Illustration Friday theme: Breezy

This is my entry for Illustration Friday Theme BREEZY

Gouache with pen & ink

by:
Maria Madonna Davidoff

Little Girl Series: How it all started

Well, my Little Girl series paintings started with a daily sketch. Everyday I decided to make a sketch of the little girl. I used a big 18" x 24" newsprint pad for the sketches and they serve as my studies for the final paintings. As you can see, I have lots and lots of them already. All I need to do is choose among one of them and start painting! For the finished piece, I use Acrylic on a gessoed stretched canvas , also size 18 x 24.

Here are my sketches inside my flat drawer:

A more close up view of the Little Girl sketches:

"Little Girl in Autumn"

"Little Girl in Winter"

Now ,here is a sketch and the finished painting of The Little Girl who Draws

The sketch:

And Voila, the finished painting: The Little Girl Who Draws
By Maria Madonna Davidoff

MondayArtday "self portrait 8 yrs old"

Below is a painting I did for MondayArtday's theme
" Self Portrait of myself at Eight":

This painting is part of " The little Girl Series " They were started when my mother just passed. When someone you love very deeply is gone, there will always be an emptiness inside you. I felt very very empty and sad when my mom died and very, very alone. My mother always told me that I will always be her little girl. These paintings are a tribute to that period of my time with her as a child.

Portable studio around the world (Austria)

In Austria, I was invited to participate in an International Art Symposium entitled:"Freistat Burgestein 2005" (International Art Symposium) from July 9-18, 2005 at Laengenfeld, Tirol, Austria. I had to create works which will later be exhibited in Vienna, Telfs, Miemig, :Laegenfeld

Below is where I stayed among other International artists:

And here is my small but efficient studio in Langelfeld, Austria provided by Provita Alpina.

Here I am printing in my studio-
and getting ready for the exhibit in the Tyrolean Alps:

I created my Traveling scroll series here as shown below and also participated in the outdoor exhibit as well as in the Austrian WerkMuseum in the city.

Finally, one of the reviews in an Austrian Newspaper in Tyrol. ( in German)

Portable Studio Around the World (Bali)

As I've mentioned in my previous post, I keep a portable studio that contains mini tools and materials. In Bali, I had a folding easel and stool that has a backpack attached to it . I love this piece of equipment because it is lightweight and foldable plus Ican carry my materials in it as well:




My portable easel and stool/backpack in Bali, Indonesia.
I rented a small bungalow in Ubud, Bali last 2007. I will be going back there again this year. This is me painting in front of my bungalow:

A view from my Bali Bungalow

and my Bali landscape painting:

My Portable Studio around the world

I carry a portable studio with me whenever I can. My portable studio is an assortment of mini art materials and tools that I've collected from different places. I've got mini watercolors, mini brushes that holds its own water container( got this in Tokyo but they now sell it in Pearl Paint NYC)--mini crayon kit, mini markers ( from San Francisco,) ,mini colored pencil from Singapore, small sketch pad and moleskin watercolor book from NYC, and even mini staplers and scissors from Austria. I love to discover other mini tools and materials to include in my portable studio.

The contents are small enough to fit my plastic zippered case that fits my medium size bag .
Well, this weekend, my portable studio came in handy again. I went to the Barnes and Noble in New York City near Lincoln Center and hang out at the cafe. I did some of my color studies there while drinking my iced chai, flavored with passion fruit and bought a sweet treat --my favorite brownies. Yummy!
When I draw or paint in public, I sometimes get comments from other people. One lady beside me remarked that she liked my colors . I like the interaction and I don't mind a few interruptions since being an artist can be a solitary job sometimes. Other places I like to sketch are the parks, forests, the mountains, the beach or anywhere near the water , libraries, museums, even the theatre. Yes, during intermission is a good time to sketch.

