Meet Laly Mille (a.k.a. Laly Blue). Or, as she is known to me, “the artist who makes me want to make beaucoup dinero” so that I can purchase a ginormous Original on canvas and then stare at it all day. I haven’t hid my admiration of Laly’s work from her, but I did realize that I would like to share her with you all. Her answers to my questions below made me swoon. When you do what your heart calls for, magic happens, and she is proof.

You grew up in a family where art was practiced, and yet you have mentioned that it still took you awhile to hear and answer your call to paint. Why do you think that is? What pushed you over and finally made you answer that call?

I grew up in a family where art was accepted and encouraged as a hobby, not a profession. I was a good student and by the end of high-school, when the time came to discuss my future, the real question was whether I would go for mathematics and science or stand firm in my “rebellious” wish to study literature and foreign languages.. Although I had also been taking art classes at the Beaux-Arts once a week for several years, and was feverishly devoting a lot of my spare time to charcoal drawing, it never even entered my mind that I could pursue art any further than for my own private enjoyment. My mom was always a very creative woman, trying her hand at different media (watercolor, sculpture, oils, icons etc.) but she was, and still is a doctor (although she just graduated as an Art Therapist!) She didn’t call herself an artist until very recently (about 5 years ago) and I think that seeing her take her art seriously, as her true calling, has helped me to recognize this need in myself too. I have a tendency to perfectionism and the whole “please / perform / perfect” package that Brené Brown talks about, this unconscious need to please others and conform to what you think is expected of you. Getting out of that sort of pattern can take a while! But I also think that everything comes in its own good time. The path I have followed has allowed me to build a foundation that is absolutely essential to my artistic journey: the most supporting husband I could dream of, two kids who are a constant source of amazement, and enough professional setbacks to push me over the edge and make me want to start something of my own! And during all this time, my art was there inside of me, waiting, like a buried treasure. I’m glad I found the map…

What have you learned about turning your art into a “business” that surprises you? And tell the readers something of what you’ve faced in trying to sell your work in France (this was news to me!)

Putting my art “out there” in a “business” way, with a blog, a facebook page, online shops (www.etsy.com/shop/lalyblue and www.zazzle.com/lalyblue) is not exactly in line with the common cliché of the suffering / starving / addicted/ no-one-understands-me-and-I-don’t-care artist. It feels surprisingly right and comes more and more naturally. In fact, I am allowed to be an artist and also be a mom, a wife, be happy, make art that comes from the heart and soul and, through this art, try to touch the heart and soul of others in a positive and magical way.

It is true that I find the french art world intimidating. I do soulful mixed media, not conceptual-cold-contemporary art. I have discovered mixed media through american artists but it is a lot less developed over here. We don’t have the same bridge between art / folk art / crafts. I’ll give you an example: a few weeks ago, I was so glad to find out that there finally was a huge “art and crafts” fair in town. I went and met this woman who made gorgeous colorful paintings of lovely little ladies. At the back of her booth she had a tiny box of beautiful handmade jewelry. I was surprised that it was not better displayed because they surely would have sold really well! But she explained “I’m registered as a painter here, so I’m not allowed to sell them, the organizers have asked me to put them away. I could have registered as a jewelry maker and sold them in the next alley, but then my paintings would not be allowed”… See what I mean? If I want to make jewelry, or even art prints of my own paintings, and sell them myself, in theory this is illegal. But I am learning not to let this sort of things discourage me and to find a way to work with it. And I am loving that this journey is leading me to people from all around the world. I am truly honored that my work touches their hearts <3

You can find Laly’s art and thoughts at www.lalyblue.com
Her general news at www.facebook.com/Lalyblue
Original art at www.etsy.com/shop/lalyblue
Art prints and Goodies at www.zazzle.com/lalyblue