MiliGirl Art

New Beginnings

2011-10-03T11:03:00.000-07:00

As the old adage goes, "Time flies when you're having fun".

Well, it hasn't all been fun, but retrospect sure does have a way of helping you let go of the not so fun parts. I have officially moved on from this blog and from my old www.BanayatFineArt.com website.

Come on over to my new website and blog to find out what the heck I'm up to now.
MiligirlWellness.com

BTW, My Miligirl.com online store is also back online.

See you over there!
Melanie

Replay Malfunction . . .

2010-10-06T19:26:00.003-07:00

Facebook, for me, has been an incredible tool that has brought me back together with people from my past that I never thought I would be in touch with ever again in this lifetime. I hear that same thing from so many people. It’s amazing. The Internet is a strange but interesting “thingy”. Who knew?

Through Facebook I’ve also discovered that there is a tremendous amount of loneliness in this world –- a lot of deeply painful loneliness. Sometimes that loneliness is hard to notice in others because we’re all so busy just surviving. It’s not easily detected in the chaos of life, but when we strip down the façade we can see that so many walk in the shadows of empty feelings and hardly ever express it in healthy ways.

On the flip side, we get to be virtual witnesses to stories about miracles, and inspirational events. I'm not even doing justice in describing it.

All I really know is that this “Facebook Phenomena" has also allowed me this absolutely unique way of staying in touch with my kids who live with their father up in Oregon, while I live way down in Arizona. Each and every day my kids have given me permission to take a peek into their lives through the magic of the simple phrase, “What’s on your mind?” …and they choose to respond. And… the icing on the cake is how digital cameras and cell phone cameras give us the ability to record and upload images in just a few minutes time. The downside is that I realize just how much of my kids lives I'm missing, and it hurts in the worst of ways.

This has made me a bit emotional thinking about how much we long to just be close to those we love and to find someone to love us. When I get like this I have to listen to music that helps me pull up the tears for a good cry. I’ve been listening to the same song over and over again the past few days. That’s just crazy “Teenage” behavior, but that’s what it has taken to finally turn on the waterworks. “Someone Like You” by Van Morrison is the song of choice.

Am I all alone in this “replay” malfunction?

Hmmmm?

Where the prison once was...

2010-06-05T22:53:00.002-07:00

Where the prison once was…now there is a garden.

You know those years when you feel like you’ve been sucker punched every single day? Where it feels like “the day after” all year long? I know you know what I’m talkin’ about, because we’ve all had them. If not, then watch out.

I’ve had some years where I looked back in retrospect, on New Years Eve, and said to myself, “Okay, so this was not your year.” In fact I can name those years, 1969, 1977, 1981, 1987, 2000, and 2005. Even to this day when I think about what happened during those years I am drawn back to the sights, sounds, smells, and overall sadness that abounded.

It may have taken me a long time to learn the lessons from those drawn out experiences, but eventually I would “get it”. I’m a bit of a slow learner (I admit).

At least I can say it’s only been six of my 45 years that I would call quite tainted. The rest of the years were…well, I guess a lot of those years were just filled with the daily grind. I feel incredibly grateful to be able to say that a handful of those years were actually exceptional.

Mind you, I’m not complaining - just observing how human nature has played out in my life thus far.

Let's just say, I'm far more alert now as to when the clear blue sky kisses the soil.

MiliGirl Note Cards make unique gifts for women. Find and send the perfect "Just Because" greeting card at the MiliGirl Collection online store.

Please share this post with others - Thanks! Melanie Banayat

What is it that makes you want to live a passionate life?

2010-05-10T10:26:00.003-07:00

Okay, so the question is...
What is it that makes me want to live a passionate life?

I like questions like this that remind me to reflect on how I’m doing in the passion department, because it’s so easy to get caught up in the hum drum of the daily grind and fall prey to the pessimism and negativity that bombards the senses from all around, and even from inside (that inner critic).

I suppose passion has a lot to do with how you operate in the world from moment to moment. I mean let’s face it we all have good days, bad days, exceptionally great days, and days that seem too difficult to bear.

