The Colour Box

a tea party arrived at my doorstep...

2007-08-28T12:18:00.000+03:00

...it arrived yesterday and it is was all packaged beautifully in this lovely butterfly decorated envelope: When opened the treasures that lay inside filled my studio with colours, aromas and magic! Exotic teas, secret recipes, origami clothes, enchanted playing cards:

Thank you Soozcat for sending me such a beautiful and magical surprise! :)

x's

It's here!! The SOSF tea party event!!

2007-06-13T23:45:00.000+03:00

The lovely and talented Tara is admin of this new SOSF event (she made this incredibly gorgeous invitation and thought of this genius theme)!
"This event's theme is "Handmade card, favorite tea and a treat"! (One of each.) To keep mailing costs low, be creative with light-weight, flattish items that you personally enjoy and will fit into a small, padded envelope. For example- a couple of packets of your favorite tea, with your great-aunt Tursell's recipe for scones or petit-fours tucked into a beautiful, handmade card in which you write your own tea rituals to share with your recipient. Add a wrapped piece of gourmet chocolate or biscotti, or something non-edible, but tea-themed as a *treat* and you will be set! This is just one possibility - use your creativity and love of sharing tea with friends."

For more information visit the SOSF blog!!

This in not an event to be missed!!

:O)
x's
Maya

Presents and prints!

2007-06-03T19:38:00.000+03:00

A few days ago I was visited yet again by those creatures of the fairy world: the black crow delivery service!!!!

They brought me a sapphire treasure from far away made by a very talented young jewelery designer: Toby of Natural Attril!!

It is truly gorgeous and I love it: A huge thank you to Penny and Toby for their lovely gift!!!

In other news I have been busy with my Etsy shop!! I have been trying to find a new (and more interesting way) of packaging my prints...So I have designed a special folder for them to be delivered and kept in:

I've also started a new blog in which I hope to slowly add the stories behind the illustrations: http://lilymoonhome.blogspot.com/

Etsy has been a lot of work, but I have really been enjoying creating prints for the shop!!

x's

My Etsy shop (and it's mini version)

2007-05-16T14:06:00.000+03:00

I've just about (nearly) set up my new-ish Etsy shop and as you may have noticed to the right of my blog you can see a mini Etsy... The name of the shop is Lilymoon ( I've always had a soft spot for lilies and the moon and I have endless midnight conversations so the name just felt most approriate lol )...

Its still in its early stages, but I am working on some mew (new even?) prints to add to it and some new Paper Gardens ( I'll write more about this project soon- promise)...

x's
Maya
:)

The other day...

2007-04-27T19:36:00.000+03:00

I was on my veranda taking a brief break from my drawing (and as usual having a silly look on my face) :

...when suddenly wooooooosh.....

a tornado of black feathers and strong wind gave me a new (and scary) hairstyle !!

I turned around and expected to see those funny beings, aka Black Crow Fairy Gift Messengers...But nope...they had vanished in a blink of the eye - It seems after seeing their business going so well they put their beaks together and decided to create an express service to save time!
On the table of my humble veranda were two lovely gifts from friends far far away:
A fantastic selection of music from the kind and talented David:

...and a beautiful package of goodies, with a book featuring her incredible work translated into greek from the lovely and talented Gretel:

Thank you both so very very much! :)

x's

maya

p.s. apologies for the small photos- I am having a bad flickr day :(

Random pix of:

2007-04-22T17:41:00.000+03:00

1>...Little table next to my chair where I keep my colours and a sample of the book layout I have been working on.

2> ...The view beneath my window

3>...Some of my favourite bits of jewelery: Rhinestone hairpin, Hummingbird earrings, 1940's Guilloche locket, a ring I bought in Prague years ago (the stone is apparently a piece of meteorite)...and below my favourite of all, a silver birdcage:

tweet tweet tweet

2007-04-16T16:30:00.000+03:00

... Bird sketch....

... Another birdy illo on the wall of my studio...

Bird books that I bought recently.... :)

Tweet tweet

2007-04-15T20:41:00.000+03:00

I have been working on book illustrations this week for my personal project.
I've been going through a err..."bird phase" these past few months i.e. collecting books, ephemera and anything else that has to do with birds...
and drawing them a lot...It's a miracle my little black sketchbook hasn't flew through the window and built a nest in the lemon trees below!
Anywaaay...
The above illustration is titled " The fair at St Francis" :)

Goodbye March (it's good to see the back of you)

2007-03-31T19:30:00.000+03:00

Blimey its been a rollercoaster of a month...Being ill, then going into hospital while many other things were falling apart, having an operation and then coming back home to discover that the worst part of an operation is the recovery...Yikes! I sit here wondering did all that really happen...?
Well the stitches on my tummy confirm that it indeed did happen and that it wasn't all a nasty nightmare induced by too much smirnoff and peanuts...
To make things even worse: I won't be going to Bologna (*sulks heavily*)because of all the above...
But...
Out of all the bad there is always some good...I have a lot of things to be thankful for that I would not have noticed if all the above didn't happen...

Maya's "after the horrendous thunderstorm there is always a cloud with a silver lining" list:

1. Breathing- No joke, anyone who has an operation like the one I did will treasure breathing.
2.Being surrounded by friends- correction: angels, who helped me with their love and support...I can never thank them enough, and I know how lucky I am to have them in my life!
3. Being able to eat.
4. Being able to move.
5. Not being dazed and confused for days (what do they put in that anesthetic to make it so yucky?!)
6.Being able to take a bath without anyone in the room
7. Being able to sleep without waking up every hour.
8. Being able to paint and write again

The list is never ending really...Sometimes you need a heavy punch in the face from the universe to discover that you are very lucky even if little things aren't going as planned, even if you are not where you want to be...
Its good to be alive and healthy! It really is :)

A small note to say...

2007-03-26T20:14:00.000+03:00

...I am just home from the hospital after having an operation and am now trying slowely to get back on my feet- Still feeling weak and dizzy so sorry for any mistakes...I'll need a couple of days still to get back to my old self but just wanted to say I am thinking of you all and missing you...

Sending you lots of love,
maya

Triple delight-full surprise!

2007-03-14T20:29:00.000+02:00

Nope that isn't the name of a new ice cream flavour but what happened to me on Monday morning when I received the most beautiful surprises delivered by the infamous and wonderful fairy crows :)

I was going about my day as usual and then heard a familiar noise at the window...a tick- tick- yaddle- tick...Three little black birds were sitting on the edge of the window gleaming in the pale spring sunlight...I gently opened the window and they flew straight in .... circling my studio they dropped one by one the parcels they were carrying in to my lap...

First presented were these amazing gifts from the lovely Lorna:

A beauuuuutiful book illustrated by Jane Ray, a bar of mayan gold that you can eat and some refreshing fairy soap to wash away all things bad.... :)

Next surprise to drop in to my lap (my legs were trembling by the weight and the excitement by now...) were these beautiful gifts from the lovely Paula:

Included were secrets of the colour fairies, secrets of the making of Mysterious Rose Madder and Karmic Cobalt Blue, and most precious of all a beautiful illustration painted by the talented artist herself :)

Then came the time for the last crow to drop the package into my lap...but it didn't...Instead it gently let it down onto my desk and nodded in a crow-like-way for me to approach...

"You will never guess who this package is from" it whispered and flew and sat on my shoulder...And he was right...I didn't recognise the writing on the parcel...hmmm....who could it be from?? I quickly opened it to find precious treasures hiding inside:

The magically mystic package included: an angel box, a pearl rose, a book of all things wise, a kettle that brews tea by its own just when you are thinking you need some, a rebellious robin who sings even when life isn't smiling back at you, a serendipitous blue bird box and many more beautiful items...

I would like to say a BIG thank you to Lorna, Paula and my mystical Secret Fairy (whom I still do not know the identity of but am very grateful to and would wish to thank in person one day if they would want it too!!) for making me smile and making me feel so blessed!

maya :)

p.s. The crows are very well and say hi...They are munching on some sugar coated peanuts and tapping their feet happily while I write :)

Christmas in March - well...almost!

2007-03-11T19:13:00.000+02:00

Its been an up and down week...

I'll leave out the down bits and focus on the up - much more interesting ;)

I have been working this week on a christmas card design...It really took up a lot of my time, as I was not happy with the first colour roughs I had made...So I continued making roughs over and over again until I finally felt good about a few...I must say this took a lot more time to do than I am usually used to...I hope it was worth the hours of work...Here it is in person so to speak:

In other news, I still haven't booked a flight or a hotel for Bologna...Grrr...I have to wait a bit to see if I will be able to go due to other problems hanging over my head at the mo...Hopefully by next week everything will be clearer...(crosses fingers, closes eyes, chants "I will be going to Bologna"...lol...

Being positive is key so I am proceeding for the following four weeks to focus on the book proposal and folio work I intend to take with me...I'll be posting some of that work here soon :)

Oooh...I hear my moleskine calling...it always does that when its hungry...

is this thing working?

2007-03-03T17:17:00.000+02:00

I haven't been able to access my blog since my switching to the new blogger and it has been an absolute pain! Just tried it again and now it seems to be working (hoorah!!) so fingers crossed from now on I will be able to blog again- hehe!

So much has happened to me in the past months- mainly bad things but now I hope that all will be alright. I am not going to write about it though as I just want to leave it behind me and start fresh- It is spring after all :)

Good news no 1: Next month I am planning to visit the Bologna Book Fair and I am really excited about it! Among other work I am trying to finish my book proposal which I plan to take with me and which I will try to persuade a book publisher is the best thing since greek coffee and biscuits (Lol!)...

Good news no 2: I have been loving my new moleskine I bought...I had been dissappointed with the old one as the heavy paper in it couldn't be used for watercolour or gouache- so I thought Id give the other option a go: the one with normal paper in it! Its absolutely wonderful to use with any medium and I can't get enough of drawing it!

