Notes from a Very Surprising Week

Hello friends— and there are, quite unexpectedly, a lot of you.

I’m honestly not sure how to start this first issue of my newsletter, and I’m still a bit speechless over the response to the video I posted on Monday. I thought I would be writing this first issue to my mom and a few friends, but since that video went live my newsletter subscriber list has grown more than 25x. I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you are here. Thank you.

Since it’s my first issue — and since there are so many new folks here — I wanted to share a bit more about who you’re supporting (because yes, even just subscribing to a newsletter is a big support!)

My name is Michelle, and I’m a born-and-raised Alaskan. After spending over a decade living Outside, I returned home in 2023 with my husband, dog, cats, and chickens (yes, I moved our chickens from Tennessee to Alaska). We are now happily living in Juneau with no plans to leave. Alaska is the biggest inspiration behind my art.

Other things I love: gardening and growing my own food, snuggles with my animals, reading, cooking (but rarely following a recipe), baking bread, and hunting/fishing to fill our freezer.

Truth be told, I am no expert in printmaking. It’s a medium I have dabbled in since I was first introduced to linocut printing in college, but I’ve been more off than on with my art practice in the last decade. I’d been itching to pick up my carving tools again this year, and got even more excited about it after attending the Juneau Wayzgoose event in October. When my husband lost his job that same month, I decided to take the plunge and start a business. Let me tell you: starting an art business a month before holiday art market season is not for the faint of heart. Things are very busy around here.

I love printmaking because I love the slow, intentional process of it. You can’t rush carving or printing (as much as I’ve tried, with my first market coming up next week!). It forces me to be present in the moment and gives me an avenue to explore the shapes and textures that make up the world around me.

I know many of you are here for the printing press plans— we’re working on it! The video I posted was the very first time I had used the press, and as with any creation there is going to be some revisions and tweaks before it’s as good as it can be. Now that I’ve printed with it a fair amount, I’ve been able to identify some ways that it falls short (and in one case has failed with repeated use — or maybe because I was too tough on it, oops!). My husband made a version 1.1 yesterday to test a theory, and is now brainstorming the material changes we need to upgrade to a solid version 2.0.

Had I known that video was going to blow up — and so many people would want plans — I probably would have waited until we had a more refined design. But here we are, and we are committed to getting plans out to as many people as possible once we have a version we are truly happy with. I know many of you were hoping for plans in time to make one for Christmas. While I can’t promise that timeline, I can promise we’re working on it steadily and thoughtfully.

This week is crunch time before the largest market of the year. I am doing a lot of last-minute printing (more slowly, now that the press is back in the garage for upgrades), trying to figure out how to use what I have for attractive and functional packaging, and working with my husband to design and build a display I can use to showcase my work at the markets.

If you’re local (or planning a trip to Juneau this season), here’s where you can find me. I’ll be sharing booths with some wonderful friends as part of the Loving Loons Collective.

Public Market — November 28-30 — Centennial Hall and Juneau Arts and Culture Center

Winter Market — December 12 & 13 — Juneau Christian Center

Holiday Market — December 20 & 21 — Mendenhall Mall

Getting through these markets is the first step. Once that’s done I’ll be switching gears to focus on getting my online shop up and running (and making inventory for it), getting together a solid business plan to guide me moving forward, and working on a collection for a First Friday show in March.

When I shared that video, I never expected it to blow up the way it did. Going viral has been overwhelming, but I am so glad I seem to have found the nice side of the internet— the comments have been full of support, kindness, and shared joy. And I’m really glad you all are here. I know many of you are here for the printing press plans, but I hope some of you will stick around for the art once the plans are done.

If you’re looking for ways to support me— congratulations, you already are! Following along as I build this small art business is a huge support. You can also follow me on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Since you’re subscribed to my newsletter, you’ll be the first to know when the press plans are ready and my online shop launches! And if you’ve read this far, drop me a comment and let me know what kind of content you would like to see in future newsletters.

With so much gratitude,

Michelle