More Art!!!

Dearest Alex,

I've finally finished that massive piece of artwork; the three piece painting.  For the past several days, I've been putting it together and fixing wrinkles and such things, because as you know, my page unstuck itself halfway through my work.  However, I did manage to salvage it, and after all the editing it looks fine :-)  I'm happy, if you can't tell :-)

:-D...

I will not be including the whole illustration, because that would give my book's ending away, but here is a little piece for you to enjoy!

Hope you like it!

The original size is 32'' x 13'' approximately.  This bit belongs middle, bottom, right.

Love,

M

Progress!

Dearest Alex,

It's been a while since I wrote last, and so much has happened that I'm not sure where to begin.

I suppose I should begin with CANSCAIP's Illustration Night. Barbara Reid and Michael Martchenko were the guest illustrators and it was a fun night. I'm sure I would have been more excited if I grew up in Canada and therefore would have grown up with their books. However, the talk was amusing and I've never seen anything like Reid's work before. I never would have thought that one could paint with plasticine.

I did meet two lovely ladies, and have enjoyed talking with them. Stephanie B. is an aspiring author and illustrator. Her illustrations are very cheerful and absolutely perfect for children's books. You can check out her blog here: http://sbmedia.ca/blog/.

Ishtar M. is a writer and she critiques those awfully difficult query letters. You can find her blog here: www.ishtamercurio.blogspot.ca.

Today, it's been a week since that night. The weekend went by quickly. We had guests for Good Friday (though I'm not very religious I do like Easter and I am Orthodox), Saturday was cleaning day, Easter on Sunday, and Monday I finally managed to get my April "Art: Help!" article done. This article introduces visual language and elements and principles of design. If you are serious about studying art and/or have personal thoughts on the subject, please visit the blog.

Yesterday, I finally finished those three paintings for AIMH. Now, I need to fit them together and figure out the placement of the text. However, I think I want to ink the next pages for painting first.

I feel very tired and my mind is muddy. I think it has something to do with all the medicine I'm swallowing daily. Apparently, my body is not as cleansed as it should be, so my naturopath suggested a more powerful regime. It leaves me feeling as weak as a vegetable, and I barely have the strength to leave my bed in the morning--I who have always been a morning person.

My skin is ruined, covered in acne and pocked-marked sores. I can't leave the house without a thick layer of makeup. I'm sick of wearing makeup, so I hide indoors, like some modern Phantom of the Opera. However, I do believe I will brave the outside today, as soon as I have a short nap.

20 min. should do it.

Later,

M

IT WORKED!!!

Dearest Alex,

It worked!!!

My crazy, heavy-book pressing idea worked. The paint did not transfer to the blank paper, and the page has flattened considerably. It is still not perfectly flat, but I did manage to tape it down again, and I believe I can work with what I have now.

So, on to painting!

With all the guests and responsibilities that have occupied my time at the beginning of this month, I still have not managed to finish my new article, but hopefully I can get to it today, and post it sometime this week on my "Art: Help!" blog.

Did not sleep well last night, so I'm feeling tired. I really have to get to bed between 10 and 11...

Love always,

Mili

"Stupid tape!!!"

Dearest Alex,

I'm sure you know that I use the green painter's tape to tape down my paper before I work with watercolour. Well, the stupid tape got unstuck when I was not there to see it, and now my page is all wrinkled!!! I spent a week painting three drawings (because they all belong to the same illustration) at the same time. Now, one of them is wrinkled and I have no idea what to do...

I've watered the page, and have pressed it with a heavy book (the way I press flowers, or leaves if I wish to preserve them), hoping that it may flatten the paper. However, several things may result from this desperate attempt:

1. This crazy idea may work.

2. The paper may flatten, but the paint will be peeled off.

3. I will have to re-trace all three drawings in ink (2 days of work) and begin again.

Option 2 is preferable to option 3. Maybe I can somehow repaint the missing layer of paint and get it to the same consistency as the other two paintings. However, that will also result in wasted time, and if it doesn't work, I will have to fall back on option 3.

I love this paper I am using, but I don't know how to tape the paper so the tape does not peel off when the drawing is wet, but it peels easily when the drawing is dry. Any suggestions?

We artists need a scientist to solve this little problem for us. So, if whoever is reading this is a scientist looking for the next big invention: Get cracking!

Will report my results (hopefully soon).

At the brink of frustrated tears,

M

EASTER GREETING CARD

Dearest Alex,

I had this cute image in my head for an Easter Card, so I just had to draw it.

Here is the result:

It did not turn out too badly.  So Happy Easter to all those celebrating this week.  Христос Воскресе to all those celebrating next week.  And, to the rest of you, HAPPY LONG WEEKEND!!!

Oh, if you wish to use this image for a card, print the image below and cut the ~ 6'' x 3.5'' card (removing the green margin).

Love,

M

Not a good week...