Good news no 3: My best friend is back from her vaccation and I can enjoy her lovely company again- I missed her a lot! She and I will be going to Bologna together and so now that she is back we can plan all the details for the journey!

Good news no 4: There is a lunar eclipse tonight!! I'm dreaming of spending the night on the roof in a comfortable chair watching the moon change colours!

(its been a whole 15 minutes and no internet error appearing on page! Phew!! Seems things are starting to get back to normal :)

x's
m.

Podlings and fairy crows!

2006-10-28T17:23:00.000+03:00

I received the lovely package of ms Daisy Lupin yesterday (my sosf autumn partner), delivered by those mischievous fairy creatures, the infamous Fairy Crow messengers!

The package was filled with magical objects:

exotic teas,

Delicate silver hairpins

sweet almond and fairy dust soap,

mystical mayan chocolate,

lovely handmade cards,

a blue handmade pearl bunny (very very rare creatures of the elf world),

diamond earrings (from the mines of middle earth)

and a fairy podling who is and has been sleeping soundly for nearly an eternity and might wake up and turn into a fairy anyday now!

marshmellow wings
and cupcake thank you's
to you
Fairy Lupin!!

Red Flannel Elephant christmas cards

2006-10-23T18:38:00.000+03:00

My talented friend Gretel is launching a new Red Flannel Elephant Christmas card range, and its looking absolutely gorgeous...!

You can see more of her lovely card range here and read all about her and her adventures at her inspirational blog here!

x's
M.

Hyper Speeeed

2006-10-14T20:35:00.000+03:00

Had to make the above cards very quickly so they can be sent off next week to agent...phew...didn't think I'd make it...
Now I have to do some graphic design work for a friend, tomorrow I'll be visiting my mum who I haven't seen in ages and on monday morning I have to pay a visit to the dreaded printers - again and then visit a client in the afternoon!!
Yikes!
The following week is full of work I have to catch up with but hopefully by Saturday I'll be able to take a break...lol

I did have mr Toot and the Rain to keep me company though today...
Thank you Fairy Lorna!!

:0)

hmmm....

2006-10-13T02:03:00.000+03:00

Feeling a bit rusty and trying to get back into painting again after working the past few weeks using a computer program...I've missed my brushes and paints!! Above is one of todays attempts to get back into illustration mode ....
hmmm...

:o)

This and That

2006-09-27T23:05:00.000+03:00

Above is an idea for a christmas card I painted some days ago...apart from that and some sketches I haven't had time to work on my artwork a lot these past weeks...

I've been commisioned a graphic designer job that hopefully should end in the next ten days or so...And then I get my life back....lol
Its not been bad really, I do get to meet with some lovely people and socialize for a change- something that shocked my system a bit, but it turns out its like riding a bike, you don't forget how to do it, which was a pleasant surprise!!

In other news: I've been gardening today...I'll post some pics of my attempt soon...I planted some roses my mum bought me for my bithday present, and today some sunflowers and some sweet peas...

I also have been reading a little when I can find some time- my latest book adventure is set through the pages of Plato...
The dialogues are really inspiring and thought provoking (umm...ok so that isn't the most original observation- but it is the truth...lol)...There was this one thing I read stuck in my mind-
Socrates is discussing the subject of "Eros" (the love god) with a wise lady he admires...The lady makes the following statement about Eros: Eros is neither human or a god but a demigod...
the reason is this: he has to be this way because he is what connects god to humans...Love is the connection...
I don't know why, but I mentally noted this and have been smiling about it ever since I read it...

Lol...This has to be one of my weirder blog entries...I started with illustration- went on to gardening and finished off with Plato :)

x's
Maya

home again

2006-09-13T20:26:00.000+03:00

Its great to be back after my vacation...Italy was a great experience and I am already planning to visit Florence again in the future as I feel it's a place that needs to be revisited and further explored...

These are some notes I made in my notebook about Florence while I was there, an attempt to capture a little of the atmosphere to take home with me:

strips of blue sky floating between ochre buildings
carpets of burnt sienna and venetian red observed from God's roof garden
sap green river and rose dore gardens
gelato in every tint of every colour
almond green marble giants and graphite grey pigeons
people singing goodmornings, hellos and thank yous
warm humid rooms and cool autumn breezes
the town smiles in the morning is sleepy at midday and melancholic in the afternoon

a pic of me forcing a smile after climbing 500 steps
a view from the hotel window

x
maya

at approximately ...

2006-08-16T00:20:00.000+03:00

... 6 o'clock every afternoon on weekdays, I have my coffee break.

I sit down, with my diary and cup of coffee and start writing...Sometimes I write about my day, sometimes I plan my schedule for the next few days and sometimes, when I haven't been having a particularly good day, for one reason or another, I biro-doodle till the delicate white pages of my A6 diary look like they have been dipped mercilessly over and over in thick blue ink...
I do the same thing on Saturdays but instead of a diary I curl up in my favourite chair with a good book!
The one thing that stays a constant to this 30 minute ritual is the type of coffee I drink: A double cup of semisweet freshly brewed greek coffee...

I remember as a young girl observing my aunts and mum drinking the same kind of coffee while exchanging flaouna recipes or talking about my energetic grandfather's latest escapade ...75 and climbing trees got them all a bit anxious and worried, but once they had a sip of coffee all the tension in the air would settle a little too magically...
Occasionally , if they were really upset about something an aunt would attempt to foretell the future by reading the coffee stains on the cup, with such an air of self confidence that I was convinced the stains were long forgotten hieroglyphics that only the gifted could understand...

Wanting to grow up quickly and decipher these grown up rituals I was very excited when my mum decided it was time I should learn how to make coffee myself...The slightly magical aura that surrounded the dark brown substance unavoidably excited my imagination... the "briki" transformed into a magical cauldron and the coffee and sugar, into oriental alchemical ingredients...Each time the make-believe ingredients would change according to whom I was preparing the coffee for: for example,if It was for a person I liked the imaginary ingredients would transform into rosepetals and cinammon sticks... if it was for someone I didn't like...well..lets just say it certainly wasn't something that carried the scent of rose petals...

Here is the recipe and preparation for greek coffee (imaginary ingredients are omitted, but feel free to add them if you like :)

Greek Coffee
1 small cup of water
1 teaspoonful of sugar
1 teaspoonful of coffee
Pour water into the "briki" (a very small saucepan will do) to heat.
Just before the water starts to boil, add the sugar and coffee.
Stir, and as soon as it rises and remove from heat.
Pour a small amount into cup, and then return the briki to heat the remaining coffee till that rises too.
Pour the remaining coffee into the cup.

Always served with a glass of ice cold water!

Greek coffee is never drunk to the "last drop" because there is always an undrinkable think coffee sediment that remains on the bottom of the cup (and is called "katakathi")

enjoy!
x
Maya

Peace

2006-08-14T20:25:00.000+03:00

The S.O.S.F...

2006-08-12T16:12:00.000+03:00

is now officially up and running! :)

For all interested please visit the official blog at http://thesocietyofsecretfairies.blogspot.com/
for further information on how to participate.

The beautiful invite was painted by admin fairy PG!

Happy fairy thoughts!

x's

Maya

Peace

2006-08-10T20:27:00.000+03:00

Not Dead...

2006-07-28T01:31:00.000+03:00

The blog I mean! :)
Its just that I have been up to doing a lot of things lately, and things that I still need to sort out, so I am letting it rest for a while.
I'll probably blog it to death in September! And thats suppose to be a promise and not a threat. ;)

Hmm...news!?
Well...umm...

Watching and listening the news compulsively. I went through a stage where I couldn't focus on work, as I was getting so upset about the war. But I had to pull myself together... and focused my energy on praying and sending good thoughts to all that are living the nightmare...

Got a wonderful package from a friend, which included beautiful illustrations and a birdfeeder. (Thank you!!!! :) )

Reading: Yes been doing a hell of a lot of that and not all it is for research. Discovering a lot of amazing things that make me smile.
I keep the "history of reading" for when the day is over, and I have gone to bed. It's my treat for the day...

Painting: yes! But not feeling too confident in showing what I am up to yet.
Probably in September.

Just had commision for some jewelry and maybe a painting too.

Awaiting: August trip. Doing some research for that as well....I like to know a little (or a lot!) about the place, so I can snoop around more confidently...lol

Oh...and my Daniel Smith paints arrived! They are different to the usual ones I am use to. I think their binder is more "sticky" (for lack of a better word)...Almost honey like... But I am getting the hang of them...
My favourite I think is Verditer blue, which is a delicate powder blue colour (its a mixture of titanium white, cobalt blue and cerulean).

And just remembered:
Going: to the dentist tomorrow...grrr...But I won't think about that now...it will probably give me nightmares...

Better get back to Alberto Manguel, and the chapter with the tiniest book on earth in it...lol

xxx's
&
hugs

Maya the geek!

;)

My first birthday gift for 2006

2006-07-13T02:12:00.000+03:00

...was brought to me by my best friend today...
She came to visit me this afternoon...
she is leaving on Saturday to go to the UK for her vacation, lucky girl!! :)
She surprised me by bringing me my birthday gift early! She told me she had to give it to me now, and I would understand why, once I saw what it was...

The present she brought me was a white cotton-linen dress:

I smiled happily looking at it and thanked her with a warm hug:

it would be the perfect thing to take with me on my trip next month!

S'eyharisto Kumquat mou

xxxxxx'S

Maya

Its a love thing

2006-07-11T21:28:00.000+03:00

I fall in love mostly with three types of things:
Colours
Places
...and Books!
(maybe when I a become an adult, I will add humans to the list)

I fell in love this afternoon with this one:
A History of Reading by Alberto Manguel
The tell tale sign was me checking how many pages the book was, after reading just ten pages of it, and then feeling depressed it only has 377 pages...I don't want it to ever end!

