Illustration Friday: LESSON

There is a lesson to be learned from a rose that breaks through a concrete...

Everyone I know well or have recently acquainted has been struggling more than usual. Going through some incredible life changing experiences.
Battling with a serious illness (G-d forbid), stress, financial issues...
Depression due to just things going wrong.
Unexpected outcomes despite all the hard work one puts in.
Natural disasters continuing to occur worldwide...

Whatever belief or religion we do or don't  follow, however we react to our challenging situations, we HAVE TO  remember even a motionless heartless concrete can crack open and let a life sprouts through.
We have to have faith...

I drew this in 2006  for Dr. Sherry Reiter's poetry therapy seminar, based around Tupac Shakur's poem.

I challenge everyone this week to look around:

How many miracles can you see?

HAPPY EARTH DAY!

Illustration Friday: BOTTLED

For this week's illo I have chosen a drawing  I made in 2009.

It was designed to accompany a story called: "The Woman Who Plowed Verses", in Dr. Sherry Reiter's captivating and healing book: "Writing Away The Demons: Stories Of Creative Coping Through Transformative Writing".

It is a collection of stories by those who, while in crisis, took up a pen and paper and wrote stories, poetry, memoirs, and more in order to cope with their dilemmas ranging from addiction to cancer.

Dr. Sherry Reiter, LCSW, one of the pioneers in poetry therapy, is a uniquely gifted writer, practitioner, and educator for her pioneering work as a therapist using writing and poetry for wellness. For workshops, lectures, or training, you may contact:  www.thecreativerightingcenter.com.

The story accompanying this drawing is about a woman, professional calligrapher, who suffered tremendously in a relationship with an alcoholic. She used writing to successfully overcome her struggles and start anew. 

Below is an excerpt from her chapter.

"…He deceived me from the beginning. Yes, I was gullible. I was lonely and hungry for some intimate personal attention. He was a magnificent, well-practiced liar, and I must confess that I wanted to believe everything he said. . . He was not what he appeared to be — a healthy, creative artist who was a bachelor. In reality, he was a married alcoholic whose work life was rapidly spiraling downward from inattention and irresponsibility. He kept his 29-inch waist by drinking and hardly ever eating. He lived on sugared coffee and straight-up gin which he bought in the jumbo size twice or three times a week and stored behind his workbench, and which he drank from first thing in the morning to the last thing at night . . ."

 

*  *  *

Copyright © 2011 Malka Michaela Barshishat, All Rights Reserved.

Addictions in any form CAN be treated. With will, the right tools, guidance and support. 

If successful, it changes the lives, both of the addicted and those around them.  Everything happens for a reason.  A repercussion of one's acts, a lesson to be learned, even often ever so painful.

But there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

If anyone reading this is experiencing such challenges or is close with someone who does, I highly recommend Dr.Reiter's book in helping to overcome these hardships (sherryreiter@yahoo.com).

Blessings...

Name Keepsake: Sivan Noa

I am soo behind in my assigmnets.
I have been working forever on name keepsakes for a relative.
They are being delivered way behind the promised time and I feel so bad....
Sometimes mixture of circumstances and artist's block prevents us from performing the way we'd like.
Being a working mom by day and an artist by night...I find it  impossible to set priorities.
How does one prioritize priorities?
When every issue I am facing has to be resolved RIGHT NOW, my head is spinning to say the least.
Does that happen to everyone?

An old Jewish saying goes: "If you want to make G-d laugh, tell him what your plans are."
So I just have to give in to the will of the Creator, and hope, the recipients will like my work so much, they will forgive me for its delay.

So below is my name keepsake for a little girl, that was designed days after she was born, drawn around last year's summertime, accidentally been damaged,  has been redrawn  two months ago, finished this weekend and  is being shipped off today, couple months after her first birthday.

I truly hope though, it will be treasured forever.

Copyright © 2011 Malka Michaela Barshishat, All Rights Reserved.

 I really really enjoyed drawing it!

Materials: Micron archival markers and Strathmore Bristol Vellum acid free paper.

ART FORWARD UPDATE

Hello everyone!


I am happy to announce that my first two Art Forward, ACEO- art card requests are done!


Jennifer and MarryAnne have both requested a horse.
Luckily, I am a horse lover myself. I  too have experienced the magic of seeing the world from the horseback while living in Europe.
Additionally, my winners have both requested an Art Exchange. How exciting!
Both will be name keepsakes.
I am working on it now and plan to mail them together with the art cards.
My third winner, Kathrine has yet to get back to me. Kaaatheriiine, where are you? :)


Fourth winner will be randomly chosen from the following posts.
There is still time to comment on Art Forward to win a custom art card!
I am extending my deadline, (well there never was one,but there is now), till the end of April!


So here they are:

Jennifer Noel Bower                                            

and  MarryAnne   

All Images in this post and on this blog are:

Copyright © 2011 Malka Michaela Barshishat, All Rights Reserved.

No copies or reproductions of these images are allowed without written permission.

Illustration Friday: DUET

This illo was inspired by a photo of twins.
When I think of duet, I imagine the perfection of two little heartbeats in mommy's tummy.
Complimenting each others rhythms. Synchronized...
And continuing to do so even after birth.