Yes, we’re living in hard times, the world is changing at an exponential rate and there is no way to put the breaks on. That is a harsh reality. We hear it every day standing in line at the grocery store or at the bank, in conversations with coworkers and colleagues, and our family gatherings are sprinkled with political debates. With that said it is certainly a challenge to find people who are optimistic these days, and yet even in the midst of all this turmoil we still need to find a way to move forward with passion and optimism.

I realized that I had to find a place in my life where I could find encouragement beyond my present company. So hear it goes people. Yes, I believe that place was, is, and will always be through God. Worry not -- I’m not going to start preaching here. I’m just recognizing that God’s passion is the greatest passion of all, and by allowing his passion for us to fuel our own passion then we are choosing to live with positive purpose.

So, how do I answer that question? What is it that makes me want to live a passionate life?

Wow, to publicly pronounce my answer to this question brings up some old fears inside of me – “unabashed commitment”. As I sort through my heart’s greatest desires, my dreams, and my wishes my answer is actually quite simple. The desire to experience “True Happiness” within each day -- whether that comes from helping my teenage children feel more confident in themselves and celebrating each of their tiny & giant successes with loud music and jumping up and down like crazy people, finishing a meaningful painting that inspires others, dancing a romantic two step with my husband, laughing joyfully with good friends, embracing imperfection with a sense of humor, having the guts to admit something that I did wrong and asking for forgiveness, letting go and handing over a heavy burden to our Heavenly Father, making a positive difference (big or small) -- it really doesn’t matter, so long as it’s real.

But I think the real key to all this passion is in taking the time each day to recognize and give thanks to everything that brought me “True Happiness” on that day.

That, to me, is living a passionate life.

MiliGirl Note Cards make unique gifts for women. Find and send the perfect "Just Because" greeting card at the MiliGirl Collection online store.

Please share this post with others - Thanks! Melanie Banayat

Seder, Matzoh, and Kosher Wine, oh my!

2010-03-30T00:43:00.003-07:00

Last night I spent the evening observing a traditional orthodox Jewish Passover (Seder) with a Jewish friend and his non-Jewish wife. I am not Jewish, but at some point during the evening Scott informed me (in joking) that now I am. It’s the first time I have ever been invited to participate in this ritual feast. I really enjoyed the entire experience. I learned a lot. My favorite line in the Passover book was, “It’s better to trust in the eternal than to rely on man.” I think it was on page 33? Anyway, the educational part was interesting, and helped me to understand the simplicity of the practice.

Since I was the youngest in the group last night I was blessed with the opportunity to read the part of the child during the ritual. At least they didn’t force me to search for the unleavened bread, which is the part of the ritual where a piece of matzoh, known as the afikoman, is hidden for a time during the Seder and usually a child is sent to search for it. It is a tradition compared with Christ's burial in the tomb before the resurrection.

It was a lovely evening, the company was fun, the food was wonderful, and the Kosher wine wasn’t so bad either! Wink, wink. It ended a little before midnight, which I understand is fairly early in many cases. It was a beautiful experience and I’m glad Scott and Pia Invited me and my husband to be a part of their celebration.

Dolly Parton - Go To Hell

2010-03-19T07:04:00.008-07:00

Dolly has always had a great way with words both in her songwriting and just generally speaking.

Here are some of my favorite Dolly Quotes...

"I'm not offended by all the dumb blonde jokes because I know I'm not dumb... and I also know that I'm not blonde."

"I'm old enough and cranky enough now that if someone tried to tell me what to do, I'd tell them where to put it."

"The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain."

Dolly Parton talks frankly about her views on plastic surgery and her definitive style.

"I didn't know I couldn't do it til' I had it done."

I just love the lyrics in Dolly's song "Go To Hell". Love all the photos in the video, too.

"We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails." - Dolly Parton

MiliGirl Note Cards make unique gifts for women. Find and send the perfect "Just Because" greeting card at the MiliGirl Collection online store.

Please share this post with others - Thanks! Melanie Banayat

Induction to Womanhood

2010-02-27T11:32:00.012-07:00

I recently received an invitation to a “Baby Shower–Goddess Party” where the host invited her guests to share one significant story or insight from her own personal experience that makes her most appreciative and joyful about being a woman. I thought, cool, that’s something new that I had never done for a baby shower before. At first I thought it would be difficult to choose which story to tell, because I have many. But, then, one story jumped right to the front of the line. So, I thought I’d go ahead and share it here as well.