Below is my color study:

Actually, I was in another fantastic bookstore called The Bank Street Bookstore uptown. I went there to see a book reading/performance of authorDebi Derryberry. She wrote the book Baby Banana and the Licorice Tree. I loved Debi Derryberry's music especially the ones with the Caribbean beat. Debi is also the voice of Jimmy Neutron on Nickelodeon.
It was very interesting to observe how the children responded --so spontaneously dancing and jumping up and down. I could not sketch because it was jampacked and there was no room, but I was able to get a seat by the window and I took some photos:

As an illustrator, I always to go to bookstores and do my research on what's being published lately, which publishers I think will like my style based on what they are publishing, what book got awards, etc. I always take down notes when I visit. That's me on the right corner:

Graphic Novel (work in Progress)

This is also my entry for Illustration Fridays theme: INSTINCT

My Instinct told me that I must create a graphic novel based on my cousin's childhood in Manila.
Since this is a work in progress, I'd like to share with you my process and the development of my character. I decided to change the spelling of her name from Cita to Sita. That way, I don't need to explain how to pronounce Cita as " see-tah", as seen in my first sketch. I was happy with the way Sita looks--she was a very frail and skinny girl, she's also a half Chinese/half filipina-- I need to emphasize that background of hers as the graphic novel evolves . My cousin told me that because she's half Chinese, growing up in Manila , she was considered a bit of an outsider among the local Filipinos. I called her yesterday from her New York office and she gave me permission to continue with this project using her childhood experiences as my subject.

I know, I know --this is a big endeavor--but it excites me and although I do not really consider myself a writer--, I can try to visually tell her story at least.

So... today, I gave her some color. I also cropped her body. I did not want her to look as if she was praying. Let me know what you think.

My Graphic Novel-Work in Progress

Cita of Manila ( pronounced "see-tah")

This is a work in progress:
My new graphic Novel entitled Cita of Manila

Over dinner in New York City, my cousin told me of her
experiences as a daughter raised by a single mom in Manila.

This is the first page of my graphic novel Cita of Manila:

MondayArtDay Theme: Cliff Hanger

This is a book based on an Asian folktale which I 've illustrated
while living in Singapore where I've set up my art studio from 2006-2007.

A corner of my Singapore art studio shown with my niece, Anna Angeles-Patajo

Fantastic Photos of Cambodia

I just want to share with you this news:

My brother Jolan Angeles , a writer/journalist from the Philippines, had his photos and report of Cambodia posted in CNN iReport page.

The title of his post is:"Cambodia -- home to a sweet, smiling, friendly people" .

Illustration Friday "Celebrate"

I created this Greeting card that says:

Have A Bubbly Happy Birthday!!

MondayArtDay theme " Myth"

This is my post for Monday ArtDay theme" Myth"

Penelope ( Greek Mythology)

by Maria Madonna Davidoff

Fairy Hibernating Underground

This is my enrty for MondayArtDay theme "Underground "

Fairy Underground
By Maria Madonna Davidoff

Traveling Fairy

The Traveling Fairy is my constant companion. She is with me wherever I go in whatever country I live in. I have traveled and lived in so many different cities and countries all my life such as Manila, Switzerland, Singapore, Bali, Chicago, New York, just to name a few, that sometimes I can't help but feel uprooted. I have to learn to adjust to a new culture and learn different languages, meet new friends, and say goodbye to the old ones, families are separated by illness and death or just by constantly relocating all the time, jobs are lost, new jobs are found. But somehow, somewhere , in whatever part of the world I live in, I manage to set up studio and work on my art. Art is the one thing constant in my life. This is how I stumbled upon the Traveling Fairy. She appeared again to me yesterday and here she is:

Below is an article on my participation in "Silk Road" Exhibit USA 2006

Promoting Cultural Awareness and Diversity Through the Arts :

Multi-cultural artist Maria Madonna Davidoff was born in the Philippines but has lived and exhibited in Europe, Asia and the United States. She studied printmaking and painting at The Art Students League of New York, Fine Arts at the University of the Philippines in Manila, and traditional batik painting in Bali, Indonesia. She is currently based in New York and Singapore.
Her Selected group and solo exhibitions includes the FusionArts Museum in New York city, Cedar Ridge Gallery in Toronto, Canada, TokyoMetropolitan Museum in Japan, GSIS Museum in Manila, The Museum of the Americas in Florida, The Museum of Art and History, in Fribourg, Switzerland, the New Delhi F.A.C Society Gallery in India, Visconti Gallery in Paris, France, and the Mesnerhaus Gallery in Tirol, Austria. The Swiss Consulate Cultural Section of New York, features regularly in their Swiss Events Series and she is also often listed with the Asian American Arts Alliance calendarofevents in New York City.