I am no expert book reviewer so I am hesitant to try to describe it...
I'll just say this for now: If you are a lover of books you will read this book like reading a diary of a soulmate. He writes passionately about the book as a truly sensual and living object and describes the art of reading through the centuries beautifully and with hair raising detail...

I will be writing more about this book when I have finished reading it... I really need to get back to it now!!

x
Maya

Two day shopping therapy

2006-07-07T03:55:00.000+03:00

The list:
I ordered the following books from amazon (hope to have them by next week!)

The Craftsman's Handbook: "Il Libro dell' Arte" by Cennino Cennini

The History of Reading by Alberto Manguel

The Elements of Color by Johannes Itten

Theory of Colours by Johann Wolfgang Goethe

and
The Merchant of Marvels and the Peddler of Dreams by Frederic Clement

and today I ordered some watercolours from Daniel Smith's online store...waiting for email confirmation from them, so I am trying not to get too excited yet!!

:)
Maya

Back to the beginning

2006-07-07T02:56:00.000+03:00

I feel I have been running in circles for the past months...
And now I am back at the beginning again.
But am I?
I've changed quite a bit, in a small amount of time...
I can only describe it as been being hit by a truck and then slowly regaining conciousness...and then reassessing everything in your life...every small, seemingly meaningless little thing...and putting the puzzle together again, fingers crossed you are doing it right this time.

I am looking forward to some peaceful time ahead of me...

I know what I want to do it...now its just a matter of doing it!

Will be posting work soon!

x's
Maya

I know, I know...

2006-06-22T02:32:00.000+03:00

I've seriously neglected my blog... :(
I have just been in this odd mood lately...I don't feel like talking or writing...
I just want to draw and paint. Not that I am painting anything worthwhile mind you...just silly mini sketches mostly with the odd bit of gouache or collage. Although they aren't particularly any good, doing them is intensly catharctic.
a sample of my therapeutic sillyness:

I've opened an Etsy store and thought (for these images to have some sort of purpose, and not end up in the back of my "draw for indulgence drawings" ) I'd try to sell them on there...

I don't know what else to say really...Im just in an odd mood...like I have shut everything out or my emotions and mind have shut down and the only thing working are my hands....lol...

anyway...

promise a new

I counted one thousand seven hundred and twenty three

2006-06-12T02:07:00.000+03:00

I was feeling all mixed up inside....
Like someone had taken a large wooden spoon and had given my spirit a heavy stir...
I wasn't feeling well and needed to balance my thoughts somehow...
So I sat at my window, like I do at times like these, and started counting crows gliding lazily through the cobalt sky...
one crow
two...
forty five.....
one thousand seven hundred and twenty three.....

but...
then they suddenly stopped appearing.
Not a black sleepy bird in sight!
"Thats odd", I thought to myself.

...and I wasn't feeling any better...
usually they dissappear when I can't count any more...
................................................................................................................................................................

Swooooooooooooooooooooooooosh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

all at once....one thousand seven hundred and twenty three crows, turned the sky into a gigantic piece of shimmering coal velvet....and following them attached to a long piece of purple ribbon ...a parcel!

Boom!

Before I can shake the surprise of the scene I have just experienced,
the parcel comes flying through the window followed by a shower
of black feathers,
silk ribbons
and cobalt glass.
Im left all black and blue (and purple) on my bedroom floor.

"arrrrrrrr....the SSOF have striked again!!!!!And again they have caught me offguard!"
I open the parcel hastily...
...its contents are a stroke of genius!!!
Perfect in every way! :)

If you don't believe me, have a look for yourselves:

Many many thank you's to the Fairy that sent it...!

counting the crows may not have helped put a smile on my face...

but the generosity and kind heart of this Fairy kept me smiling for days after!!

You have my eternal gratitude!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx's!!!!

Maya

p.s.I will have my revenge...mwahahahaha...even if I am a bit slow in doing it! ;)

One thing at a time

2006-05-29T23:22:00.000+03:00

Well that was the idea anyway...
....feeling rather overwhelmed these past days. A long list of things to be done and my two hands aren't fast enough to do everything...I'll be moving on Sunday, back to the apartment and have to pack all my stuff and prepare my old studio, which at the moment looks like it has been bombarded, so I really need to sort it out so hopefully I can get back to work the soonest I move in.
I have lots of research to do for the book, want to do a few more card ideas, plus I really want to do something nice for the travelling sketchbook (I shall talk about that in detail in another entry), plus got phone call from client today wanting work done by Wednesday, (ha!)...I have to update my website too, something I've been putting off for ages...And I have to do some handmade cards for shop....
And i have my ssof assignment, which is half finished, and was supposed to go out in May...

Not to mention all the personal stuff thats going on, which could give me my first ever migraine!
AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Feeling better now!...lol
ommmmmm!

card ideas

2006-05-19T21:17:00.000+03:00

Today I have been mostly working on greeting card ideas to send to publishers. I worked on a few roughs and then proceded to try and illustrate one of the ideas...I usually get carried away and while I should concentrate on being faithfull to the rough idea, while doing the actual illustration I find my self adding things as I go...Today I tried to be as disciplined as possible... the above is a crop of the final illustration...I am not sure about it at the moment...I'll know if I like it in a few days (I am a bit slow at spotting glaring mistakes)...

Blog guilt :)

2006-05-17T14:20:00.000+03:00

Haven't posted anything for a few days now, so thought I'd write a little during my lunchbreak today.
I have been working on my book a lot...
above are two of the studies I made for the illustration I am working on now. I am a bit worried about the colours I am using: a lot of greys and sepias (I love the contrast of vivid colours next to them) as I am not sure they print well...

In other news, Noam Chomsky is giving a lecture tonight at the local university, so I thought i'd drop by, and then maybe go for some dinner...
God, that sounded boring didn't it?! LOL!
Atleast I will be getting out of the house for a bit...

omg! I think its raining!??

hmmm...I think I may go for a walk too...I'll get my ombrella...

x
love,
Maya

Feeling...

2006-05-10T11:50:00.000+03:00

confused.

Sunday 7th May

2006-05-07T23:28:00.000+03:00

I am sitting on my bed, laptop resting on my tired from cleaning all day, legs, enjoying a large cup of japanese cherry blossom tea and thinking about my day. Its funny how you think of the weirdest things when cleaning....I thought of a new approach to my book illustrating problem..I thought of something some one had said to me and got all upset... then I thought about the things I have to do next week....then I remembered a friend I haven't seen for ages, and wondered what they are up to...The list goes on....I did sing along to a few songs as well, while sweeping the floor...you know...when the broom becomes a microphone and you persuade yourself for a few seconds that you can actually sing...
List of things to do this week: see new client, work on book, go to postoffice, go to doctor's appointment, visit mum and dad, iron as many clothes as I have the energy to, get fridge, pay rent, buy tealights and incense...etc

Today wasn't very exciting...but yesterday was nice. Went shopping with a friend who had her birthday....bought a new dress (I wasn't going to, but she literally made me buy it...lol...she's nice like that)...Its a navy blue one with white flowers....I wore it to her birthday party last night, which was fun...I even "wiggled" my feet around a bit...not too much though...lol

I think I'll go and make myself another cup of tea and read a bit before I go to bed...

Hope you all have a lovely week...
x
maya

I was a good girl..

2006-05-04T22:36:00.000+03:00

...today, for a change.
Finished writing my promo letters, filed all the contacts I am sending new material to, what material is being sent....etc....So tomorrow or Monday morning I will go to the post office, kiss the cards one by one, and send them on there way....Like messenger doves, hoping they bring me back good news.

Have been working on the book and its driving me up the wall....trying all the ideas I can come up with, and still something isn't quite right. The good thing about it, is that my sketchbook is filling up at a very fast rate....lol...at least I have something to show for my efforts....
I am going to nail this book if its the last thing I do...tsk!

*girlie alert*
In other news, not feeling so hot! I have had these debilitating cramps (yup, the kind that come every month ) and haven't been able to move a lot. I just sit either at my desk or on the bed and draw....tried to go for a walk today because I thought I was feeling a lot better, but halfway home had another "attack" and just stood in the road in agony....good thing was a friend was passing by, spotted me, and gave me a lift home. Grrrr....I want to be a man..... Now please!!! Grumble- grumble!
*girlie alert over*

It's nearly 11pm....I think I'll grab my Focus, my painkillers, a nice cup of mint tea and head for bed....

x
Maya

a few more pages from my sketchbook

2006-05-03T00:38:00.000+03:00

a strange dawn....

2006-04-27T23:36:00.000+03:00

It was a Wednesday like no other....The wind whistled mysterious tunes...the sun had a pinker hue to it....the morning stars all gathered and sat on the horizon, like swallows on a rail...

I knew their was something odd about that postman...The greener than grass ears....the mischievous nose, the sparkle in all four eyes....

'hello' i said...."what...er.. have you for me today....?"

He grinned and pointed to a huge box that was balanced on top of the tip of a dog's nose sitting in the basket of his tricycle....

''Are you sure that ones for me?" I stuttered..."No telephone bills? No pizzahut flyers?"

He nodded and shook his head at the same time....

...I was just about to protest when I heard a growl....that got louder... and louder....He pointed hungrily to his stomache, so I thought I'd better grab the box and make a run for it...

I heard screams from the neighbour's house an hour later...so I think that was a good move on my part...

This is was what was in the box when I opened it:

'' Ahaaaaaa.....!....." I said....

"Ummm...what could it be?...who could send such a rich and imaginative gift?"....

"Ohhhh...there goes a butterfly....and bubbles lots of bubbles!!!....and candy....and a bone?....and chickens....and hearts...."

I had a hunch before I read the lovely card who it must be from....

"its from one of those SSOF people..." I thought....and then said it out loud...

I then proceeded to unveil the gifts one by one:

The magic poured into my humble studio....and filled the air with fairy dust and....err...."woof woofs?!"

