Life & Work with Randy and Lisa Lee of NW Wi

Today we’d like to introduce you to Randy and Lisa Lee.

Hi Randy and Lisa, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
We met in 2015. Randy was a professional portrait and wedding photographer, Lisa an ex-college Art Major drop out looking for a creative outlet. The timing was meant to be as we were each making changes in our lives and looking to do something that would fill us up and also allow us the freedom to be our own bosses. After putting our creative minds together, we joined forces and started showing together at juried Fine Art Fairs in 2016 as Images By Lee Art and then eventually changing our name to Tin Cat Studio as the art changed and grew into what it is now.

We learned so much in that first year. What shows were a better match, what shows to never ever do again, how to battle the rain and wind, and mostly how to take criticism and answer the same questions over and over and over. In 2019 we were participating in about 20-25 shows a year, traveling to further places like NC, but keeping the midwest our base and primary focus. We could be found locally in shows like Edina, Uptown and Madison. We were living the dream, well, our dream.

March of 2020, as for many others, changed everything. Galleries closed, art shows were canceled, we were still doing weddings and portraits at the time and those were all canceled. We lost every aspect of our income. After the initial shock and mourning, we picked ourselves up and faced the challenge head on. We upped our social media game, sold art on our website, did Facebook live sales, cleaned houses, took on whatever odd job we could to make ends meet. While it was a challenge, it also came with lessons that needed to be learned. While at home more, we also realized we had missed being home, which led us to the next chapter.

In March of 2021 we met a couple at a meeting when we happened to sit at the same table. The conversation was easy and fun and the question came up- “would you like to rent space in our building?” The answer was no…… Well, fast forward to a couple of weeks later, we signed the lease and on April 29th, we opened “Tin Cat Studio & other cool cats” located in Amery, WI. It is a place to showcase our own artwork, but additionally about 35 other artists as well. Many of whom we have become friends with while showing art together at shows over the past few years. We also have a love for vintage finds, so you can find many cool vintage treasures throughout our shop as well. It is truly an eclectic space filled with items we love allowing us to showcase our love of things handmade & intriguing treasures of yesteryear.

This addition of a brick and mortar home base, allowed us to retire from wedding & portrait photography and be home more often. We still do a handful of art shows, although down from 20 something to about 5-6. Minnesota Art shows in 2022 will include Loring Park and Excelsior Art on the Lakes. We currently show our work at Smith + Trade in Stillwater, MN.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has been anything but a smooth road, all business comes with it own challenges, While being a creative, of course creating is the fun part, but in reality that is just a small fraction of what running your own business actually entails. 12-16 hour workdays during the peak season, what seems like endless bookwork, website updates, social media posts and the frustration of keeping up with the ever-changing tax laws. Being a small micro-business owner means you really don’t keep “normal” hours and it can be very difficult to find the right balance between work and not work.

Doing art shows on the road presents a big set of challenges. The first being the weather. You spend a lot of time and effort creating a great set of artwork and be in the best area for a successful show, but if the weather doesn’t cooperate on that given weekend, all of your hard work can be for naught. We have found ourselves many times in the middle of high winds, torrential downpours, hail and have watched the work of our fellow artists being destroyed around us. It is heartbreaking to witness and truly a gamble when it comes to Mother Nature.

Adding a brick and mortar location is teaching us patience and the ups and downs of retail and being a brand new business in a town. We have really had to find our zen and just go with the flow which can be very feast or famine.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
We are known for our impressionistic, encaustic photography and very much our one-of-a-kind hand built frames. We are most proud of the fact that we do it all from scratch. We take all of the pictures, do all the editing, find the reclaimed materials to build the frames, and craft the frames ourselves. We strive to separate ourselves by not just presenting a nice photo in a frame, but crafting a frame that complements the image and creating a unique piece art as a whole.

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
I think the biggest challenge and lesson we have learned along the way is how to work together as a team and be with each other every day. We are two people with different thoughts and opinions and ways we work. Randy is more the “let’s get this done” sorta guy and Lisa wants to take a moment to watch a butterfly flutter in the wind and collect her thoughts. We are both stubborn, competitive, and like to get our way, which makes it very difficult at times. However, with the help of counseling and constant self checks, we have learned to work through our differences. Randy has learned to watch the butterfly for a brief moment and Lisa has learned that once that butterfly has gone, it’s time to refocus on the current task.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.TinCatStudio.com
• Instagram: @tincatstudio
• Facebook: @tincatstudio
• Youtube: @tincatstudio

Image Credits
@ Tin Cat Studio
Randy and Lisa Lee