Waterville resident incorporates her renewed artistic passion with unique marketing concept

by Kelli Boylen
freelance writer

Lacey McCormick of Waterville remembers creating art and making up stories as far back as her memory goes.
Her dad, Richard Lessard, Jr. of Prairie du Chien, WI, always enjoyed art and is skilled at painting and drawing. She credits him with getting her started. “He was the one who got me started,” she says. “I saw what he did and wanted to try it too.”
She recalls pictures of birds that she made on posterboard when she was six, and singing to the birds as a child. She was always making up stories to share, and other artistic things.
Her imaginative background has led to publishing three children’s books, as well as creating hundreds of paintings and drawings. “Storytelling was just always part of me,” McCormick says.
After graduating from high school in 2000, she put her artistic ability aside and started attending to the daily demands of life, jobs and children. The children’s stories she had written were put away in storage, and she didn’t find the time to paint or draw.
About two years ago she started writing with her children, which led to the story, “A Sea Turtle’s Journey.” Her children helped to create and draw the characters, and she helped them create the storyline and pull together the drawings. The book is intended for children birth to age eight. The baby sea turtle in the story takes a journey through the sea and learns to count to ten.
That project spurred her to start creating art again. She even started to diversify from her first loves of watercolors and drawing, and started experimenting with oils and “digital painting,” which is creating art on the computer.
“My kids inspire me. They were the whole reason I started with my art again,” she says.
The book “Signing Together” came to be after trying to find a resource to teach her then nine-month-old daughter some sign language to help them communicate. McCormick had to consult numerous books to find what she needed, and she decided to compile what she had learned into one book for all ages. The book contains more than 100 beginner signs. Signing can allow youngsters the chance to communicate with their hands before they can speak, which can reduce frustration between parents and their children, McCormick explains.
Her next book was “The Red Chameleon,” which is intended for children ages seven to ten. She describes the book as, “a special tale of a chameleon named Ray who journeys far from home to find his place in life. On his adventure he discovers some amazing creatures, and he finally finds out what it means to belong.”
After many years of working summers at Riveland Nursery and winters at Kol-Gol, she decided she wanted to do something different, something that she loved. She decided to continue her artwork and get it out there to the public.
Like many artists, McCormick knew how to create beautiful artwork, but she needed a way to market it outside of her group of friends and family. She looked for a publisher and literary agent, but soon found that frustrating. She ended up self-publishing. Her books are available on Amazon.com, but she needed to do more.
She came up with the idea of selling her work through parties, similar to Home Interiors or Pampered Chef. Other people could host parties and split the profits. She started that concept last fall.
Her home-based business is called “Art of Doodles.” Anyone who becomes a “designer” can earn income by working with her, similar to “consultants” with other home-based businesses. Money can be earned by holding book parties or parties in a person's own home. Designers can make their own schedules and never have to maintain an inventory. She came up with the name Art of Doodles because her nickname as a child was (and still is to some) "Doodles" or "Doodlebugs".
She has created a catalog with all of her artwork in it. Most of the prints - she has more than 80 different works of art available as prints - come in either 8"x10" or 10"x15", but custom sizes can be ordered of many things in the catalog. Many prints come matted and ready to frame. Others come with a frame, and some are printed on canvas.
She also sells prints and her books at various Farmer’s Markets in the area, as well as arts and craft fairs and flea markets. She is at the Waukon Farmer’s Market Mondays, 4-6 p.m.; Decorah Wednesdays, 3-6 p.m. and Saturdays 8-11 a.m.; Gays Mills Wednesdays, 2:30-6 p.m. (she alternates between Decorah and Gays Mills); and Harpers Ferry Fridays, 5-7 p.m.
Her artwork ranges from abstract to realism. Subject matter ranges from local landmarks to flowers to classic cars and horses to giraffes. “It’s fun to do,” she says. “It puts me in my own little world."
McCormick says watercolors are her favorite medium because of how it “flows and blends, just doing it’s own thing.” She also really enjoys digital painting because so many different computer programs can be brought together to create.
All of her prints are numbered and signed. Her work can be viewed and/or purchased at the Farmer’s Market listed above, by contacting her directly at laceyl_2004@yahoo.com, or by going to www.doodlebuggs.fscstore.com. Click on art prints or books to view her items.
She does still often do art with her children. “When I paint, the kids think they have to paint too,” she says with a smile. Sometimes they will set up a project that starts with one family member painting on the paper, and then it is passed to the next person. For example, one person might start with a circle and eventually, after everyone has added something it, ends up as a painting of a troll.
McCormick and her husband, Matt, have six children in their family: Jacob McCormick, Nikki McCormick, Austin McCormick, Blake Reed, Cloie Reed and Evanna McCormick.