Yes Wednesday was a day like no other....I was giggling, eating candy, filling my studio with an embarassing amount of bubbles... and feeling very blessed!

Thank you!
:)

*SSOF: Secret Society of Fairies

Recipe for egg and lemon soup

2006-04-25T20:35:00.000+03:00

Ingredients:
4-5 glasses of chicken stock
half a cup of rice (long grain preferably)
half a glass of lemon juice
2-3 eggs
salt to taste

instructions:
1.Boil rice in chicken stock

2.Beat eggs and slowly add the lemon juice while beating

3.Tricky part:
When rice is nearly cooked, take small quantities of stock and add it very slowly to the egg mixture.
Keep beating the eggs while adding the stock.
Continue doing this until atleast half of the stock is in the egg mixture.
After doing that, add the egg mixture immediately but very slowly back to the rest of the stock with the rice and stir while doing this....
This has to be done carefully so that the egg doesn't end up being cooked unevenly and becomes lumpy...There should be no cooked egg whites in the soup!!!

Leave for 5 minutes and serve.

Optional:
Sprinkle with ground black pepper or ground cinnamon when serving, to enhance the taste!

:)

another page from my compulsive sketchbook mania

2006-04-24T23:53:00.000+03:00

just a snapshot of some ideas I have been working on :)

Easter...

2006-04-23T20:44:00.000+03:00

... :)

Yesterday afternoon I turned into a "Soupmaster" making what seemed, endless batches of egg and lemon soup and then delivering them to friends...after that was done, I cleaned the house and then hurried to get ready for midnight mass.
My girlfriends and I decided to go to a remote stone built monastery for the service which is situated in the middle of an olive grove.
It was a warm clear spring night...we all felt a comforting sense of peace while standing in the monastery's garden, holding our candles and listening to the nuns chant...
My eyes couldn't stop noticing little delicate details in the garden....
bright, almost neon white jasmine flowers covering a wooden door, diy swallow's nests made by the nuns out of cardboard hanging in the corners of the stone walls, tealights symmetricly placed around the flower beds...
In what seemed a "desperate moment" where I felt compelled to document every little perfect thing around me, I found myself praying for a camera...
We left this spiritual oasis and headed back home around 2 am, for soup and some red wine which was a lovely way to end a near perfect night...

Love...

2006-04-21T17:44:00.000+03:00

...is the theme of my work for the next few days.
Im working on my book now that I have all my other projects finished. It was hard getting back to it but after a few intitial sketches I am slowely getting back into the mood....lol..

the actual theme I am working on is "falling in love"...It seemed pretty straightforward at first and I thought it would be an easy subject to illustrate...But when I decided that none of the ordinary themes like roses, hearts etc, really inspired me, I realised I had to do a lot more research. So I spent the morning brainstorming, asking friends what they felt when they fell in love, searching the net for quotes and generally trying to get a clear picture of the illustration in my mind.
I am currently trying to decide the colours...Its going to be hard avoiding pinks and reds...as much as I want to avoid the cliches...What is the "colour" of falling in love? hmmm....

Some of the answers I got after asking around, although Im not sure I can put everything in one illustration:

It feels like:

Floating
Butterflies in your stomache
Intense headache and hyperventilating
Falling off a very tall building
Everything smells and tastes nice
Being hit on the head
Perfect
Red balloons following you everywhere
Big grin on your face all the time
Sailing down an angry river
Itchy feet
Being whole
Someone trying to rip your insides out (ouch!!)
Shivers and sweating
Cured

and some of the quotes I found on the net:

"People need love even when they don't deserve it."

"Of all forms of caution, caution in love is the most fatal"

"Gravitation can not be held responsible for people falling in love."

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them"

"Love is like pi - natural, irrational, and very important"

Now back to work....break over...!

x
Maya

an unproductive day

2006-04-19T01:19:00.000+03:00

I could just post the above title and be done with it I suppose....
Not much work done today...Had a long talk with parents over the phone.....sketched a bit but couldn't stay focused for long....then I had to go to my haidresser's appointment (she greeted me with an : "Oh my god!! Tsk, tsk, tsk....You must make a habit of visiting us more often"...Then took a veeeeery long walk which was nice...walking helps me think about things more clearly...and came home...
I must get a move on tomorrow though... have to get back to work...
I wanted to go shopping tomorrow, but that may have to wait until Saturday....
There isn't really much else to say...

*the above was voted most boring post on blogger.com ever!*

Sunday's gems

2006-04-17T22:30:00.000+03:00

Yesterday I found some time to make some jewelry...Very simple pieces (that is usually the case when I am designing something that I am going to wear and that isn't commisioned)...
The heart bead and the square one were brought to me by a friend from Venice.
The "evil eye" bead is Indian, and the large bead on the leather cord is 'Clear Quartz' one of my favourite semi precious stones.
Forgive the 1000 tealights...I don't have a tripod and the lighting in my studio is not great for taking photos...

a great night out

2006-04-16T03:17:00.000+03:00

Just came home from my night out with my friends....and although I wasn't that enthusiastic at first, I must admit I had a fantastic time!
We were going to go dancing, but at the last minute we changed our minds and thought we would go and listen to some live music instead...
It turned out to be the best descision!
The musicians were amazing!
I was in a trance watching them perform....
Although all of them are young (well... my age) they seemed so mature in what they were doing.
I really wish I could have taken a sketch book or something to draw them...
One of them in particular who sang beautifly and more impressively he could play a number of instruments and every time managed to play the music to perfection!
I really need to do this more often...had a lovely time and will definetely be going there again soon!

Warning: Girlie post below

2006-04-15T01:08:00.000+03:00

I don't go out much...I think all of you who know me a little, know that by now...
So i forget everytime what I have to go through before going out....
The process is long, confusing and sometimes painful...

Ok...first what to wear...
Skirt, dress, jeans?
hmm...probably jeans best...
or maybe skirt with nice white top....
hmm...or maybe I should go with the summery flowery dress...its spring after all....

Jeans I think...after all its a Taverna im going to...everyone wears jeans there...don't they?
The jeans don't seem to want to fit....Pull...Pull...Pull
ahhh ...come on...they fitted me perfectly yesterday... I shouldn't of had that croissant this morning....and the second one this afternoon... :(
ok... the dress it is then....

Jewelry....
pendant or choker...?
no...the choker makes me feel like im on a hanging rope...better the pendant...
earrings? Precolumbian ala Frida or small silver ones....?
Hmmm....No, don't think I'll go with the dangly ones....
the smaller the better...the other ones get tangled in my hair and I end up leaning uncomfortably to the one side of my neck all night trying to break free...
Definetely the small ones....

Make up?
too much rouge: I look like a russian babouska...
too little: I look dead....
lipstick...nope...I haven't really been able to master the art of eating with lipstick on my lips...
Maybe in 20 years time that will happen...
Better lipgloss...
Damn...I should have brushed my teeth before I put the lipgloss on....
grrr...
Ok...brush teeth...reapply lipgloss...thats done...
now for the Mascara...
blast...I've used too much...
I look like Twiggy...
I'll just leave it...and try and squint all the time...nobody will notice....hopefully..

Eyeshadow? Nah...don't think I will bother...I'm too tired...think i will just lie down till my friends come to pick me up....
oops...they are here already?

.... all this just to have some dinner...
Cooking a 4 course meal would be easier....

And I have just realised I am going to have to go through the same thing tomorrow night..

Great!

Illustration, Easter and hot water

2006-04-14T18:05:00.000+03:00

Just finished the above illustration which was commisioned by a very nice lady as a present for her sister. She had visited me recently and had noticed I was working on a "Seranade" ilustration for another project, she liked the idea and asked if I could do something similar...the other illo was done in gouache but she prefered that I use watercolour for her one...so voila...
I hope she likes it, otherwise its back to the drawing board.

In other news, its the week before easter next week, Η Μεγάλη Εβδομάδα (the Great Week-loose translation)...Easter is the most important of our religious holidays, and I am looking forward to it...I don't really go to church that much, but I do love the services of this week...Especially Good Friday, which is a real event...I will try and take my camera with me and take discretely ofcourse some photos...Hope the priest doesn't notice me and bash me over the head with a cross or something (I saw something similar happen when I was young...the priest evidently was having a bad day).I will be fasting too, so that means no meat, eggs, milk etc...I use to fast for the whole 50 days when I was a teenager, but not anymore...I like fasting the week before easter, as it adds to the spiritual feeling of the week...
Tonight though, I am going to a greek Taverna for dinner...haven't done that in a while, and tomorrow night I will be going dancing...Two nights in a row I will be going out...I am still in shock!!
This morning I went to a friends house to have a decent-non frozen bath...God that felt good....Hot water is sooooo much better than cold when having a bath...If you have hot water at your house, feel very very blessed! Lol!

Happy Easter to everyone who is celebrating this weekend!
love
x
Maya

sketching - day 1

2006-04-06T00:53:00.000+03:00

For most of the day today, I concentrated doing monochrome work...something I am usually not very fond of, as I enjoy using colour immensely...but I thought I needed to push myself and do things I don't normally do...like detailed sketches...
After an hour or so of sketching I was shocked to discover I was enjoying it...a lot...
So I continued sketching all day...and nearly all of tonight...and will continue doing so tomorrow as well I think...its definetely got my attention!

I don't know if I will post any of it here...Im still not that confident enough with this approach....I feel mush "safer" when I use colour...strange-but true!

Other news...
I got a new housemate......his name is Onouffrios...
Nouffi for short....
he's a white lizard who at the moment is occupying my bathroom...He is rather small and err...sort of see-through....I noticed him a few days ago...he startled me at first, but he is harmless and he likes eating bugs so he could be my best housemate to date!!! If he stands still for me I will post a pic of him...

