$5.00 Approx. 4.25"x5.5"

MICHELLE LE MERDE - SEATTLE, WA
"Le Merde Hearts Yorkies"

how did you hear about gocco?
I used it in Camp Fire Girls when I was like seven. We made holiday stationary with snow flakes and an old-timey candle-stick on them. A few years ago I was trying to get Mike something fun for Christmas and thought of it again, I think it was always in the back of my mind to get one since I was a kid.

what do you like about gocco versus other mediums you work in?
I like the instant gratification and the mass production of having a little piece to share with friends.

do you have any gocco tips/tricks?
I got tired of the weird color limitations, where are the flesh colors? So I went to Daniel Smith (art supply store) and bought those empty paint tubes that people who mix their own oil paints with pigments use. I mixed some colors with a palette knife and loaded it up and it worked pretty good.

what does love mean to you?
Love is having someone to conspire with and someone to look forward to things with. Sometimes I wish I wasn't married to Mike just so I could still look forward to marrying him...

what contemporary artists are you inspired by?
I know it's lazy but I like a lot of the same stuff Mike likes. I think Geoff McFetridge and Dehara are cool. I get a lot of inspiration from weird stuff like vintage porcelain figurines such as Hummels.

tell the audience what movie, book, album, website, tv show, and magazine you love that most people haven't seen/read/heard?
Movie: Cold Fever, it is about this Japanese guy who travels to Iceland to perform his deceased parents burial rights...it is actually a really weird and funny road movie that is really beautiful. I think it is only available on VHS.
Book: The Joy of Cooking. Seriously. It is actually fun to read and it is almost foolproof for the recipes. I taught myself to cook from it and have given it to friends as a present. They use a really witty voice and I highly recommend it. Seriously.
Album: I don't like anything nobody has ever heard of. I like classic rock.
Website: Am I a nerd? Am I going to tell you all my nerdy dark secrets? Here is the website of the breeder where we got our Yorkies: (ours are from before the Yorkie-explosion and did not cost $1400)
TV Show: Flip this House and Project Runway.
Magazine: There is this Women's Wear Daily bi-annual supplement that is devoted to accessories. I live for it.

favorite place in your town?
Our house.

favorite place in the world?
London, that is where me & Mike met. I think it was the most fun and inspiring place I have been.

any advice you can pass onto aspiring artists/designers?
Try to make your life easier by using all the shortcuts that are available.