SOLD OUT! Half the Sky Limited Edition Fundraiser

I am psyched that within one week I sold out of my limited edition of 25 prints inspired by the book/video/movement Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide.

I created this print based on the inspiring namesake of this moving broadcast and burgeoning movement. From the website: "The Half the Sky Movement is cutting across platforms to ignite the change needed to put an end to the oppression of women and girls worldwide, the defining issue of our time."

Thank you again so much to everyone who bought a print and supported this cause! 100% of the profit is being sent to One by One, an organization dedicated to ending obstetric fistula worldwide.

Signed prints just before packing!

Recent Art

Art at East Side Studio Tour

Paintings at Paloma Show

Some recent work...

The Zrinski Castle: Misha Blaise

Windstorm: Misha Blaise

Windstorm Detail: Misha Blaise

KOLO Opening Reception

Thanks again to Paloma Botanical Beauty Parlour for hosting an amazing event. And thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate! Several of the photos below were taken by a professional photographer, the amazing Nicole Mlakar-Livingston.

Copyright ©Nicole Mlakar-Livingston

Photo Copyright ©Nicole Mlakar-Livingston

Photo Copyright ©Nicole Mlakar-Livingston

KOLO Misha Blaise

Copyright ©Nicole Mlakar-Livingston

Austin Art Boards Opening Reception

As you may remember from this recent post, I received an honorable mention for a piece I submitted to a city-wide contest called Austin Art Boards.  Here are some pics from the opening reception.  I really enjoyed some of the art; I'm posting pics of some of the other "honorable mentions" who I would have loved to have seen on billboards!

Austin Art Board Winners 2012

Some cool grackles (on the right) by Cathy Savage next to my piece (Misha Blaise).

I would LOVE to see this message large scale, in these cool, big crooked letters. Artist: Joseph Santandrea

This piece by Adreon Henry is bright and whimsical.  It's cheerful and yet still mysterious.

I'm a sucker for chickens, and I love the way the artist Abby Mandel made these guys so stylized.

Show at Paloma Botanical Beauty Parlour

My solo show "KOLO" opens September 14th, 2012 at Paloma Botanical Beauty Parlour in Austin, TX. Join me for the opening party from 7-9 PM. I have a bunch of new work that I will be showing-- mostly paintings! 

I named the show after a dance called Kolo; a traditional collective folk dance, danced primarily by people from countries in the former Yugoslavia.  It is danced in groups who join their hands around each other’s waist; there is almost no movement above the waist. The Kolo costume for both men and women involves beautifully detailed and brightly colored embroidered elements that reflect the ethnic design aesthetic of the region.

My latest work reflects the distinctive elements of this aesthetic, including flat use of line and color, geometric shapes, bold colors and decorative ornamentation. I’m inspired by the elegant detail and complex patterns of global textile design in general, and I do incorporate other influences into my work, but I have been focusing on this region of the world since my own family roots are there. The Kolo dance, costume and accompanying music tends to be super festive and cheerful, and I hope to reflect this vibrancy in my art.
 

In the Studio

I'm working on some new pieces for an upcoming show in September at Paloma in Austin, Texas.  My inspiration is the folk art and embroidery of Eastern Europe. I bought a great book on Yugoslavian folk design and that has given me a lot of ideas.

Misha Blaise: work in progress--this will look totally different when it is done! Although, I do like it at this stage...

Misha Blaise: work in progress

Misha Blaise: work in progress

You Win Some, You Lose Some

The world of art is filled with diverse tastes and preferences, and the real trick as an artist is finding people who click with your particular artistic "voice." This is the hardest part about submitting your art for review: you hope that it will be well received, but if it isn't, you have to buck up and remind yourself that some work aligns with the curator's tastes better than others.

Recently I created an original piece and entered it into the Austin Art Boards competition. Ten winners were selected to have their art enlarged and displayed on giant billboards around town. A couple hundred people entered, and although I wasn't one of the ten who won, I was selected with a small group of "honorable mentions."

Here are the winners:

Austin Art Boards winners 2012

And here is the piece that I entered:

"Rain Dance" by Misha Maynerick Blaise

I worked countless hours on this piece and I really feel like it represents my visual aesthetic. I wanted to make something that would be bold and vibrant on a huge billboard. Austin is at risk for perpetual drought, so I oriented my piece around the journey of rain.  Playing with defined structure as well as loose forms, I painted dots that trace the movement of water from a distant mountain glacier to a final, explosive rain storm. I made the piece by drawing and painting different elements, and then scanning them into my computer and altering them using Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.

Like everyone who entered the contest, I would have absolutely been thrilled to have my art displayed in a large scale format for the whole city to see. But I am also happy to say congrats to the artists who did win! There is always next year to try again...