Name: Michelle Maclise
Location: Seattle, Washington
Website: kidshaus.typepad.com | www.etsy.com/shop/KidsHaus
How about a brief introduction?
I’m the mom of two marvelous little ladies, 4 & 8 and the wife of an incredibly talented and handsome husband of 15 years. I knew at age 6 that I was going to be an artist and I’m so thankful that I’ve been able to make a living being creative in one way or another. I’ve been a professional graphic designer, textile designer, illustrator and web designer throughout my adulthood and it just never gets boring. I love to sit with my daughters and draw with them when we have down time, it inspires my illustrations every time.
What made Gocco so special for you?
It was my inspiration behind illustrating again… after a 12 year hiatus. I wanted to delve into screen printing but it was too messy and complicated to do in my house and Gocco allowed me to set up shop in my tiny art studio without a hitch. I’ve been able to bring my illustrations alive with Gocco and I love it when layers of color overlap and there are faded edges that naturally occur while printing. It gives each of my illustrations texture and character that you can’t get from an inkjet printer.
Any tips on using a Gocco that you’d like to share?
When I illustrate a print, I like to use several colors but because Gocco supplies are expensive and in high-demand, I need to conserve, so I try to manipulate my illustration so that a couple of different colors can be burned onto one screen, far enough away from each other so that they don’t bleed into each other. I use a lot of ink blocking foam to keep the ink isolated and minimize spreading and wasting ink…it works like a charm!
What’s your biggest accomplishment to date?
Well, the obvious albeit cliche answer is “raising my daughters”… which is 100% true; however, the fact that I had a one year old, worked part-time and managed to illustrate, Gocco print and open an Etsy shop to sell my line of prints in a 4 month time span still baffles me today. I had a fire in my belly and it consumed every free-moment I had — I loved that feeling! This fall, I hope to take on a couple of new personal goals with similar fervor and see what comes of it.
Share something random with us!
How about a “guardian angel story”? When I was 22, I had been laid-off by 2 small design companies in a row so I was ready to work for an established, stable company. One afternoon, I had an interview with the Nordstrom product development division and was incredibly nervous. As I was getting out of my car, an older gentleman came up behind me and said, “Good luck!” and handed me a four leaf clover. I thanked him, pulled my portfolio out of my car, turned back around and he had disappeared. Kind of crazy but I like to believe that he was my guardian angel that day. Oh… and yes, I got the job.