When I was thirteen years old I had hippy hair. You know, the long straight hair, down to my waist, all one length, parted right down the middle kind of hippy hair. My cousins even nicknamed me “Hippy”. My hair had been like that for most of my life up to that point. That is until one Saturday morning when I decided I wanted a change. I was ready to take that big step and move into the realm of “style”.

Well, this was big news to my mom. This called for a trip back to the old neighborhood where her longtime good friend Maria had her beauty shop, Maria’s Salon. I had never had my hair cut in a salon before, so this was a milestone event for me in that sense. I was a little nervous. Ok, a lot nervous.

We walked into the salon and it was packed with women. Every hair stylist was busy turning ordinary women into super models – well, at least in their own minds maybe. It was loud with female chatter. Maria walked up and greeted me with a big cheesy smile attempting to make me feel comfortable. It really DID NOT help.

She brought me over to her chair, sat me down and we began our back and forth dialog to determine what I wanted done to my hair. She then began to comb all of the knots out of my hair, which were many, since grooming was not a high priority on my list yet. I was too active with sports to be concerned about that sort of silly stuff. I usually just put my hair in a ponytail and went about my day. Anyway, as she was combing my hair she suddenly gasped and began saying something in Spanish, which I didn’t understand. She motioned to my mother and other women to come over to have a look at what she found in my hair. I just sat there watching these women making a big deal about something in my hair, but nobody was telling me what it was. I kept asking, “What? What is it?!” They were laughing, and making jokes, and patting me on the head telling me, “If anybody can fix this problem Maria can!” Then they all walked back to their stations, and mom back to her chair in the waiting area. I was baffled. Maria proceeded to pluck a hair from my tender scalp and dangled a 15” long, pure white strand in front of my face. “Here you go sweetie, your first gray hair.” My jaw dropped as I reached up and took hold of it.

I was mesmerized by this single strand of hair. I kept staring at it and wondered what could have caused me to have a gray hair at such a young age. My mind wandered off into deep thought about all of the things that had happened to me in my short 13 years of life that could have caused this. Many painful things, things that were more than a little girl should have to bare, things that others new nothing about, things that stole away my childhood, things that I vowed I would carry to my grave. I pondered long, asking myself, “Is this what this gray hair represents?” I looked around the room at the other women and began to wonder what kind of things they had experienced, because there was lots of gray hair all over. Some were hiding it with color, while others seemed to wear it like a badge of honor.

I was so engulfed in my thoughts that I wasn’t even paying any attention to Maria chopping away at my hair, drying it, and curling it. I was stuck someplace back in time. Then I heard this voice calling out my name like it was coming from a long distance away, but it was Maria bringing me back into the present moment to show me my new hairstyle. I snapped out of my dream state and looked up at myself in the mirror. There I was, the new me, with my new Farrah Fawcett feathered hair. My hands immediately cupped my mouth in amazement. I gasped with tickled joy. I loved it! Then Maria called out to the other ladies to have a look. They turned and began to do their ooohs and aaaaahs, and offer their supportive comments. Even the older lady sitting under the loud cone head hair dryer pulled off the giant bowl, walked over and said how beautiful I was.

In that very moment I realized that I had become part of the greater society of womanhood -- The camaraderie of sisterhood, the chums of common ground, the missionaries of goodness. I somehow felt different. I stood a little straighter and looked a little taller, especially with my puffy new hair. I was a young woman.

This is the only decent picture I could find with me and my Farrah Fawcett hairdo. Unfortunately, I have a hat on. LOL!

I didn't quite look like Farrah, did I? LOL!

MiliGirl Note Cards make unique gifts for women. Find and send the perfect "Just Because" greeting card at the MiliGirl Collection online store.

Please share this post with others - Thanks! Melanie Banayat

45 things I’ve learned in my 45 years

2010-02-17T16:36:00.004-07:00

Well somehow I have reached 45! Woo Hoo!

I’m fine with my age and thought it would be fun to sit down and write 45 things that came to mind that I have learned in my 45 years. Some are silly and others just might make you go hmmm…

So here goes… 45 things I’ve learned in my 45 years
(OMG, after posting this and looking at how long the list is all I can say is Holy _ _ _ _!)