Time for bed I think...
Goodnight!

x
Maya

Spring has arrived (officially)

2006-04-03T12:28:00.000+03:00

It's really hot outside and the sunlight is blinding. All the flowers are in bloom and the aroma of them as you walk through the Old Town with its hidden private gardens is intoxicating.

Im tempted to just leave all the work I have to do behind and spend the day wondering the narrow streets and taking photos...but alas, I don't have time to do that right now.

I've got a lot of painting to do!
After spending most of my weekend doing research on publishers and writing emails I need to work on some new ideas I have that need to be put on paper.
I know I haven't posted any work recently, but hopefully if I like the results I shall post some work here this week.

In other news, Fiddel is ill (Fiddel is the name of one of my birds), and I spent a good halfhour trying to give him is medicine...That bird can really BITE!! lol...I tried explaining to him why he had to sit still for me to apply the medicine and that it was for his own good....etc...but he just didn't seem to appreciate my effort...I wonder why ;)

anything else I forgot to mention?
uhm...Oh, yes, I decided to take part in a competition for a design for a coin that was announced by the Central Bank.
I posted the work some days ago and the results are due late April or early May. I don't think I have any chance of winning(as I have never done this sort of illustration before, and there are loads of entries by a lot of artists) but just the thought of my work engraved on actual money gets me a little excited! hehe!

must get back to work now...

x
Maya

a day in the village

2006-03-27T01:32:00.000+03:00

Thats where I spent today, visiting my mum and dad...haven't seen them in a long time due to the move and it felt so good to see them, especially my mum, who is nearly fully recovered from her ordeal with her illness...I haven't seen my brothers in a long time too...they are kind of what you would call "drifters"...dissappear into their own personal adventures and reappear when you least expect them. I wish I was as daring as they are sometimes...
Lunch was just what I needed: a proper meal!! Roast chicken with herbs and olive oil, rice with wild mushrooms, salad and fresh bread! Needless to sayI ate like a pig!!lol!!
We talked a bit about how they are doing, then walked in mum's garden (which is her pride and joy!) and then my dad showed me the new chickens he bought (the largest of the birds are intended ofcourse for easter Sunday lunch!!)...
Everything seems less complicated when I am there....
but then I had to return home, where some roughs were waiting to be done, and ofcourse being the procrastinator I am I decided to have a full day 's vacation and do them tomorrow morning instead...So I will have to get up veeeeery early tomorrow....or stay up veeeery late tomorrow night...serves me right i guess...:)

a few photos...

2006-03-20T22:44:00.000+02:00

...of one of my favourite places in the house...the photos are a bit fuzzy...sorry about that.
The pictures are of my bedroom and studio (which is the same room btw).

Friday 17th March

2006-03-18T01:47:00.000+02:00

its nearly been a week since I moved into the new house...I am slowly getting use to the surroundings...still haven't got a fridge or hot water... must get that sorted by next week.
I've been working on the vector flower designs, and as its not really what I enjoy doing, makes me feel a bit uninspired...hope to get the work over and done with by next week, so I can get back to my paints...And hopefully then I will have somework to post on my blog too...

I've been feeling sad and tired of everything. I am really trying to be positive, but sometimes its just too much of an effort...I guess all these feelings were to be expected. I've been trying to figure out what I am doing wrong...why do I end up in this situations...

Anyway...got to get to bed....its 2am and I have to go grocery shopping early tomorrow morning, otherwise I will starve over the weekend...

x
Maya

the house

2006-03-14T00:49:00.000+02:00

Was built in 1908. Its not in "the best condition...but with a little imagination, some flowers, candles and a glass of wine its starting to look, dare I say pretty?!

I have been cleaning most of the day and unpacking my things. Im feeling quite tired and now am sitting on my foldable bed, surrounded by flickering tealights with only the scent of incense and the music of Mr Lantsias for company.

I've got a lot of things to do tomorrow so I better get to bed...

this is turning into a serious habit

2006-03-08T04:01:00.000+02:00

The post deleting I mean...
I write something, then go away only to think I may have overdone it a bit with the personal stuff....this blog should be just about illustration and I go mess things up...

so to make up for all this
(promise won't happen again),
Thought I'd post some inspirational quotes that are a lot more use than the deleted post:

Only when (s)he no longer knows what (s)he is doing does the painter do good things. Edgar Degas

I will tell you what I have learned myself. For me, a long five or six mile walk helps. And one must go alone and every day. Brenda Ueland

True life is lived when tiny changes occur. Leo Tolstoy

Look and you will find it-what is unsought will go undetected. Sophocles

and one of my favourites:

In a dark time, the eye begins to see. Theodore Roethke

reminds me a bit

2006-03-08T00:52:00.000+02:00

...of the door of the new place....mine is unfortunately not green... :(

Friday, March 3rd

2006-03-03T21:17:00.000+02:00

Yup...not a whole lot to report....Some paperwork had to be done this morning...after that went shopping for stuff for the move. I bought a kilim, candles, a decorated candle holder, some boring stuff for the bathroom and a bed....I admit the first three were more of an attempt to make the shopping more bearable. Once I have moved I will post pics of new envoiroment that will be extremely boeme in nature...the bear minimals...and the occasional kilim and decorated candleholder ofcourse....
Tomorrow I am going to buy some material to sew some pillows...I won't have many chairs....so I thought a kilim with pillows would be a nice alternative.
Started packing some stuff last night...First thing I packed were the cd's....don't know why. I just wanted to make sure all the music that I listen to is not forgotten behind.
I don't think I will be posting a whole lot of work next week, so I posted an illo of mr birdie....an illo I did a few days ago....so he can keep the blog warm until new work arrives...

anyway...
hope you all have a lovely weekend
lots of love
xxx
Maya

Another move

2006-03-02T16:26:00.000+02:00

Today I went to see about a house.
A place to stay for a while, so I can sort things out. Personal stuff that have been needing to be sorted out for a very long time.

I am considering moving in a week or so, if all goes well. Just have to make sure it is "livable"...It is a very old house, half the things don't work....no heating, I am not sure if it even has hot water, but it is very close to two of my best friends house, which is a plus.

I made a list of all the basic things I am going to need...most of the things are not really what a normal person would call "basic", ie incense, candles and a vases for flowers, my olive tree....lol. But god knows they are pretty essential for me to feel ok with the place.
Also I will need a phone line, as I am an internet and mostly aoi addict....probably go mad without it so I need to see about that too.

Got a lot of desicions to make....lot of things to do.

Good thing is, its almost spring now.....its really pretty outside....it gives me strengh to do, all the things that I have to do.

I asked for aliens

2006-02-28T10:24:00.000+02:00

....and now I have turned into a robot!!
Yes...I am now walking and moving like a robot. Not joking.
The above right side of my body is errr....frozen. I can't move my neck or my arm....if I have to look to the left my whole body has to turn...can't bend down, can't raise my arm...half of me has become robotic!
Tried lavendar oil and some painkillers but they don't seem to be doing much to help....
It must be because I worked for 36 hours and didn't get any "night time" sleep yesterday.
I don't think my body is my biggest fan at the moment....lol

Damn...I can't do any drawing like this...
Can't sit like a vegetable all day though...
Will write some emails and do some research online...its the best I can do today.

This afternoon I am suppose to go to a gallery exhibition with a friend....don't know how I am going to manage that...I will probably need scissors to get out of the pj's I am wearing...

over and out...
C-3PO

Another loooong day

2006-02-27T00:15:00.000+02:00

I have been working all day on two paintings...well nearly all day. ...just taking a mini break right now.
This is one of the paintings I worked on this morning....now I am scanning the second one and doing a little surgery to it in photoshop....
I feel knackered. With everything that is going on, I just wish there was a "mothership" that could beam me up, whisk me away to some serene place and leave me there for the next decade (with my palette, brushes and paper of course)....Where are aliens when you need them??!
Anyway... hope to have the booklet all finished by tomorrow morning to send out.
Must get back to work for that to happen...

Its 1:30 am

2006-02-24T01:26:00.000+02:00

and I am still working on the cover of my promotional piece.....grrrr

I have been working on it most of the afternoon and tonight. The above are the two I am considering. Can't decide right now which one works (if any does work that is, at this moment I can't be sure...too sleepy).

The idea is that on the cover of the booklet there will be the little box in the center of the above illustration with the word "ENTER" and the rest of the illustration will be on the reverse side...

Can't think right now...my mind has gone blank....will have to look at it tomorrow morning and decide what I am going to do....

another weird wednesday

2006-02-23T03:13:00.000+02:00

It was a weird day today....wasn't feeling quite well this morning....a bit dizzy and tired. I think I am overdoing the work hours a bit. When I get started I go on for hours sometimes until 2 or 3 (and even 6am)....and then I feel all tired and unable to to do anything creative the next day.
Must try and get into a routine...hopefully that will happen one day.

I had to take a nap in the afternoon to get my mind working again....did a little work and then had some friends over for dinner (well actually take out..).
Socialising....I feel I have forgotten what fun it can be, especially with people that you really can connect too. I really lose myself in work, what with the writing and the painting, don't seem to find time to do anything else. God I am such a hermit it scares me sometimes. Must get out more...must!!
Tomorrow morning I agreed with one of my friends to go do a little spring clothes shopping. Out with the black and in with the florals... and maybe if I have time go to a really cool place where they sell semiprecious stones and buy some to make some jewellry on the weekend...a little creative two day vacation from the norm.

The Carnival is near... already in Limasso they have decorated the streets with huge "mardi gras like " masks and other colourful things. Last year (or was it the year before?)I remember going to a friends party that was themed "worse dress sense ever"....It was hilarious...wonder what I will do this year? Will (must)drag myself out of the house like I do every year....not very enthusiastic about going in the beginning, but I always end up having lots of fun!