She was included in books entitled: Fragments of Young Swiss Art published by UBS of Switzerland and also Filipino-Americans in Our Midst published in the United States.Her works were also presented during the symposium on The History of Philippine-American Art at Montclair State University and was a guest lecturer/visiting artist at the Quinnipiac University in Connecticut.
She was invited to participate and exhibit as guest artist in Langenfeld, Austria for the Austrian International Art Symposium called Between Worlds, Between Borders, 2005.

Maria Madonna Davidoff has been reviewed by a Washington Post art critic who wrote, ”Of the thirty three works on view at the Foundry Gallery, I liked Maria Madonna Davidoff's mix-media scrolls…”

Aside from being a fine artist, she is also an award-winning book cover illustrator and her artworks have been published in books, magazines and major newspapers.Her website is: www.madonnaart.com

ARTIST STATEMENT

Being a multi cultural artist who has lived and traveled in 3 different continents in the world definitely affected my work. Thus, my paintings and prints are based on personal as well as universal icons. The word icon may mean an image, a representation, a simile or symbol. Icons are very much a part of our present world. It has been used since pre-historic time and we are still being influenced by it.

In my latest mix media Scroll Series, I try to develop art that is both lyrical and portable, a reflection of the nomadic nature of one who is constantly on the move. Recognizing this sense of displacement, I never really belong anywhere, and so I try to create my own cultural space wherever I find myself. It is a way for me as an artist to make sense of things around me. Thus, creating the scrolls make perfect sense since these banner-like images are "transportable" just like myself. The scrolls can easily be rolled up and carried around and like myself, could be reinvented, able to adapt and survive. My motivation in creating works of art stems from my enjoyment in expressing myself and exposure to different cultures continues to inspire me in so many ways, I have acquired a more global perspective on the symbols and images in art. I've also come to realize that symbols and icons all over the world speak of the universal themes of fear, joy, hope, pain, and celebration. I believe that we are one collective eye sharing a single planet.

©Picture That, LLC All Rights Reserved

My Fairy Doodles

I doodle a lot and I usually keep them in boxes. Here are just some of my doodle box collection from years and years of doodling and drawing:

Below are some doodles I've made for my Fairy Series. I've drawn these little fairy scenes in little pieces of Stick notes , while talking over the phone, or doing other non-creative tasks. My Fairy doodles were hung on my bulletin board for awhile at work.

Fairy Ocean:

Fairy Volcano:

Fairy Rocket:

Fairy At Rest:

Fairy Mushroom:

My Fairies remind me never to forget to use my imagination.
Do you have a fairy sitting on your desk too?

Sunday Inspirations 3

image posted with permission © Diana Ting Delosh

A wonderful blog full of beautiful line art and watercolor illustrations from Diana Ting Delosh. Diana is a freelance illustrator and writer, mainly in kid's publishing and related fields. View more of her works at her website.

Illustration Friday "Time"

Its Sleeping Time: My entry for Illustration Friday theme "TIME"

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow again!

For the past 3 days, it has been bitterly cold but I love the way everything turns white with snow. Here's my favorite road I take everyday to go to work. Yeah, country road--take me home...

Sledding: It was fun sledding in Switzerland with my daughter. We lived in Fribourg. This is my memory of sledding days in the Alps. This weather now is making me nostalgic of those days. My niece Anna emailed me about sending her photos I've taken while her family visited us in Fribourg. I will post some artworks I 've created in Switzerland. Here's one of them:

What is the weather in your part of the country?

Art Materials Shopping

Yesterday, I went shopping for more art materials. I got several small square canvasses, watercolors, brushes, gesso paint, pens, colored pencils, papers and a nice artist blank book for my journal. Aside from the Watercolor Moleskine Book , I also write daily in my journal. And of course, I have this Blog.

My favorite art supply store is Pearl Paint in New York City. Not only is it the biggest art store but is close to Chinatown where I can eat at my favorite Vietnamese restaurant called Nha Trahn. You should try their spring rolls--it's to die for!

Sunday Inspirations 2 ( Victoria Vusova)

I came across Victoria Vusovas blog : http://vusova.blogspot.com/
I really admire her artwork and stories of juggling her life as an artist and mother.

Sunday Inspirations 1 (Vanessa Brantley Newton)

I am delighted to visit Vanessa Brantley Newton blog; http://oohlaladesignstudio.blogspot.com/
a former Phlebotomist turned Illustrator. She is the illustrator of the Ruby Booker series.