1. I love being in my 40s! (and I knew I would!)
2. Your mom isn’t always right… (unless your name is Mikhaila or Dakota and I’m your mom.)
3. Things you hear as a child really do STICK in a person’s head for years, so be careful what you say to children!
4. Gray hair looks kinda cool against my brown skin.
5. Being yourself is always the best way to go in the long run! Figuring out who “Your True Self” is on the other hand can often be the big challenge. The sooner you can figure that out the better.
6. Your formal education (or lack of) doesn’t have to determine the rest of your life.
7. Risks are rewarded – sometimes with wealth and other times with lessons to be learned.
8. There is always a silver lining if you are willing to look for it.
9. Having dreams is a wonderful thing. A few of my dreams have come to fruition, and I still have more dreams that I want to accomplish. YAY!
10. Living in this time of exponential, high-speed, rapid change is fascinating and comes with all sorts of interesting things like Facebook, which has re-connected me with some really wonderful people from my past that I probably would not have reconnected with if Facebook didn’t exist.
11. It’s awesome, amazing, and incredibly humbling to do what I do! I give thanks to my Heavenly Father for my gifts, and hope that what I do with my talents helps to open doors to his love.
12. Being a parent is really, really hard work, and full of every emotion on the face of the earth, plus I'm certain there are even a few that we haven’t given names to yet. (But it's so worth it!)
13. Everyone doesn’t always choose the best partner. Pick again. (But not the same person with a different name – lots of people seem to do that too! – I did; lesson finally learned? √ check)
14. Sex is definitely better at this age! No more hang ups there!
15. I really love dancing, and I’ll never stop dancing ever again! (when I did I was not a happy camper!)
16. Having just a few great friends is really wonderful.
17. Shoe size has nothing to do with anything except how big your feet are. LOL!
18. Finding someone who gets you is something to be cherished!
19. Laughter is an awesome way to spend time.
20. Travel to foreign countries expands your perspective.
21. Trust your intuition, even if it goes against everyone else’s advice. You usually know what’s best for you.
22. Due to Social media I can get the word out about what I do for hardly any money, with no special technical ability, to tens of thousands or even millions of people, in a matter or days or even minutes. WOW!
23. “If you don’t ask, the chances of getting a “yes” are slim to none.”
24. “The worst that can happen is they say no.” (I’ve discovered you can always survive that and move on to better things.)
25. I have found a way to make work = fun. Yippee!
26. God's forgiveness and my own forgiveness saved me and delivered me from so much pain.
27. Most of my emotional walls are down, now I only have a few hang-ups (LOL!)
28. Sometimes it really is ok to sit and do nothing… for hours.
29. Sometimes you get what you pay for. Other times you get more or less… be careful how you spend your money.
30. I enjoy a good glass of wine with good friends.
31. Not everyone is meant to stay in our lives forever but everyone that comes into your life serves a purpose or provides a lesson you need to learn.
32. I’m not bitter, vengeful, or regretting my two previous marriages, which is like a modern day miracle! More than anything I just didn’t want to waste my energy on something that would only make me lonely and ugly both inside and out.
33. It’s ok to admit that you were wrong.
34. Our beliefs don’t always make sense – even to ourselves! Keep the ones that work for you and try to change the ones that hold you back.
35. Knowing yourself and being honest with yourself is the key to all things.
36. Success is more than the size of your bank account.
37. Time really does seem to pass more quickly the older you get!
38. I like to know how everything works. Which can cause me to do more than I should by myself. I also have trouble turning it off at night. I’m still working on that one.
39. I’m “micro-social” – I would choose to be with small groups of people over large gatherings.
40. Being able to choose my own ring tone is a fun little feature in life among many others.
41. There is no “right answer” that will work for everyone. (No matter what the question is.)
42. Having kids has turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made in my life.
43. I love kind little gestures like the man that always smiles and greets me by my name who owns my favorite hole in the wall Mexican restaurant, Barbudos.
44. The crevasses that time has carved into the landscape of my face have earned me the right of passage into the company of many wonderful women.
45. I’m excited to see what this next year brings…

Letting Go and Holding On

2010-01-16T10:03:00.010-07:00

"All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of
letting go and holding on".
~Havelock Ellis

Letting Go by Melanie Banayat

Available as:
- Giclee Print
- Notecard

Holding On by Melanie Banayat

Available as:
Notecard

MiliGirl Note Cards make unique gifts for women. Find and send the perfect "Just Because" greeting card at the MiliGirl Collection online store.

