They also left us with a dirty, dusty room and a bunch of “oh, I forgot to look through that” leftovers to store in our already overflowing garage (harumph!). And, yes- they have been given a “claim it or lose it” deadline.

After weeks of slowly cleaning & rearranging (chronic illness always in the mix), the reading room, main studio and new textile studio/guest bedroom (the boys’ old room) are all settled. Phew! & Hurrah!

I tried 3 times to record a tour for you this month and deleted it all- too rambly and long. So, I’ve decided to make it easier for myself by filming short tours of smaller areas in the rooms (especially in my main studio) for you in the months ahead.

Oh!! I almost forgot to tell you! I had to move websites recently due to a big price hike. Thankfully, I was able to find a really good deal (more setup work than my old website) for the next 3 years. Same url- Mystelemade.com, just a new behind the scenes. Hopefully I won’t need to move again, but it could happen.

The shop isn’t open yet, but I have some things in the works. So excited- too many ideas, but what needs to be, will be. I’m really enjoying what’s on the go right now and looking forward to next steps.

As always, I’ll update you here with the release dates of new original work and print shop goodies.

Thanks for spending time with me today!

Learning to do Love,

Mystele

To Order:

• on 8.5x11 inch paper: order with this link.

• on 11x14 inch paper: order with this link.

• on 13x19 inch paper: order with this link. (will be rolled & mailed in a tube)

Thank you in advance!

See you later this month!

Learning to do Love,

Mystele

The thinking gave way to a knowing, an urge to put my art to work. I wasn’t quite sure what the thing was that needed doing, but I ended up perusing some of my favorite we’re-all-in-this-together-whether-we-like-it-or-not artwork in the hopes that they might be of help to someone out there in the world. Art is such a good bridge to deeper conversation, contemplation, and action.

Something new for the next little while

I’m happy to announce that for the next few months I’m offering monthly giclées in this ‘help each other along’ vein. The images will always be offered in at least two sizes, and I’m listing them with flexible pricing. I know for many of us the economy seems to be whimpering rather than roaring. I hope this pricing method will give you a bit more wiggle room in your budget to add some encouraging art to your life or share art with someone else.

How does flexible pricing work?

When you click on the order link for the size you’d like (below), you’ll see the option to type in your price within the listed range. For instance, if the range is $12-$15, you can type in any number from $12-$15 to set your price.

• If you live in Illinois, sales tax will be automatically applied.

• Flat rate mailing info is here.

All giclées will be printed on demand in studio with a professional Canon pigment ink printer on lovely, acid-free, archival quality Red River Polar Matte paper (330gsm/88lb, 15 mil thickness). The image will be cropped to fit within the bounds of the various paper sizes.

May’s giclée will be very familiar to some of you. The original artwork was created in 2016, I think. Remains one of my favorite paintings. It’s been the best selling print since then, and it seems this message will always be relevant.

Sow with Care

To Order:

• on 8.5x11 inch paper: order with this link.

• on 11x14 inch paper: order with this link.

• on 13x19 inch paper: order with this link. (will be rolled & mailed in a tube)

Thank you in advance!

Learning to do Love,

Mystele

Making Light and learning to do Love,

Mystele

There is no shortage of ways we can lift others up. Don’t lose hope.

Making Light and learning to do Love,

Mystele

I haven’t played with mixed media for quite some time. However, I am looking forward to sharing my approach to figurative painting with you as promised. When? You’ll know as soon as I do!

I completed this large-for-me hooked rug (~ 24 x 24 inches or 2 x 2 feet) last month. The “Stranger Things” finale made me think about things we were told growing up in the 80s, and this whimsical “rub some dirt on it” rug appeared.

As much as I wish we could rub some dirt on the USA right now to make it all better, I think it’s a very good hard thing for more of our eyes to be opened to the amount of follow-the-money-dirt and cruelty that’s been swept beneath and pressed into the fibers of America’s rug. After all, you can’t clean up dirt you can’t see. You just keep walking in it and spreading it all over the place.

For what does it benefit a person if he gains the whole world but forfeits his life? Or what can a person give in exchange for his life? Jesus

Umm…I think it’s time I tell you this…

Last year, someone accused me of being too preachy here and wanted to let me know they’d be un-following me because of that. (What they didn’t know is that I don’t keep track of who un-follows me and the only time I might see a follow count is when I go to my dashboard to write a new post.) That really threw me. I mean, it really messed me up. For a good while. It was part of the reason I took a break from writing here.

