ART FORWARD

Fellow bloggers, artists and crafters:
I am proud to present my first project  Art Forward.
I am so excited! I have been blogging only since February 2011 and it feels like some of the amazing artists I have met here I have known for years! 
We all enjoy the company of those who understand our cravings to draw a line whenever we see a pen, the shiver down our spine when we smell new paper and the content, peace and satisfaction we feel when we finish a piece of art, wondering..did I really do that?

I am looking forward to strengthen the friendships I have already made as well as meeting new artists. And so I invite you to join in!

What is Art Forward?
An act of artsy kindness in our blogger family.
It traveled through many creative fingers from Isabelle titeled "Pay It Forward" to Rubin and detoured to me.
Passing on kindness in a form of creating special something for special someone, and encouraging your recipients to do the same,  forming a never-ending chain of goodwill.

How does it work?
The first three fellow artsy bloggers that comment on this post will receive an original ACEO art card, handmade by  ME, with my brand new archival Micron markers (that I just got in the mail! so excited) on an acid free drawing paper. Signed and dated. An image of your choice, inspired by my drawings, measuring 2.5 x 3.5 inches.
The fourth recipient will be randomly chosen from the remaining comments.


What's the catch?
No catch!
Just as soon as I will post that you are a                                  
I'd appreciate you to post Art Forward on your blog and continue the game. Then email me to malkamichaela@gmail.com your delivery address and design or image of your choice, and I'll get to work!

BONUS:
Those who DO NOT get to win and still would like an ACEO or a drawing from me, I will gladly do an ART EXCHANGE. 
Something creative of yours for something creative of mine!

Thank you for JOINING!

Name Keepsakes: DIANA

My first name keepsake!
So excited!
It was custom ordered by a friend who is giving it as a gift.
The recipient has changed her name to Diana after overcoming a series of life challenges that have strengthened her and led her to identify herself with this being form Roman Mythology.
I have researched the meaning of the name and incorporated images that are connected with the myth.
The drawing is made using archival pens by Micron on acid free Strathmore Bristoll Vellum paper.
Zentangle doodles were added to fill in the spaces between images.

Illustration Friday: Cultivate

Nothing material lasts forever.
Also spiritually we are changing as we grow, mature and encounter series of hardships in our lives.
Last week's IF theme "Cultivate" seemed perfectly chosen during those trouble-some times on our planet Earth.
One small ball of air, water and land, spinning fearlessly in the vast universe, and it's inhabitants are at each others necks since the beginning of time...

I invite you to watch this wonderful video of  Floyd "Red Crow" Westerman,  an elder of the Dakota Sioux, preceded by a short article.

We come from Earth and as Earth changes, we change.
And as we change, we affect the Earth.
If people believe in the prophecies of the coded Bible/ Torah or not, noone cannot deny the fact, that the inevitable changes to Earth are taking place right now. That we have abused her resources for decades, and only realize it now.
And we suffer the consequences and 'she' is changing.


My  artist friend Rubin Pingk has hooked me on Art Exchange project, that I am going to participate in. (More about that coming up soon.)
I made my first ever ACEO card last night. Inspired by combination of the IF theme, the video above and Rubin's project.
I have chosen an excerpt for the ACEO from my original drawing I made in 2006, titled "Potential", you can find it here.

I still didn't buy new camera since my old one is totaled, so the image is scanned in. The background is water colored w/ sprinkles of salt to bring out the texture. The colors are sooo much more vivid in reality and the drawing much sharper. Until I get new camera, this must do.

Happy Purim!

This past weekend we have celebrated the Jewish holiday of Purim.
While Dell reps were fixing my computer last week, I was Zentangling and came up with this Purim greeting card image.
Wicked Haman is walking Mordechai through the town  on the king's horse. King Achashverosh and Queen Esther are the other images.

Megillat Esther teaches us that life’s challenges are always for the best, because what appears as an obstacle is really an opportunity to develop ourselves for the better. And it all comes from God’s invisible hand that guides our fate, every step of the way.

Zentangle  is so much fun ! I got a whole portfolio in my head! :)

I am back!

OK. So last IF topic was WARNING!
And guess what.
That Friday morning I was looking up some warning signs of animals on Flicker, when suddenly (coincidentally?) I got "Warning" signs all over my screen.
I got virus!
My computer hardware shut down too and though I have McAffee, nothing worked.
Dear Dell personnel, outsourcing from I guess India, sent me a technician twice. Changed my hardrive twice, played around with my computer and almost 2 wks later! made it work only after talking me into buying an extra software protection plan..
No, I tried e.t. there was no way to go around it.
Geek Squad or anyone else would charge me the same just for one time service. At least I am covered for a year.
Boy are we hooked on technology!
I canceled my TV 6 mos ago., too much of nothing going on for my money, I rather spend my evenings drawing. But now without even the computer I felt so cut off from the world.

Thank you for checking on me, Rubin. I have reemerged. It's now 1:30 am in NYC and I am exhausted from being on the phone with Dell for 4hrs! I am going to sleep!

New artwork coming up soon...

Illustration Friday: Swarm

People say, you should not have expectations..
I say, you have to have expectations, just expect the unexpected!

When I was about 6 yrs old, I spent a few weeks of summer vacation with my family in a rented cottage. It was a small colony of about ten cottages, ten families, no electricity, just kerosene lamps.
My mother used portable gas stove to cook her delicious melas on, and we took "showers" outdoors, under an iron water well pump.
Me and my sister ran around, smelling of summer sun. Trees and grass and buzzy bees and birds everywhere. Endless outdoors adventures. Exciting summer storms, that kept us indoors playing cards and board games, mushroom hunting..I could go on and on..wooonderfull summer!

One morning I woke up to find our grassy cottage front swarming with hundreds of orange butterflies.

They were all gone by mid day, besides one.
For some reason, one butterfly stayed, and followed me the whole day.. I think I gave him a name.
He flew away into the sunset right before my bedtime. I couldn't fall asleep. I got so attached to him.

The following day,  he was nowhere to be found.
Suddenly, while I was playing in the grass, he came out of nowhere and sat on my shoulder!
I froze and called out for mom to come and look. I got up slowly and he stayed on me while I walked around. I felt so special!
Two more weeks till the end of the summer vacation in the cottage; he came back every day!

I was heart broken when we had to leave.
The following summer, I couldn't wait to see if he was back...  :)

This drawing is based on my memory of this one magical summer encounter.