Please share this post with others - Thanks! Melanie Banayat

Bed of Flowers

2010-01-08T20:52:00.007-07:00

Bed of Flowers is
now available
as a Giclee Print!

Happy New Year Everyone!

I'm a little slow getting around to updating my blog since entering the new decade. The delay was partially due to my efforts to get this painting made available as a giclee print to start out the New Year on a good note. Many people have requested prints of "Bed of Flowers", so with some fancy negotiating skills I managed to make it happen. Thanks to my good friend, Teri!
THANKS AGAIN TERI!

I also decided to make it available in a new size on heavy duty watercolor paper.
Find out all the details here.

Don't Wait...
If you want a limited edition giclee print of Bed of Flowers I suggest you order quickly, since I also lowered the Limited Edition size to only 30 Prints! That's right...only thirty prints! What?!?!?! :0 Ahhhhh!

MiliGirl Note Cards make unique gifts for women. Find and send the perfect "Just Because" greeting card at the MiliGirl Collection online store.

Please share this post with others - Thanks! Melanie Banayat

Uncommon Gifts

2009-11-15T09:05:00.008-07:00

Uncommon Gift Ideas . . .
That Save Time and Keep You Within Your Tight Budget

OK, Ladies & Gentlemen, It’s that time of year when many people feel overwhelmed and stressed out about holiday shopping.

Your daily schedule is already jammed up, and your budget is tighter than ever before. Retail stores are not stocking up like they have in past years, so even finding gifts is a challenge. Do you feel like you have the Deer in the Headlights look about you? If so, I can empathize. It is not an easy task to go around shopping for presents let alone deciding what gift to get that will have meaning, be something that the recipient will appreciate and actually use, and not send you into debt.

I decided to compile a Gift Ideas list to help all of you who are in need of some creative gift giving ideas that won’t break the bank! I’ve organized the gift ideas into categories to simplify your search. Most of the gift ideas include links to the online stores where you can easily purchase the gifts online. Many of the online stores will gift wrap the items for you for free, and you can even have the gift shipped direct to the recipient if you want.

I've included gift ideas for women, men, teens, kids, babies, artists, romantic occasions, Christmas stocking stuffers, and more. These gift ideas are great for any time of the year, for any occasion. I will continue to add more gift ideas to this list throughout the year, so bookmark this page as your convenient gift giving resource.

You can find many interesting and unique gift ideas at the MiliGirl Gift Ideas page.

MiliGirl Note Cards make unique gifts for women. Find and send the perfect "Just Because" greeting card at the MiliGirl Collection online store.

Please share this post with others - Thanks! Melanie Banayat

Pop Rocket Article on ACE Art Group

2009-10-05T09:44:00.006-07:00

I didn't much care for the feminist remark in the article LOL! But overall the article paints a nice picture of ACE Art Group and our mission.

To Read Article:
Click on image to enlarge.

MiliGirl Note Cards make unique gifts for women. Find and send the perfect "Just Because" greeting card at the MiliGirl Collection online store.

Please share this post with others - Thanks! Melanie Banayat

More Beautiful You

2009-09-21T07:39:00.005-07:00

This is such an important video for husbands, and for fathers of young teenage girls. It's the message in the words that matter most. Enjoy.

Song by Jonny Diaz

MiliGirl Note Cards make unique gifts for women. Find and send the perfect "Just Because" greeting card at the MiliGirl Collection online store.

Please share this post with others - Thanks! Melanie Banayat

Women and Wine

2009-09-20T22:19:00.023-07:00

This series is available on customizable party invitations at www.zazzle.com/miligirl

"See, Smell, Swirl, Sip, Savor"

On a lighter side -- I have wanted to do a women and wine series of paintings for quite a while now. However, I just want to make one thing very clear from the get go . . . I'm not a sommelier, wine snob, wine connoisseur or anything even remotely close. In fact, I don't even play one on TV, but I do enjoy having a glass of wine (or two) with friends from time to time.

