Who To Know: Michele Maule, Printmaker, Portlandia Lover

Portland based artist, Michele Maule is one of our latest obsessions on Copious.  Her authentic style and unique perspective gives her art a playful twist that leaves you wanting more.  She turns everyday items into colorful masterpieces (oh, and you know she puts birds on things).  Check out how Michele began printmaking, when she fell in love with Portland and what she’s up to next:

Introduce yourself.  What do you do?  Where are you from?
My name is Michele and I am a working artist. I’m a painter, illustrator and a print maker. I couldn’t decide which form of art I liked to do more, so I chose all three.
I’ve lived in Portland, Oregon for 15 years, but I’ve lived in many states. My dad was in the military, so we moved around a lot. Portland has been my favorite place to live so far, and I don’t plan on leaving any time soon.

How did you get into art, and specifically illustration?
I’ve always loved making art. It was always my favorite subject in school. I was conflicted in college as to what to major in. So, I just started taking art classes.
I loved my art classes so much that I just kept taking them. Eventually I graduated and had no idea what I was going to do with a degree in art. So, I just kept making art, and here I am today!

While in school, my focus was printmaking. Drawing and illustrating are big components in printmaking, and once I graduated I lost access to a printing press. I continued to draw and illustrate even though I couldn’t exactly turn those illustrations into print.

What inspires your work?
Everyday things inspire me and my work. I like to make art based on things that are overlooked. Chairs, clocks, and typewriters inspire my work. My personal life inspires my work quite a bit. Music is also a huge inspiration for me also. I cannot draw or paint without listening to music. 

Who are some other artists you admire?
Frida Kahlo and Robert Rauschenberg are incredible artists. I also love Miranda July and  Louis Bourgeois.

Why do you sell on Copious?
I like how people can connect and share on Copious. It’s also extremely easy to navigate and use, which I also like.

How has your art transformed and where do you see it going next?
I feel like my work is getting more detailed and free. I’m using nature more and more as subject matter and I’d like to continue with that. I’d love to go bigger next. Bigger and with much more collage and mixed media work.

Michele’s Copious Picks:

Top Left: Drapey Trapeze by Lilian Linares

Top Right: Autumn Leaves Photography by Carl Christensen

 Bottom Left: Leather Journal by In Blue

Middle Left: The Planets Series by The Geekerie

Bottom Right: Chevron Cosmetic Bag by WolfBait

Seller Tips & Tricks: Size DOES matter.

Plenty of Copious sellers are independent designers, each piece with a variety of sizes available.

That, or they just ordered a few different sizes of the same thing to get the best fit and now turn to their beloved Copious to give the cast-offs a good home.

Whatever the case, listings available in multiple sizes often leave sellers unsure of how to fill in the “Size” field when creating a listing.

The best solution? Leave it blank.

See here:

When listing an item, remember that the size you indicate will be displayed on the listing card seen in all feeds, so anyone who comes across that listing will see the size without even clicking on it. If you enter in only one of the sizes you have, potential buyers might be deterred from purchasing if they see that the size isn’t right for them. Leaving it blank encourages users who dig your listing to click through and see the sizing situation rather than assume it isn’t right for them.

Here’s a real-life-on-Copious example of sizing done right:

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So there’s your solution - for sizing’s sake, when in doubt, leave it out. Or rather, when there’s many, leave it… blank-y.

Happy selling from the Copious team!

Who To Know: Michele of Diesel & Juice

Michele Nicolette of Diesel and Juice just joined Copious and we can’t get enough of her adorable illustrations featuring animals and sweet treats.  Dog lover, art aficionado and cupcake enthusiast (from what we can tell by her work), Michele is our latest Copious obsession.  Want to know more from this Copious newbie?  So did we!  Read on:

Feature Focus: Commenting on Comments

Copious is all about you. What you like, what you LOVE, and what fits your style best. 

We’re also all about karma - the more active you are on Copious, the more likely your items are to show up in user’s feeds, and the more likely you are to gain followers and likes (and thus, sales!) for your stuff. 

Which brings me to, COMMENTS!

Commenting on listings you love is a great way to connect with like-minded users and show your support for their stores. Listings with comments are viewed more, and sell faster than those without. What’s more, commenting makes it more likely that people will check out your profile, which means your awesome shoes or crazy vintage jacket will get more views. This is a good thing! 

Commenting is also the only way to directly communicate with other users on Copious. Like a piece of original jewelry but wish the chain was shorter, or that awesome t-shirt came in gray? Leave a message in the comments to see what the seller can do for you.

The moral in all of this is that while being active on Copious is good, being genuine, sincere and polite about everything you like is best.

Ready to comment? On your mark, get set, go! 

Who To Know: Scott Blackwell, Wood Bender, Mind Blower

Scott Blackwell’s creations will make make question if you mixed hallucinogenics with your morning coffee.  His Alice in Wonderland inspired furniture is not for the faint of heart, or faint of design.  His fantastical curves and incredible eye for detail produces statement pieces that’ll make any house guest drool with envy.  Want to know more about this craftsmen?  We’ve got the inside scoop:

Introduce yourself.  Who are you? What do you do?

 I am Scott Blackwell Owner/Designer (I’m a one man show) of WoodCurve LLC.

 After scanning the web for modern/artistic furniture, I realized there are a lot of very unique designs spawning from great designers. The problem is you have to be an extremely wealthy person to obtain most of these creations. 

 Being a design engineer, with an artistic background, for the bulk of my career, gave me the confidence to create a line of original products. After prototyping a few pieces I decided to get feedback by listing online, WoodCurve was born.

 My vision is to offer customers totally original functional works of art at prices they can actually afford.

How did you get into furniture design?

 I’ve always loved working with wood. My father was a big inspiration to me as a kid, he built custom cabinets as a side job. I picked up the majority of my skills watching/learning from him. I basically united my love of art and my woodworking skills to generate my unique products. 

How would you describe your aesthetic as an artist?

Obviously, the flowing curves.  Almost anyone can create square traditional furniture.

What other designers do you admire?

Two that I ran across after searching for similar items to my creations, is Judson Beaumont of Straight Line Designs and Vincent Leman of Dust Furniture. Both these guys create some very cool stuff! I hope to compete on their level someday.

Where do you draw inspiration from? Art?  Music?

 Honestly, my kids books and their Disney movies… I really enjoy Tim Burton’s work as well. Sometimes ideas just pop into my head!

If you could describe your art with the title of an 80s song, which one would it be?

Patience  by Guns and Roses.

What can we expect next from WoodCurve?

 I hope to continue to keep my dream alive. I would like to offer more products.  I have designs out the ying-yang and can never find enough time. I suppose creating more fun pieces that make people smile is my biggest goal.