Anyway, must get to bed....

x
Maya

angelic advice

2006-02-21T23:38:00.000+02:00

This was an idea i had for greeting cards a loooooong time ago....I found some of my doodles by accident while browsing through my files. Totally different type of work than what I usually do (all was done on the computer).
But I thought I would share them with you...atleast that way they are not totally forgotten and unseen:
(Please forgive the spelling mistakes!!)

I have been over-talkative tonight...will shut up now and go take a long bath...
:)
x
Maya

Taxi please!

2006-02-21T21:23:00.000+02:00

I was going to cook tonight, but I seemed to have got carried away by work...so I am waiting for delivery man to deliver me from starvation right now...

While waiting I thought I'd write a little monologue on strange occurances with Taxis and Taxidrivers of my life....:

Egypt:
I get into taxi...Taxi's door does not seem able to close....I hold tightly on to door during the ride so it doesn't open. Taxi man does not seem to know which lane he is suppose to be driving in...goes from left to right all the time... I do a lot of praying!

Thailand:
Taxi driver has not cleaned the taxi since he bought it. The taxi must be at least 20 years old. Next stop at traffic lights I buy lots of flowers from a kind little boy waiting for customers like me no doubt....I try to endure the journey by sniffing flowers until we arrive at hotel...

Paris:
Can't remember an incident...but...
what I do remember is that there were nice and cleanTaxis and polite taxi drivers....One thing did strike me as odd though...they all listen to the same radio station...

Syria:
mmm...no, can't remember anything specific except that
they all have pictures of their president stuck on the front window...

Cyprus:
Where do I begin...
1. Taxi driver instead of taking me to my house in Nicosia gets lost!! We stop at the edge of a cliff he gets out and looks over the hills and says....oops...I think we took the wrong turn!!

2. Taxi driver seems friendly.....in fact too friendly...demands he take me out for coffee when we arrive in town. I try to smile and not to look too freaked out....we arrive home... I run like hell and ofcourse never phone the taxi service he works for again.

ahh...delivery man ringing bell....must go...

Just before I go, I want to say that I also have nice stories about taxi drivers...maybe I will write them here in the future...
;)

today's work

2006-02-21T19:47:00.000+02:00

was ...mainly working on an illo idea I had for a promotional mailout...I thought I'd ressurrect my "girls" and see if the idea I had stuck in my head would actually work on paper...
The illo I have posted is my first attempt...you can see it needs work, but it has helped me think of a lot of new ideas...
Will work on them tomorrow.
Now must find food...Maya :Hungry!!
P.S I HATE MASKING TAPE!!!

exploring trees

2006-02-20T23:00:00.000+02:00

For the past few days I have concentrated on trees...Maybe because I have always been fascinated by them and maybe a little because it is nearly Spring and they are beautiful right now....
These are a few of the experiments I have done...
I will post more work (probably with lots of trees in it!) in the days to come....

Because I haven't scanned any new work yet...

2006-02-19T20:25:00.000+02:00

Here is a "bit" from the Coat-shop...
(feeling a little guilty for not putting work up here for a while :(

another silly afternoon...

2006-02-19T19:36:00.000+02:00

After returning from my mums house today, I took time to do something really selff indulgent and maybe a bit silly....An Online horoscope reading!

Here is a snippet of what I am suppose to be like as a Virgo (with a moon in scorpio and Cancer an Ascendant):

"Sun in Virgo, Moon in Scorpio:

You were born with the Sun in Virgo and the Moon in Scorpio, which makes you a hard- working, proud, self-assured, acute, and clever personality (*It actually does say that, I have by no means altered the text!!*).
You could be torn between the traits of Virgo, which have to do with practicality, industriousness, and utilitarianism, and the basic biological impulses of Scorpio, which are at times at odds with the Virgo traits. The Moon in Scorpio gives you a very strong personality that rarely accepts other people's ideas.
You are also likely to be criticized for your secretiveness. In the intellectual realm your mind is acute, questioning, and penetrating. You are outspoken, strong-willed, and able to fight your own battles.

Ascendant in Cancer, Moon in the Fifth House
Cancer gives the tendency to completely retreat when hurt or frightened of a situation. This happens to you often because you tend to interfere in the affairs of others when you are not needed or wanted(*no I don't!!*). Throughout your life, your responses will be emotional rather than rational (*ok...so I do act and think later....shoot me!*). In love matters, you are emotional and gentle.

Saturn Conjunct Ascendant
Saturn conjunct the Ascendant indicates that you are conservative(*???*) and self-disciplined. You tend to be shy about asserting yourself, so people may assume you are indifferent to them. (*that actually does happen a lot!!*)

Your lack of self-confidence (*!!*) will eventually be replaced by self-assurance (*??*) as you learn through experience to understand yourself. You do not have the kind of aggressive drive that impresses people on first meeting, but you show reliability, and they learn to depend on you.
Responsible to a fault, you will never let anyone down who depends on you.
Learn to love yourself more, so you can feel you deserve the good things in life that you work for so diligently. You can be victimized by people who take advantage of your unwillingness to fight for your rights, but you never forget such incidents.

Sun in the Fourth House
Sun brings honor, pride, and fame to anything under its influence, and it is indicated that the problem of these influences here is that proper success for you cannot materialize until you are well past your mature years. (*NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!*)"

Ah, well could of been worse I suppose...atleast it doesn't say I am going to drop dead soon...

Now, back to work....*whip-whip*!!

lady in waiting...

2006-02-17T15:54:00.000+02:00

...and waiting.... and waiting....

Sitting here waiting to hear back from a publisher.

Can't work, or think about anything else at the moment....couldn't even eat lunch....my tummy is all in knots.

Worried that I might have said something I shouldn't have and blown the whole thing.

Tick tock-tick tock...

Checking emails every five minutes....

Drinking lots of tea...

Fingers tied crossed...

My blog seems to be back to normal again...!

2006-02-15T01:39:00.000+02:00

Very frustrating....not been able to post anything for a few days.... grrrr
I had about a million things to say yesterday, but I couldn't write anything here, due to technical difficulties, and now its back to normal I can't remember what I wanted to say... Typical...

Been working like a mad person (like??) for the past days....working and reworking, and reworking ideas....using every approach possible and then some. Its been good. Not tired and not so frustrated anymore...
Can't post anywork, cause I haven't scanned anything, and I am too sleepy to do so now...maybe in the following days, IF my blog continues to function properly.

Got a beautiful card from overseas (thank you!!!), a single rose, and some Kumquats in my letterbox from a friend I call "my Kumquat" (she isn't small and orange....but she is very sweet :) A phone call from my mum, (she sounds really fine, and I couldn't be more relieved),
I saw my friend from Athens on Tv tonight, and we talked on the phone after the show ended....she is so lovely....she will be a star I am sure of it (she is already to me...) ....
now feeling a bit dizzy...but doing lots of smiling!!

Can't wait to get up tomorrow to continue work....

the valentine's card

2006-02-09T02:14:00.000+02:00

ok...so its not a typical valentines card...but it was all I could manage this afternoon...
The colours didn't look like I expected after scanning the original...but I guess it will have to do.
I had wanted to try and do one after the "valentines thread" started on the illustrators forum.
So here it is.

Other news: finished the "coat shop" illustration...and guess what: I don't like it. Its ok and all but....It just doesn't feel right. The compostion is ok, the colours are ok...I don't know why its not what I want....I think I'll take a day off illustration tomorrow to write, so I can look at it with fresh eyes on Friday...

I am not liking anything I do lately....I hope this phase is over soon as its driving me up the wall!!

I know I have already written a post but...

2006-02-07T00:52:00.000+02:00

I can't seem to sleep....so I thought I would chatter on a little longer here...

hmmm...
strange information of the day:

There was an incident today at the forum I spend lots of my time at:
Someone spilt a soda on there desk after I had wished I had some....I joked it was my "wishing vibes" that had done it.
Well people here (mostly elderly people) do believe in "wishing vibes" that can make things go mad....pots falling of window sills, beautiful china breaking into a thousand pieces, even hair falling off....supposedly the people who have this "gift" of making things happen, have blue (or in my case green) eyes...
So if something similar like the incident at the forum, had happened in the presence of a greek grandmother who still believes in this kind of thing chances are I would have got a right telling off, or at least an angry stare...and then the whole place would be blessed with livani and olive tree leaves and an evil eye symbol placed quickly in the room...

Not that this does happen a lot here now...although sometimes I wish traditions like these still continued among the young today, even if they are a little far fetched.... makes everyday living a bit more magical imho (maybe because my life is a little boring...lol).
strange fact of the day over....

I must sleep...I must sleep....

Moody Monday

2006-02-06T23:39:00.000+02:00

It was cloudy most of the day today....even rained a little.
I worked from this morning till tonight on an illustration for the book, that I started yesterday, but still wasn't able to finish it....too many little details.
Tomorrow morning I will be going to the hospital with my mum, so its more likely that I'll get it finished wednesday...a four day illustration...that hasn't happened in a long time. I usually like finishing them the same day I start them....oh dear...this book is going very slow: must remember NOT to panic ...

A month from today it will be Green Monday (when everyone goes on the traditional picnic and eats only vegetables and bread), and the week before that the Carnival begins(where everyone dresses up in silly clothes and gets very drunk, and there is a lot of serenading going on) and then 50 days of fasting till Easter. Lots of festivities ahead, and it seems it was Christmas yesterday...
Spring is near, I've noticed the days seem to be getting longer....Now if I only could stretch the days to 28-29 hours...lol

No waaayyyyyy......

