more than 2300 fans! It's gratifying, encouraging feedback from the invisible people out there on the internet who actually find and appreciate my work. So, I'd like to take a moment to thank each and every one, as well as the 866 Etsy followers, 909 twitter followers, 1541 pinterest followers, 619 fans of the things from secret minouette places fanpage, and last but not least, anyone who follows this blog!

Happy Valentine's Day

Hope you have a lovely Valentine's Day!

I made this linocut Valentine with my husband the archer in mind. He has to work late this evening, but we got to spend this morning together. He and Gabriel got me flowers and they got the Valentine and kisses. Gabriel seems fascinated with the bouquet.

Best of all; soon there will be a surplus of cinnamon hearts in all the stores. That's something I think we can all appreciate, even if you aren't into the other aspects of this day.

Mmmm! Cinnamon hearts. I love cinnamon hearts.

♥♥♥

Another ♥s milestone on things from secret minouette places today; the shop now has more than 2200 fans! It's gratifying, encouraging feedback from the invisible people out there on the internet who actually find and appreciate my work. So, I'd like to take a moment to thank each and every one, as well as the 850 Etsy followers, 889 twitter followers, 1449 pinterest followers, 614 fans of the things from secret minouette places fanpage, and last but not least, anyone who follows this blog!

2100 hearts!

Another ♥s milestone on things from secret minouette places today: 2100! It's gratifying, encouraging feedback from the invisible people out there on the internet who actually find and appreciate my work. So, I'd like to take a moment to thank each and every one, as well as the 822 Etsy followers, 858 twitter followers, 1331 pinterest followers, 598 fans of the things from secret minouette places fanpage, and last but not least, anyone who follows this blog!

Hearts milestone: 2000

If you read this blog, you know I love getting hearts. It's gratifying, encouraging feedback from the invisible people who actually find and appreciate my work. Today I have 2001 hearts on things from secret minouette places! Etsy now calls them 'admirers' but we all know these as ♥s. So, I'd like to take a moment to thank each and every one, as well as the 791 Etsy followers, 844 twitter followers, 1215 pinterest followers, 591 fans of the things from secret minouette places fanpage, and last but not least, anyone who follows this blog! I love that 2001 people have seen my art, let alone added it to their favorites, so it's really encouraging and appreciated.

I remember reading kozyndan stated that 2000 real fans could support an artist (and they are a two-person team). I don't think that everyone who adds a ♥ to things from secret minouette places would meet their definition of a real fan (which I gathered was more of a close follower, liable to purchase something whenever you come out with something new), but it still feels like maybe it might suggest that interest in what I create is getting to be the right order of magnitude... which is quite amazing to me.

1900 hearts!

As you may know, I love getting hearts. Today I have 1900 hearts on things from secret minouette places! Etsy now calls them 'admirers' but we all know these as ♥s. So, I'd like to take a moment to thank each and every one, as well as the 763 Etsy followers, 821 twitter followers, 995 pinterest followers, 582 fans of the things from secret minouette places fanpage, and last but not least, anyone who follows this blog! It's sort of amazing to me that 1900 people have seen my art, let alone added it to their favorites, so it's really encouraging and appreciated.

1800 hearts!

There are now more than 1800 hearts for things from secret minouette places! I love hearts and would like to thank each and every one! Also the 623 Etsy followers, 567 fans of the minouette fanpage, 748 twitter followers and anyone who reads this blog. I don't always know why you're there, but I really appreciate it.

1700 hearts!

As is perhaps apt in a girl with a serious cinnamon heart problem, I adore seeing people ♥ things from secret minouette places. Today a ♥ milestone: 1700! (Somehow I neglected to mention the 1600 milestone, but there we are). Thank you very much to each and every one. For that matter, thank you to the 525 fans of the things from secret minouette places facebook fanpage, 696 twitter followers and 582 minouette Etsy followers! I really do appreciate it. ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ to you.

Heat-sensitive Valentine

I wasn't sure if I should post this. I mean what if RJH reads my blog? But you see, after I invented the thermochromic Valentine ...just for you sweetheart! Surprise!.... I thought other people might want one for their sweethearts. That's the beauty of printmaking after all! It naturally produces multiples. So, if I was going to share the thermochromic Valentine with the world, I would need to do so long before Valentine's Day... so RJH, if you're reading this, this is really for you. Just act surprised on Valentine's Day. I invented you an interactive Valentine, with love. :D

This hand-printed thermochromic Valentine will respond to your loved one's warmth! If you place your hand as directed, over the pink hand, printed in thermochromic ink, your body heat will cause the ink to change colour! It turns colourless to reveal the message printed below, "you warm my heart". The image shows two prints side by side: a cold and a hot one.

Thermochromic ink changes colour with temperature. If you heat the print above about 30°C ( 86 °F) the ink is colourless; below 30°C ( 86 °F) the ink is pink. Body temperature is 37°C (98.6 °F) so body heat alone should be enough to reveal the hidden message. If it's particularly cold day, or your loved one is has poor circulation, you can always heat the print gently with a hair dryer; that always works!

The print is made on beautiful Japanese cream-coloured paper with silky inclusions. Each print is 27 cm by 15.2 cm (10.75" by 6"). Each print is made in red, pink and rose thermochromic ink, and printed in an open edition.

Pisces Constellation

The silver stars and silhouette of Pisces the two fish are illustrated in this handmade block print. Pisces (♓) is the twelfth astrological sign in the Zodiac. I printed an edition of 8 prints, 7.5 inches by 10 inches (19 cm by 24.8 cm) on lovely, handmade, Japanese kozo (or mulberry) paper with a deckle edge. Since the paper is handmade, there is some small variation in size and the edge of each sheet. The word Pisces and symbol ♓ appear at the bottom of the image. The lines linking the constellation appear in black-on-silver or silver-on-black as appropriate. There's a star cluster, shown as a circle, and the lines for the constellations of Pegasus, Triangulum and Aries.

If you imagined all celestial bodies we see in the night sky as mapped onto a sphere (the Celestial Sphere) around our Earth, the ecliptic would be the line you would draw to map the apparent path of the Sun through the various constellations. The ecliptic is marked as the dashed line in this print.



As I was putting this in my shop I noticed that I now have 1600 hearts! I do love seeing all those hearts and thank every single person whose added my shop to their favorites. While I'm at it, thanks to the 543 Etsy followers (who can see all new things in my shop or favorites), 506 FB fans, and 665 twitter followers.

1500 hearts

As is perhaps apt in a girl with a serious cinnamon heart problem, I adore seeing people ♥ things from secret minouette places. Today a ♥ milestone: 1500! Thank you very much to each and every one. I really do appreciate it. ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ to you.

1400 Hearts!

So, if you follow this blog, you'll know how much I love seeing new hearts for my shop. So I really am happy to see today that I've got 1400! Thanks to every single one!
♥ minouette

1300 hearts!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
I don't know why I'm so silly about hearts, but I really do love watching the number of People who have favorited minouette. It broke 1300 today! Yay! A sincere thanks to each and every one.
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

1200 Hearts!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
I don't know why I'm so silly about hearts, but I really do love watching the number of People who have favorited minouette. It broke 1200 today! Yay! A sincere thanks to each and every one.
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Happy Victoria Day & Hearts

Happy Victoria Day everyone! I hope where you are the weather is beautiful for fireworks. If you aren't Canadian, are a Canadian away from home you should celebrate anyway, cause it's as good an excuse as any. :)

In other news, my things from secret minouette places etsy shop now has over a thousand hearts! I *love* when my shop gets hearts and would like to thank every single person who has added the shop to their favorites. Thank you!