Eventually I recovered from the sting of that accusation and remembered that when I write and create visual art, it comes from who I am…just like anyone else. I’m not going to fake it or be less myself for anyone. Everything “preachy” that I’ve shared here has come from the ethic I believe in, and that is the ethic I’ve learned from Jesus. I’ve also made it a point to show up here with my whole self because I think it’s incredibly important these days to make sure people who aren’t Christians know that there are theologically conservative (not to be confused with politically conservative) Christians who are not white Christian nationalists (kinda obvious for me, hee hee) or Trump voters and who are not okay with the weaponization of any belief system, religious or otherwise. Have we learned nothing from history?

Speaking of history…

As it is Black history month, too many people miss/forget that the heartbeat of much of the Civil Rights Movement was the ethic of Jesus. Many of the people involved, well known and unknown, believed that the transformative good news about Jesus should have personal and, as a result, social implications. They didn’t pull that out of thin air. They got it from the life he lived and the words he preached, and they took him at his word. As do I.

You can have all this world. Give me Jesus.- from one of my favorite Negro Spirituals. Learn more about the history here.

In other news…sourdough is back in the house.

Till next time.

Making Light and still Learning to do Love,

Mystele

Automatic 15% discount at checkout on Wood and Fiber Originals including brand new rug hooked artwork! Ends Dec 14th. Free Continental US shipping over $75.

To the Sale!

Did you know?…

I will consider reasonable offers that are lower than the marked price, especially if you’d like to collect more than one artwork. Why? I believe original art should be as accessible as possible for collectors without undermining the artist’s skill, time, overhead, etc. Use the contact form on my website (under ‘More+’) to make an offer.

Note: If your offer is accepted, this will exclude any active discount offer.

Dear Reader,

Thank you so much for subscribing to this space, for your kind words and your patronage of my art. For the past several weeks, I’ve been hunkered down in my textile nook making Christmas gifts which has necessitated a slowing down of online posting as the year draws to a close. And, I’ve needed the quiet…so much going on in the world.

In the weeks ahead, I hope to do a major rearrange of my main studio. Once it’s done, I’ll film a video or two (or maybe a live stream) on how I paint faces and figures per the poll from a few weeks ago.

It won’t be a tutorial but rather a demonstration with general tips and shared knowledge from my vantage point.

Till then, dear Reader, please take good care of yourself, your loved ones and strangers in need.

Making Light,

Mystele

Giclées at Artfully Walls

The photo tour

I’d like to know…

Your input really matters to me, and feel free to say more by leaving a comment.

Just in case you don’t already know…Be mindful that I do not care much about doing things “ the right way”. I learn the integral basics of a thing and then learn how to do it my way, and, in some cases like wood carving, I’m still very much learning how to do things my way. Quite often, the good stuff happens because I’ve messed something up and have to problem solve. I value problem solving so much. Along with a commitment to process driven play, it’s been my best teacher.

In case you missed it

The Originals shop has been spiffed up- again. I merged the Thank You shop with the Originals shop and decided in future I’ll go back to early bird access and/or deals to subscribers first rather than a stand alone Thank You shop. I always seem to complicate admin for myself and later remember that I once followed a better way.

On Wednesday, I published (online only, not an email send) a thank you. If you missed it, you can read it here:

That’s all for now. Keep doing Love.

Making Light,

Mystele

I’m always amazed that people want to purchase my work. It is such a cool thing to know that there are people who understand my creative language and like my folky aesthetic.

I am so thankful for your kind words here and in the notes you leave me when you order from Mystele Made. Means more than you know!

Side notes

This week I’m doing admin stuff like order prep & packing (thank you so much!!) and moving the remaining Thank You Shop items to the public shop. I’ll be getting back to filming & editing footage for vlogs once orders are mailed. Now that I’ve made a gazillion things, I’m looking forward to slowly messing around in my sketchbooks, working on paintings, etc., and bringing you along for the ride!

Till next time.

Making Light,

Mystele

What’s new at Mystele Made? Well,

• there are two main shop categories -Originals & Printed Goods, and each has multiple type-specific shops making it much easier to navigate (all share the same checkout);

• yucky news- there is a flat rate shipping & handling increase due to rising postage fees, but I will refund per the shop policies here;

• better news- orders over $75 = a free shipping discount is automatically applied at checkout;

• AND there’s the new Thank You shop for Behind the Art subscribers. Check yesterday’s email for details.

Here are some of my favorite works from this release:

There are so many more faves to share, but I’ll stop here. Over 100 originals (mixed media paintings, basswood carvings, rug hookings, encaustic paintings, vessels, and forms) are part of this art release. I couldn’t believe the amount of work (and re-working some older pieces) when all was said and done. I really took advantage of the summer days when I had studio energy, and I learned so much and truly grew more rooted in my creative language through it all. I attribute a lot of this growth to participating in the 100 day project earlier this year. It was the boost I didn’t know I needed.