Dearest Alex,

It's been a while, since I wrote last, but what could I do?

Between working hard, my temperature spiking, and my dad being rushed to a hospital, I did not feel much like writing.

I'm still worried about my dad.  His systolic blood pressure is extremely high 160s to 190s (it was once 207), while the diastolic is somewhere in high 80s.  The difference between the two is horrific.  He is also a diabetic and in his late 50s.  I have not slept well in days; since he came home on Wednesday from work and was rushed to the hospital.  I keep having nightmares.  Among others, there was one of me giving birth to a dead baby, and last night I dreamed I was with my whole family as a kid, only to wake up and realize that too many of them have passed on.

My dad seems fine, but both my grandfathers seemed fine, before they suddenly dropped dead.  So, I worry, hoping that I'm just panicking needlessly.

Yesterday, I've seen my Naturopath and the treatment prescribed is not working as well as it should.  She suggest I go back to an extreme diet, but I fear that extreme diets may result in something worse.  A friend who went on an extreme diet ended up lactose intolerant.  I love cheese.  I gave up sugar, I can live without sugar, but life is not worth living without cheese and dark chocolate.

I feel weak, and tired and I'm sick of being sick.

I don't know if I mentioned this mysterious redness on my hands.  It spread slowly for months, because I could not see a dermatologist.  On the day of my appointment, the poor doctor ended up in a hospital, and I've only managed to see his wife this past Monday.  I hope her husband is going to be alright.  She seems to think that the redness is caused by allergy to some substance, maybe some of my art supplies or something.  The good news is I got this steroid cream and the redness is almost gone!  I keep waiting for it to come back, because I thought it was going away before, and then it just spread, but it looks like it is really gone this time.

So, yey, good news!

As far as art goes, I'm finally painting the three paintings at the same time--the ones that will make up the last two-page spread of my book.  My mother is going nuts over my using the dining-room table, but it is the only surface large enough in my entire house.  I'm trying not to rush the job, and I've already made two mistakes, but I hope I could edit them out on the computer when the illustration is painted.

Today, I've filled a Horsing Around Order, have updated the donation report, and have noted my expenses and other tax stuff for this month.

Now, I'm expecting guests; a dear friend and her tiny baby boy.  Haven't seen him in months.

I'm falling asleep as I type this.

I'll try to keep this blog updated more frequently.

Love,

M

P.S.  Almost done with the Visual Language article for my other blog, just need to define elements and principles of design, and find an assignment I did years ago...

A Good Day

Dearest Alex,

Today was a good day. I've had such trouble getting my drawings to behave lately, so to have everything work out splendidly today came as somewhat of a surprise.

My intention, when I woke up, was to finish the last third of a very complex two-page spread in ink (yes, the drawing is complex enough to require me to split it into 3 parts and make it very "wide screen" for me to tell the story the way it should be told) and then to take the three pages outside and paint in this glorious, unusually warm March weather. As is usual with intentions, this intention did not come to pass. The last drawing proved very intricate, then I had to go back on the computer and add the floor design I forgot to add with my initial printout, then I traced that design with ink as well... By the time I was done, and have consumed some lunch, it was 15:30. Too late in the day to begin painting outside. Instead, I finally had a shower, lathered on sunscreen, and took my iPad and Harold Speed's book on Oil Painting to read.

I could barely focus on the pages--the sun was that bright--so I got my wide brimmed hat and sunglasses, reposed in a collapsible chair and spent the following two hours reading and taking notes. There was quite a nice passage about art being an expression of that something intangible, a proof that there is a world outside of our perceptions... But, I did not copy that down, focusing on phrases I may quote in some of my upcoming articles.

I also flirted with the idea of writing my April article, but I decided that needed more intellectual stimulation than I could give lulled by the warm sun. However, I did decide (while I was in the shower) to focus my article on introducing elements and principles of design, and then exploring the most useful drawing tool: the line. I will have to create a number of sketches to illustrate my point, so I should get moving on the article soon.

Jay is the only one of my friends who contributed his sketch page for my previous article, but there were a few others who said they will contribute in the future. I do not understand why all of them are so reluctant. We should help each other as much as we can, instead I find most people threatened by other's talent. I cannot see the downside. They can watermark their sketches if they so wish, the way I do, and I will link to their site and spread the word about them. Sure, my blog is new so it does not have as many followers, but that will change as more and more people discover the wealth of free information available to them with each article I write.

Yes, I know I do not know everything, but I've been well educated, and I continue to educate myself, so I know something, and every little bit helps.

So, despite my not getting to paint as I wished, I did have a wonderful and productive day.

The weather will worsen by Friday, so I'll stay indoors again, and maybe by next week I'll have that 3 part painting done, and another giant hurdle crossed off my illustration path.

Tomorrow, if I manage to get tickets, I'm off to see Seagull at the National Ballet of Canada.

Life is good.

Love,

M