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Fun with Lucky Cat!!!

This is going in my Etsy about me section.

As a kid I was always painting and drawing.  There is video of me on Christmas day as a child, laying on the floor with crayons and blank paper rather than playing with all of my new presents.
       When I was in elementary school I started my first business.  There was a white binder with plastic sheet insert sleeves that was my portfolio. I would draw Looney Tunes characters and Disney characters and some of my own characters and sell them to my classmates on the bus ride to school.  I hired a good friend of mine to be my secretary; she took orders and kept track of my portfolio. I traded for lunch money, toys or trinkets, or whatever they had that I could make use of.
         My parents were always encouraging with my artistic talent but my business idea ended up being inspired by encouragement from my 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Joseph.  I had done a Beauty and the Beast drawing that she loved and at the end of the school year asked if she could hang on to.  This was a giant compliment  to me at the time; I'd never been particularly popular in school, I wasn't athletic, I was great at academia and now I felt like I knew what I wanted to do... pursue an education in the arts and see my work on products and in magazines and wherever else!  This is quite an early age to make such a decision, but there I was... a second grader so sure of her future.
         Ever since those days I continued drawing and painting, working on creating my own style and creatures of my own instead of just being able to draw from life or copy the characters of others.  I went to the College for Creative Studies in Detroit to study illustration.  Even before graduation I'd been showing my work in local businesses and galleries.
         Now I do freelance work and sell my original works and products here on Etsy and at local craft fairs and shows.   I've been a vendor at the Motor City Comic convention, Pengicon, Noel Night Detroit,  The New Dodge Lounge in Hamtramck, I've shown work at Cranky Yellow in Saint Louis MO, 323 East formerly in Royal Oak MI, Mike's Comics and Games in New Baltimore MI, L.A Cafe, The Phoenix Cafe, Metal Moon Tattoo Studio and art gallery, Tattoo Nouveau, and many more!   If you are local to the Detroit area you most likely have seen my work.  
         I'm highly influenced by things from my childhood, old toys, cartoons, video games, emerging technologies and japanese kawaii culture and well really anything cute and asian.  I feel like the combination of cute and colorful and morbid would be a fairly accurate description.  I paint regardless of happiness or sadness.  I love the feeling when you finish a work and something exist where once there was blank canvas or paper.  I make something exist.  That's the real fun in this.     These days I continue to show my work and promote online.  I appreciate every one of you who watches my shop and enjoys my work.
     
thank you!

Kittens and Dreams

Local business shout out!



Metal Moon Tattoo studio and art gallery in Warren Michigan
L.A. Cafe in Waterford Michigan
and
Treat Dreams in Royal Oak Michigan

Thank you all for supporting artists and displaying local work in your shops!
I currently have work on display at the first two and will have work in Royal Oak at
Treat Dreams come spring or summer this year!


So, keep warm and cuddle your kitties, if you are in the area come check out my works!

Earthbound kids ready for battle! Print and original both available

Octo-cone - Original available

      Now is the time! If you have ever been interested in owning a Crystal Mielcarek print or original, everything I have in backstock is for sale, right now.  Everything must go!



      Email me, Facebook me, message me, anything you see I'll let you know if it is available.  In the meantime go check out my website www.smushbox.net or my etsy shop.

   

       The show "Jokes on You Buddy!" at Starkweather Art Center  this week went well.  I sold a piece called "Funny Bones"  There was a bit of drama over some curse words on a group of pieces.  I just couldn't even imagine... honestly.  The show is about comics and comedy... when hasn't that partially been about shocking your audience and being kind of crude? 

     What are your thoughts about vulgar words on art? Do you think there is no place for that sort of thing or does freedom of speech and expression prevail? 

Cheshire Cat - print available  

Sketchbook 5/13

Help me decide my next painting ...

I'm trying to decide which sketchbook piece to paint up next.  So, for a while, when I remember, I'll be posting up a sketch or two.  I did this one just a few minutes ago.  It's my Blue Moon ice cream cone.

This actually is ending up one of my favorites so far.

"Every town has an Elm Street"

The last few weeks were full of Nightmare on Elm Street films. All 7 films (aside from Freddy Vs Jason) were viewed and rated on the slasher scale.  What is the slasher scale you may ask yourself?  Well ...take a look here for an example rating sheet. 

       For instance, this is the rating [115] I personally gave to A Nightmare on Elm Street.  The rating that Josh (my sweetie & the creator of the scale) gave this film was 122. Many of the items on the list are up for personal perception (or argument as the case may be). On his scale, Josh rated the soundtrack for the film a five where I felt it was only a four.

       Many other times the score discrepancy in score has the would be even larger.  It's in areas like these where the rating from one person to the next can really differ which makes the list really fun and interesting to do in a group.  Other areas such as onscreen kill generally match - unless someone falls asleep or isn't paying attention to the movie.

So this is what I do for fun.   Now it's on to the Friday the 13th movies.