Making Light,

Mystele

Dear Reader, I just finished listing the final items for next Saturday’s art release. I’m SO glad I gave myself the whole month to finish things up because I needed it (over 100 original artworks plus printed goodies!!). It was a lot of work- planning, creating, photographing, editing, listing, editing, arranging the shops, correcting website stuff, more editing…and I’m so excited to share it with you.

The Secret Shop

As a way to say “thank you so much!” for joining me here as I move further away from social media, I’ve created a secret shop of studio specials for subscribers only. I will send an email with access information to you next Friday morning. This info will not be posted here on the Behind the Art Substack so be sure to check your email.

The secret shop is full of things like:

• small original works

• originals that were test runs for things I want to try again

• older originals that I’d rather discount than store in my studio

• sketchings

• older printed goods or seconds (items with some kind of oops)

And, the prices range from $15-$58. Yep.

Some of my favorite things from this art release

One more time: Saturday, September 27 at 9am (Chicago time) @ Mystele Made.

Still…learning to do Love,

Mystele

(Take good care of your hearts and minds out there, and help each other up!)

I haven’t counted, but I’m fairly certain I made about 50 individual encaustic works of varying sizes, from little pendants to wall hangings and standalone vessels. They were all fun and frustrating to work on at times, but I had so many smiles on my face during the weeks of working which is always a good sign of being in the sweet spot.

I finished up all the encaustic stuff and felt like I wanted to make just a few more things. I decided to do some wood carvings because I haven’t made any in a while, and I need to finish up a rug hooking that’s in process. If I have time (and energy), I’ll add one or two small rug hookings to the mix, and maybe (but not on the top of the list) I’ll add some new printed goods. That’s a whole other ball of wax so we’ll see.

In the days ahead I’ll be sharing what’s coming your way in my next art release on Saturday, September 27 at 9am (Chicago time). Until then, here’s a little look at what’s up in the studio.

Take good care!

Learning to do Love,

Mystele

I hope you’re safe out there. So much going on…don’t lose your heart.

Learning to do Love,

Mystele

This vlog is a palooza. Quite a chunky one, but I had lots to share. Enjoy!

Learning to do Love,

Mystele

I’m still aiming for a mid-late July shop update. However, all of the work shown in this vlog is available (inquire here) though it’s not yet listed in the shop. As a reminder, there are always printed goodies available in the shop, and this original needs a home

as well as this one.

Dear Reader, keep a close watch on your heart. Keep weeding out bitterness and judgmentalism and self-righteousness, or whatever your weeds are, and plant an outward focus in their place (Be the good neighbor). So much need and so many ways to help. Stand in the gaps where you can.

Still here learning to do Love,

Mystele

In celebration, I have uploaded the last 7 (seven- that’s right!) Sketchbook Meanderings videos for you and the last three are longer, talky videos. PLUS I compiled an overview of a bunch of work created during the 100 days. You can find all of that on YouTube here: Behind the Art playlist. (If you’ve been keeping up with the sketchbook series, you’ll start with No.10 today.)

And, here’s the last vlog for May.

(You can always watch/re-watch the vlogs on YouTube here: Further In playlist. at the playlist above as well.)

Last of all, in case you missed it on Monday, there’s a new “fun little things” video under the notes tab. (You can also watch that on the Behind the Art YouTube playlist.)

Alright, folks! That’s all for May. Take some time to enjoy the videos over the weekend, and, Lord willing, I’ll be back next month with more snapshots of life Behind the Art!

[My June hope-to-do-list: encaustic art, cyanotype prints, framing up little intaglio prints for the shop, and more sketchbook play…and maybe a shop update in July!]

Learning to do Love,

Mystele

It seems I’m in the throes of growing pangs. That sentence looks a bit dramatic, but it’s what’s happening. In me. You get little slivers of it in these vlogs and Behind the Art memos, but the real heart stuff that is invisible to the naked eye is where the truest transformation is happening. I don’t have the whole picture yet, but the Lord is chasing me down to the roots of me, pushing me full circle/deeper still in my creative practice, and, in my everyday life, his Love persists despite my wandering affections, my hyper-distractable “squirrel!” of a heart. There’s more, but the words aren’t together yet. I do know that the ache, the heavy sorrow I have for the devastating global scene is, oddly enough, helping me grow. What a strange phenomenon. “Did e’re such love and sorrow meet?…”

I’m so thankful for the glimpses of beauty and kindness and justice in the midst of it all, and that’s what I want to be part of. May God help me hold on to mercy, justice and compassion.

Okay. It’s ready now.

Learning to do Love,

Mystele

[You can watch this and all the other Behind the Art videos and “Further in” vlogs on my Youtube channel.]

Learning to do Love,

Mystele

If you ever have questions or want me to share more specifics about a supply or part of my process, always feel free to leave a comment below!

Learning to do Love,

Mystele