The five steps of wine tasting: "See, Smell, Swirl, Sip, Savor" seemed a fitting choice for my first women and wine series. Portraying contemporary women dressed in little black dresses and letting their hair down for a carefree evening with good company.

Three of my personal favorite stories of sharing wine with friends include: Ladies night in Ajijic, Mexico (Spring of 2006) with about ten women, which included dancing 'til 4 am at el-Bar-Co, then hitting Jessica's tacos after hours. Then there was the sidewalk cafe' in mid-afternoon with my friend Bill in Patzcuaro, Mexico when we were hunting for a pair of Blue Boots to escape bigger worries in life for a day -- things like recovering from divorce and dying from cancer. And last, there was the "Choosing of a Name" for my newly formed art group in the course of one evening and six dirty-minded creative artists.

This women and wine series is on exhibit (as of today) at the Raven Cafe' in downtown Prescott, AZ as part of the A.C.E. Art Group's group exhibition, which runs from September 20th, through October 31st, 2009.

The Opening Night Artist's Reception is this coming Thursday September 24th. 5 pm - 8 pm. Come join us for wine, appetizers, live music, a ton of new art (at great prices) and an all around good time at the Raven Cafe'.

Here's the Big Question: Guess what A.C.E. stands for.

MiliGirl Note Cards make unique gifts for women. Find and send the perfect "Just Because" greeting card at the MiliGirl Collection online store.

Please share this post with others - Thanks! Melanie Banayat

Marionette & the Wishing Pot

2009-09-09T10:12:00.029-07:00

"Marionette & the Wishing Pot" by Melanie Banayat
Original oil painting on canvas 36" x 36"
*Click on the picture to see larger image

I just finished this painting yesterday.

Who inspired this painting?

A few years ago I joined a woman's business networking group and met a soft spoken woman in her 50s (whom I will call Jane). Jane briefly shared her story of abuse with me after one of our meetings. I was on my way out to my truck when she called out my name. As we stood in the parking lot and I listened to her story, I was deeply touched by the pain that still brought tears to her eyes. She was no longer in her abusive relationship, by that point it had been a number of years since that relationship ended. With support from a transitional help center for abused women she was able to move on with her life, and is now a much happier, stronger person. But her need to share her experience wasn't about her being stuck in that painful place -- it was about reaching out to other women who need to know that they do not need to stay in abusive relationships. It was at that moment that I finally decided it was time to do a painting that addressed the issue of abuse.

It took me quite a while to come up with the idea of how I wanted to do this painting. Probably about a year went by before I even started sketching out my ideas. Maybe because I really didn't want to revisit that place in my own past.

As I was working on the painting in my art studio many thoughts came to me over and over about how many different situations there are where abuse occurs -- in marriages, in the work place, parental abuse, and the list goes on. Then on a larger scale, I thought about how a great number of people in our society feel abused by our country's leaders. Well, that's a whole topic in and of itself, so I'll just leave that one alone. Usually my first thoughts when I think of abuse I think of physical abuse, or sexual abuse, but mental, emotional, and financial abuse can be just as devastating on a persons life. Then there is also another side of abuse -- addiction; some people view drugs as their abuser. It's really all about control. The abuser's need to control the abused, and the abused needing to take back control over their own life. Recovery from abuse is not an easy road, but it's worth every effort it takes to get there. And it all starts with one decision.

The fact that I like to focus on the positive side of life's difficulties, and offer a sense of hope and inspiration in my work -- the topic of abuse posed as a real challenge for me.

Detail of wishing pot

Here's how the story in the painting plays out in my mind:

She felt trapped like a marionette with her life dictated by a puppet master. "Maybe if I try harder, maybe if I learn to do things better, maybe, maybe, maybe . . ." One day she shared her dreams with the puppet master who then turned and wrote them down for her on a piece of parchment and placed it in a wishing pot upon her request. The puppet master closed the wishing pot and adorned it with a pair of scissors as if to tease her, causing her desire for freedom to grow even stronger. Yet the scissors always seemed just outside of her grasp -- where her freedom continued to elude her. But one night she dreamt of a different life; the dream seemed so real. The next morning she decided she was going to do what it took to live that life -- a better life.

