Weather Prognosticating Rodent Day

 

It's that time of year again - the day we harass the celebrity rodents and use their sense of their own shadows, or lack thereof as a cue to weather forecasting. Happy Groundhog Day!

Groundhog votes are in: Shubenacadie Sam: no shadow; Wiarton Willie: shadow; Punxsutawney Phil shadow, minouette's linocut thermochromic groundhog print: shadow. I bet my print is more accurate than some of those celebrity rodents (cough! Shubenacadie Sam). False positives (which would occur if it's above 30C or 86 F on February 2nd in Toronto) are unlikely.  

If you live near me, chances are good (as in most years) that there will be 6 more weeks of winter, beyond the 2nd of February, but I do hope that your weather is not too harsh and may even be enjoyable whereever you are.

♥♥♥

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!

Creative small online businesses, and babies

I was invited to write a short article about selling on Etsy, Etsy teams and being a new mom for SavvyMom.ca. You can read it here:

Why Community is Crucial to Your Success

Year of the Horse exhibit

Ma: The Horse by minouette

Friday, January 31st is the Chinese New Year! We're beginning the Year of the Horse. Kung hei fat choi! 恭喜发财! Have a prosperous new year and enjoy your little red envelops.

To celebrate the new lunar year, PROOF Gallery in the Distillery is hosting their annual international printmaking exhibit, for horse-themed prints made using traditional printmaking methods, from all over the world (including my linocut, shown above). Come for the Chinese New Year Opening celebration or check out the exhibit throughout February.

Horse Latitudes by minouette

A little press for IMPRESSI

I was really gratified to see Art.Science.Gallery share a link to The Austin Chronicle's review of some of the many shows that are part of PrintAustin.

"Next door at Art.Science.Gallery., among a wealth of science-oriented prints, Jenn Schmitt's Periodic Table Printmaking Project draws the most interest. In this collection of 118 prints, 97 artists have used a wide variety of mediums – woodcut, linocut, monotype, etching, lithograph, and more – to depict the periodic table of elements. These tight ranks of small works, filling one wall, are an exhibition in themselves; but don't miss Ele Willoughby's thermochromatic linocuts (in which sections of the ink, when heated, disappear; which makes the Schrödinger's Cat print, in particular, a hoot) and, looming overhead, the life-sized gyotaku print of a full-grown turkey vulture by Adam Cohen and Ben Labay of Inked Animal." - via The Austin Chronicle

Do yourself a favour, and check out the great work being shown, including the full Periodic Table. My little contribution to the Project, is Silicon, below. I think of it as an earth scientist, making up so much of our planet's crust, in quartz, or common in seafloor sediments, including radiolarian skeletons, as well as the crystal form of pure silicon... rather than simply as something which goes into computer chips.

IMPRESSI - Science Inspired Printmakers at Art.Science.Gallery

 

I've very excited to be showing my scientists portraits and Imaginary Friends of Science series as part of IMPRESSI, a science-themed printmaking show at Art.Science.Gallery which is part of the PrintAustin festival at many venues around Austin, TX, this January 15 to February 15, 2014!

The IMPRESSI show will also feature gyotaku (or "fish rubbing") style prints and a workshop by Inked Animal. This traditional Japanese printmaking technique usually involves inking and taking impressions of actual fish; they've extended the method to other animal specimen as well. Jed Dore of Ink & Sword makes fabulous, graphic, retro-styled screenprints on science, math and engineering (STEM) themes. Jennifer Lynch's work includes a gorgeous series on crystals. Cathy Savage, one of the Chairs of PrintAustin, has some fabulous scientist prints I've long admired. Jenn Schmitt's amazing Periodic Table Printmaking Project is a collaboration and print exchange where every printmaker was assigned an element on the periodic table to illustrate with a 6" x 6" print. I always thought I should have participated and now have a chance to do so as a few of the originals need replacing. Have a look at the loveliest periodic table you ever did see. It promises to be a great, and very original show.

PrintAustin, "this inaugural print extravaganza is a month-long event celebrating the art of original printmaking, educating the public about the traditions of printmaking as well as showcasing the innovations of the contemporary approach". Read more on their blog.

If you are in Austin, be sure to check it out - and tell me all about it! I would love to see it in person and would be there if I could.

Minouette news

It's been a little quiet here on the blog.... because I've been trying to take a little semi-maternity leave! That's right - our son Gabriel was born November 28th at 6:49 am, at 3720 g or 8 lbs. 3 oz. We're both happy and healthy, if very tired.

But, I wanted to make a little post to say that I was very happy and flattered to see that my shop, along with several friends from the Toronto Etsy Street Team were featured today by Toronto Life as their 10 local shops to know.

TEST is well represented! Toronto Life included in their list: Cinders McLeod, Alison Gledhill of Grace Design, minouette, Marissa of Sea Flower Studios, Michelle of thunderpeep, Anthony of Route401, and Casey Von Esteban.


Check out Toronto Life's complete list here!