2006-02-05T17:29:00.000+02:00

I have to be honest with myself...I have been looking at my diary, counting weeks, days, hours....there is no way I am going to have both books finished by April...who am I kidding? I can't do it. Not possible. Even if I work 24 hour days 7 days a week...I won't be able to finish them.
I am really behind with the illustrated book, mostly because I can't make my mind up about layouts and style, and nothing I do looks good enough. The other book is moving along fairly ok, but I know when I will have finished it it will take atleast another month for editing.
Should I despair? Should I panic?
That wouldn't help the situation...No...better to just stay calm and do the best I can.
Plus I have to remind myself that it is ok to enjoy the work I am doing....I tend to have this masochistic idea that you need to suffer for something to be good...''WHIP, WHIP, WHIP"
Could that be a reason why things are moving so slowly....? Am I worrying too much about how things are going to turn out and enjoying less what I am doing?
Probably....
hmm...
I am off to have a serious talk with the mirror...

Home again

2006-02-02T23:32:00.000+02:00

Back home, after staying with my parents last night. My mum is still feeling a bit dizzy and tired from the whole ordeal, but she insisted I leave...she doesn't like all the fuss. I left a bit sad, as I know she could do with the help...I will visit again in two days time though...she can't keep me away for long.

I returned home to find three lovely surprises:
no.1 : My paintbrushes were in the letterbox! I was very surprised they arrived so soon! I tried a few tonight, and I am loving the sables...so soft and they glide effortlessly on the hotpressed paper...
no.2: I found another little envelope in the letterbox...this time it was my japanese labels I had bought on ebay...very pretty. I almost feel guilty doing anything with them (I was thinking about doing collage cards)...I arranged them symmetricly on my desk and gazed at them for a full ten minutes with a silly grin on my face.
no.3: An email. From the creator or administrator (not sure) of 8 principles of fun....a really great site I visited recently and suscribed to. He wrote that as I was the first from Cyprus to subscribe to his site he would like to send me, if I agreed, the pack of cards with the principles printed on them, as a gift....Ofcourse I replied yes... :)
The site I am referring to is the following: www.eightprinciples.com

My knees feel wobbly and I am yawning a lot....must get to sleep if I am going to wake up early to get back to work!!

sweet-dreams everyone...
:)

something isn't quite right...

2006-02-01T10:16:00.000+02:00

with my Blog! Just came in to write something before I leave, and all I can see is my last post...no links, no other posts...just the one.
I haven't messed about with the settings at all...whats happened?
Will have to look into it when I come back...I will probably be staying at my mums house tonight as there is a fair chance she will be going home today, as the doctors have told her she can have the further tests done as an outpatient...YAY!!!!!
:)

January 31st ...oops...erm... February 1st

2006-02-01T01:02:00.000+02:00

I have lost track of time...

is it 1 am already?

Just finished a little doodling with my paints at my desk and feel like a new person...I really think I am addicted to painting. Seriously. I feel I am not 100% "me" when I am away from my drawing. Its scary how relieved I feel as I watch the paint hit the paper.....Like I have been choking and suddenly I get a huge dose of oxygen!

Sorry...another weird moment there...

Anyway...above is another spread from my sketchbook. The pic on the higher right side of the page isn't mine, its a detail from Iznik pottery (courtesy of mr Dean, thank you!)... The other stuff is just more doodles ....

Before I say goodnight, I would like to thank all of you for your support the past few days....Its really helped me....I love you guys!!

Maya

January 31st

2006-01-31T00:38:00.000+02:00

....just. Its 12:30pm and I am waiting for the washing to finish so I can put the clothes in the dryer before I go to bed. Thought I'd write a little here and add another spread from my sketchbook.
My mum is getting better so I am a little less anxious now...the doctors need to do more tests so she can't leave yet. She is smiling and talking just as she used to and that makes me feel that everything is going to be alright.
I feel a little dizzy from going and coming everyday. It seems like ages since i have picked up a brush... i doodle a little and jot down a few ideas in a miniature notebook I have...is that selfish? I know I should be focussing all my attention on my mum and dad, but I just need a little dose of "my world" to get me through it.... it gives me comfort I guess...
anyway...
must see to clothes...and must get some sleep...

x
Maya

january 30th

2006-01-30T10:35:00.000+02:00

I am leaving in a while...just have about 10 minutes to write something here...

I haven't any new work to post but I thought I might post something from my sketchbook. Just to keep the blog alive.

see you soon
x
maya

saturday 28th

2006-01-28T20:44:00.000+02:00

Just got home and am trying to defrost fingers...it is freeeezing outside.
Feel a little tired and sleepy...will have a bath and curl up on the sofa with a cup of decafe....

Thank you all for your warm wishes for my mum...she is a bit better but will have to stay in hospital for some days yet.
I can't seem to think of anything more to write....probably because I am half asleep.
Anyway...

hope you are all well,
lots of love,

xx
Maya

just a quick note...

2006-01-25T00:12:00.000+02:00

...to say I will be away for the following days...My mum is in hospital due to a sudden illness...
I do hope it is nothing serious but at the moment I don't know a lot...I am still in the dark...I will be talking to the doctors tomorrow morning and hopefully they will have good news and not bad...

sending lots of love to you guys...
see you soon...

x
Maya

killing some time while waiting for auction on brushes to end...

2006-01-21T01:21:00.000+02:00

Yes, this is what I do on a Friday night....bid on brushes on ebay....
How very exciting, I know!

Well...hmm...was thinking about where I want to go for this years holiday. I must start saving money as I really need to go somewhere to refill my batteries. I don't think I'll have the cash to go to Paris and London (see the house I grew up in and visit my illustrator friends there) unfortunately. But I may have enough to go to a greek island and visit my friend in Athens (who is studying to be an actress) and stay with her for a while. She sent me an email this afternoon saying: "I am giving everything up and going to run a kiosk in Nepal"...I sent her an email back, asking if I could join her...lol.

Sometimes I imagine my family never left the uk, and how my life would have turned out if they hadn't. I was nearly ten (I think) when we left...I can remember my house and school, splashing about in my yellow wellies in the snow, my mum using window cleaner to draw happy faces on the windows, my brothers bringing girlfriends home when my parents were at work and bribing me not to say a word, eating a lot of hotdogs at the saturday market, hating school lunches and trying to draw as good a pictures as my brother (who then wanted to be architect, but never did be one). I liked the rain a lot....I still do. It would be nice to go back for a visit, I haven't been back for 20 years...I wonder if my house and school are still there?

well...i really should check on those brushes, and go to sleep.

Goodnight
:)

Mr Hubble and his kin

2006-01-20T22:16:00.000+02:00

I know I should have devoted all day to writing, but I managed to steal a little time (couldn't stay away from my paints) and do a little profiling for my character...There was a thread about family names on the aoi forum( my virtual home...lol) and that inspired me to build a "family backround" for my character, even if the characters above (mother inlaw, etc...) are not going to be in the book...(mind you, the aubergine might crop up on a page or two)...and above is the result...

silly midnight meditations part1

2006-01-20T01:48:00.000+02:00

when things don't work out how you thought they would

2006-01-19T18:47:00.000+02:00

...not one book or the other at the moment is going ahead as planned...like I am trying to swim and all I can do is splash about trying not to drown.
So I decided to put things into perspective if I am ever going to finish any of these projects before the frustration just takes over and months pass by and I haven't accomplished anything.
So after some thought I decided to devote the next three days on getting back on track with the novel and finish the chapter that I am working on (at last) so I can hopefully move on to the other ideas I have and then devote the next three days on the illustrated book....just to get things moving again. You can definetely get lost trying to do two things at once like you are squashed in the middle of them and can't move. ...anyway...
Now must get back to work...I do hope things get moving soon...must be optimistic...
I wish it would rain....just a little...everything seems a lot easier when it rains...(no logical explanation to that, it just does!)

xx

*edited

I couldn't stop thinking about all the white space so....

2006-01-18T20:11:00.000+02:00

....I had to quickly run back to the computer to post something...anything!

These are just a selection of sketches I am doing for the book...Not exactly spot illustrations, just testing ideas...I don't know what to call them... Coloured scribbles??

I needed a change of scenery....

2006-01-18T19:40:00.000+02:00

....couldn't afford a holiday, so I decided to change the look of my blog....
Had a real good look at all the templates and after deep thought, I decided to go minimal..

There is a LOT of white, so I'll need to fill it with BIG illustrations to give some kind of balance to it....oooor....I will have to write in techincolour... :)
oooor...if I really can't handle it, I'll have to change it again...tsk

Anyway...must get back to work, if I am going to have anything half decent to post...
so, in the words of a lovely lady I know...

ta ta

x
Maya
;)

back to to the drawing board

2006-01-16T18:43:00.000+02:00

...woke up at 7 this morning, finished writing by noon and then after a quick trip to the postoffice to get my precious paints !! returned to the dreaded drawing board.
It seems I did need a mini break afterall as everything was going like clockwork today... :)

Lots of ideas and more reference material is needed so I decided to buy another book (the 5th one this week). Its about Iznik pottery, which I think is gorgeous....
You can see an near example of it in the picture...( it isn't the real thing, just a modern iznik-ish type of vase...I will post pics once my book arrives hopefully in a few days time)
The good thing about buying books for reference is that you don't feel so guilty about spending the money as they are meant for "work"... :)

Tomorrow is another day (with apologies to ms Lee)

2006-01-15T23:45:00.000+02:00

Sunday wasn't very exciting...to start with I got up very late and hurried to my mums house who doesn't like the food to get cold . Today we had roast chicken, oven potatoes and salad ofcourse followed by lots of biscuits from the local bakery...
Spent a lot of the evening writing in my journal and came to the conclusion that I am just as confused about life as I was as a teenager. No correction. More confused now.
Thought a little about my books, what they are about. ...entirely different in context but with the same theme...something I hadn't noticed until this evening...they are both about a journey. An escape.
Then....
I remembered my trip to Paris...I fell in love with that city and vowed when I had the money I would buy an apartment and move there...well at least stay for the summer... I even took up french lessons last year...which were a disaster as the teacher kept shouting at me for some sadistic reason...could it have been that I really s*cked at learning french...?
Anyway...
back to today...Mental note starting from tomorrow:
Promise myself that I 'll leave all my confusion on a shelf for the next two-three months and get on with doing what I really need and want to do:
Finish these books and use them to anchor myself to the idea that life is wonderful, magical
and dreams can really come true...

that frozen feeling...

2006-01-12T13:55:00.000+02:00

Woke up, had breakfast sat down to write.
Finished that and now back to illustrating...all hyped, all enthusiastic and then suddenly: Nothing.
Maya's mind goes totally blank. Like I haven't a clue what I am doing and never painted a thing in my life.
I sit down, have a beverage, walk around the house, talk a little bit about my confused existence to the birds who are obviously bored with the mini lectures.
I go back to my drawing board. Sit. Stare. Think "come on Maya...you can do it...just pick that damn pencil up".
I attempt to draw a line..the line is blurred. The pencil needs sharpening and apparently so does my brain.
"Focus...hey it's not like you have forever...tick tock, tick tock..."
The self affirmation talks are not helping and I begin to panic a little.
What if I am not really an artist. What if I am just pretending to be one. What if I never get to see anything published because my work will be never good enough? What if I should get a proper job and stop being the black sheep of the family.
With all the "what if's" rhythmically getting down to heavy beat voodoo dance in my brain the panic builds into a major attack.
I try to breath and calmely figure out what the hell started all this in the first place.
Not an easy task.
Is it some sort of Karma thing? "Your an artist, you enjoy life as an artist so in order for there to be some kind of cosmic balance I the Universe have provided you with a masochistic spotaneous mechanism that will be triggered just when you think your on the right path and will produce mind blowing migraines"?
No...that can't be right.
Maybe it's just me? Maybe its fear?
Fear of what though?

Tick Tock- Tick Tock...
I need to get back to that drawing board...

Switching off for the day

2006-01-10T20:10:00.000+02:00

Its 8:10pm and I think I have finished work.
I was hoping I could get more done tonight but for some reason I feel knackered.
I hope its not the early signs of the flu....
Working on two large projects at once isn't easy...I am figuring that out the hard way. I am working on one and constantly thinking about the other....but saying that, the good thing about it is they seem to cross-fertilize somehow. I can say one thing for sure: My days are not at all boring. With all the research and experimenting I barely have time to think of anything else.
I came up with a playful idea to make the layout a bit more interesting and am very excited and eager to see if it works. I feel a bit like the mad scientist...hihihihihi.

Best thing for tonight would be a hot bath and then curl up in my pj's on the sofa with a good book.
:)

Sunday afternoon doodles

2006-01-08T20:45:00.000+02:00

I did indeed take a trip to the mountains this morning and took some 50 photos while I was up there. It was great getting out of the house but I did hurry back to get back to work as I was anxious to finish what I had left yesterday.

I am at the begining of the illustrated book I am working on and although I have a fair idea how its going to be I am doing a lot of "mental doodling" always on the look out for new ways to express an idea.

The little illo on the right is one of the "doodles" that I did quite impulsively, playing around a little with perspective and colour...

its the insomnia doing the talking

2006-01-08T01:36:00.000+02:00

I was pleased with the work(painting) I did today for a change and am anxious to get back to it tomorrow night. I think I may head for the mountains in the morning, I need a little fresh air and the scenery is truly beautiful this time of year, so I will be definetely taking my camera.

I had a hard time disciplining my self to get back to my daily routine after the holidays but today I had the feeling everything is returning back to normal...

I'll be locked in my "castle" for the next month writing and painting and thinking of nothing else -hopefully. I'm even thinking of going and buying lots of groceries as not to have to think of shopping.
With painting its not that bad, but with the writing its like I am squeezing my brain until bloodrops form on my forehead (being too graphic?). Everyword counts, has to be weighed, measured, broken into the right shape for it to fit, like a mosaic...colourful, with little bits of mirrors so it can reflect the person reading it and maybe a little of me at times.

Currently I am stuck at a minor love-scene thing, which I have to confess I am crap at describing. Even tried listening to a lot of lovesongs, just to get the feeling I need...which didn't work obviously. Ok...I am talking nonsense so I better say goodnight.

Goodnight :)

Seeing things upside down

2006-01-06T00:51:00.000+02:00

illustration by maya, age 7-ish
I was reminded by something I read today that I am dyslexic. Not that you can forget something like that...but you do push the "label" away...under the bed, in the closet....etc.

I always knew that something wasn't quite right.
Particularly in junior highschool when I decided that I couldn't cope with school and tried to leave (but thanks to a great teacher I didn't).
Being dyslexic is just seeing things a bit different from the majority of the world. When I was tested and given the verdict, nearly a decade ago, I was terrified and relieved at the same time.
Weird combination of feelings.

I was hesitant at first to write this kind of thing here...had to fight a little voice in my head saying "no, its too much embarassing personal information for it to be displayed on a public diary". But I decided to ignore it, hoping that someone that might be as muddled up as I was some years ago might read this.

Dyslexia has been a blessing, although I must admit I didn't think so for a long time.
I wouldn't be able to do the things I do, especially creatively without it, I think.
Not that non-dyslexic artists are not creative, but in my case it pushed me in the right direction- to follow my dreams and see the world upside down, a little twisted at times but eventually pulled into a gorgeous pink - potters pink :) -rose, that I can paint and smile about.

It also has made me into the most stubborn person I know- If someone says something is impossible, i HAVE to do it!!
Maybe thats a teeny tiny little bit of a reason, why I am writing my book.
But dear reader...please don't tell any one I said so. :)

My Journals

2006-01-03T21:01:00.000+02:00

For the past two days I have been mostly working on my moon book. I was stuck when I had left it to rest a while ago, so I had to sort out the chapter I was working on. The dictionary I have weighs at least 20 kilos and carrying it around has been hell on my back. lol.

While writing today I thought of all the journals I have kept. I could fill a whole bookshelf. When cleaning my cupboards I came across a 1996 one...the feeling reading it was surreal. How could I have thought like that, I wondered. Silly girl.

My friends who know my love for journals sometimes surprise me with new ones as gifts. All of the pictured journals have been gifts. I hope to fill them with wonderful adventures this year.

fresh studio- fresh start for the new year

2005-12-30T12:56:00.000+02:00

2005- greatest hits!

2005-12-27T19:45:00.000+02:00

I was going through some pictures of last year...remembering the good and the bad. Lots of bad-some moments very good. One of those was a tea party me and some of my frineds had in the park...I remember we scared away a very handsome jogger...lol.One of my friends actually ran after him (thank god he didn't see her....).

I think I'll just hang on to these memories and let the bad ones go down the drain where they belong.

working on the eve of the eve

2005-12-24T01:39:00.000+02:00

Got back to work today after a little "painters block" yesterday.

One of my best friends is moving house so I decided to make her a card for the occasion. She loves trees so I thought I'd use that as a theme.

I got my watercolours out- it seems like ages since I have used them as I was working a lot with gouache lately- and once the shimmering hues hit the page I was in love again. I don't know what it is about watercolour, I have loved it since the first time I have used it... I only wish the computer scans would bring out the true beauty of this lovely medium.

I don't know if I will have time tomorrow for work as I have some last minute
christmas shopping to do....

Anyway: Happy christmas to all!!!

Love,

Maya

xxx

2006 here I come -Uncluttered

2005-12-20T15:59:00.000+02:00

I know I haven't posted a lot the past few days, but I have been trying to organize my house and my studio for the New year. Cleaning, organizing, giving my space more positive energy.
I haven't done a lot of drawing or writing for that matter, I have been trying to focus on the practical stuff so I can enjoy work in the days to come to the max (I hate clutter).

I received another greeting card from an illustrator friend today. All the christmas cards I have received are gorgeous and I feel blessed to have made so many lovely friends the past year.

I also got a note from the post office about a package (?). I will have to go pick it up tomorrow, as the postoffice is closed in the afternoons. That got me thinking about the book (my first book) I had illustrated a year an a half ago after winning a local illustration competition. I have had news that it has (finally) been published and I wonder if that is whats in the phantom package!!
Whatever it is, I love surprises, I'll just have to wait and see...haha!!

Sunday night fever

2005-12-12T00:35:00.000+02:00

Am feeling very inspired tonight, haven't a clue why...and I have decided to do some writing before I got to bed. (I am not talking about this post btw, but my book).
Before doing so though I thought I'd write a little about my weekend which was great. Friday night I went to a fantastic place where they play live music (mostly rock and alternative) and had a wonderful time. Watching the musicians do there thing and everone having fun, made me feel quite "alive" again. It has been quite a while since I have done something fun and it has given me lots of adrenaline and energy!
Saturday night, I went to the theatre and saw a monologue that was so intense, I thought I'd need to leave the room, as I was in tears. It was about a middle aged woman who had found out her lover was unfaithful and had the title "the black and white tears of love". The actress was incredible, she made you feel like you were experiencing every single feeling that she acted out! I do admire people who can transfer feelings that way. I hope to do that with my paintings and my writing one day...
I took some photos today of my very untidy studio and some of me , as I wanted to change my obviously weird blog avatar. All were a failure but I changed it anyway...lol
I better go off to do some writing before it gets way too late...it is 12:30 am already.

the day after

2005-12-07T23:27:00.000+02:00

It was quite an emotional day yesterday but I am feeling better today. Still sad, but just not letting it show. Life and death. Two things that are inevetible. I think that death is something that you have to come to terms with, in order to value life as it should be valued: it is priceless.
Living today for today as much as for tomorrow.
Afterall, today is the only sure thing we have got.

On a lighter note, I had some good news today. A lovely email from a publisher who had received my samples and my card. It was like seeing a light (at last) at the end of the tunnel. That got me all fired up for more mailouts, so I dedicated my day to printing and making yet more little portfolios to send tomorrow afternoon.

Its funny how two things happen: one really sad and one really good, so close together.
I feel a bit overwhelmed.
Life is confusing like that I suppose....