The message on the card will read:

Last night . . .

Marionette dreamt of dancing,
Laughing, learning, living.
At sunrise she did the one thing
She never thought she could.
She rose up and . . .

Note: I left the message unfinished so the reader can finish it off with her own story.

Detail of dancer

MiliGirl Note Cards make unique gifts for women. Find and send the perfect "Just Because" greeting card at the MiliGirl Collection online store.

Please share this post with others - Thanks! Melanie Banayat

What is the Spirit of Women?

2009-09-04T11:12:00.007-07:00

What is the Spirit of Women?

That is the question I continuously explore in my art -- one little piece of the puzzle at a time. I offer my insight, not as a trained psychologist or expert on human behavior, but simply as a women, mother, daughter, sister, wife, two-times ex-wife, artist, and businesswoman.

There isn't a simple answer to the question, "What is the Spirit of Women?" Women are complex and fascinating subjects to paint. Even though there are so many different personality types, so many different beliefs, and so many different core values among women worldwide there is such a powerful connection between women that surpasses these differences. It's a sisterhood of empathy, and the ability to see past the invisible walls and directly into the heart.

Often in the eyes of men, it appears as though women can read each other's minds. What is that? How do they do that?

I hope to inspire women through my work and help open the door for communication. My work is based on real people and real life stories. I'm always searching for ways to spark an emotional connection whether it be on canvas or through my greeting cards.

In large part I also hope to offer men bits of insight into the Spirit of Women. What you do with it from there is up to you of course. As I said before, there are no simple answers. The best advice I can offfer to a man is to understand the value in nurturing a woman's true spirit, and that it's an ongoing effort. The key is knowing what that nurturing looks like, acts like, feels like -- well, you get the picture.

On these pages, and through my art I will continue to explore the Spirit of Women and hope you find my insights at the very least . . . entertaining.

MiliGirl Note Cards make unique gifts for women. Find and send the perfect "Just Because" greeting card at the MiliGirl Collection online store.

Please share this post with others - Thanks! Melanie Banayat

Getting Focused

2009-09-04T09:04:00.008-07:00

Today marks a turning point on my blog. I have come to realize that I really want this blog to focus on the spirit of women, which is what my art is all about.

MiliGirl Fan Page on Facebook
I still have a need and desire to stay connected to other artists, and all like-minded creative types, so I have created a new place to do that on my MiliGirl Fan page on Facebook. If you have not already joined my fan page, I invite you to come on over and join me there. That is where I will be talking "All things Creative", and also posting images of my new art.

Click here to join my MiliGirl Fan Page

MiliGirl TV is coming soon!
I've been working on this new project creating a series of videos that I will post on www.MiliGirlTV.com. The series will be ongoing - or at least until I keel over. The site has not officially launched yet, I'm hoping it will launch by the end of this month. I'll keep you posted.

MiliGirl Note Cards make unique gifts for women. Find and send the perfect "Just Because" greeting card at the MiliGirl Collection online store.

Please share this post with others - Thanks! Melanie Banayat

Follow Me & They Will Come!

2009-09-03T11:39:00.013-07:00

You want to do this! And here's why . . .

This is another cool little gadget that I finally just added.

So now you can click on the 'FOLLOW' button in the side bar to add your happy little mug shot to the box. Then when someone clicks on your picture a profile will open up with all of the links to all of 'Your' sites, which makes it super easy for people to just click through to your sites. In other words, it's another way for people to find 'Your' blog and start following you.

You will need a google account to do be able to use this, but that's FREE and EASY to do at www.google.com. That way you will also be able to post comments on any blogger blog - like mine. : ) Oh Ya!

What Can An Artist Do to Protect Their Career?

2009-09-02T08:00:00.009-07:00

What Can An Artist Do to Protect Their Career?
That seems to be the question on many artist's minds.

Last week I was asked by a newspaper editor for a publication in Scottsdale, Arizona (where many art galleries have gone out of business recently) to comment on four questions for an article she was doing on "the effects of the economy on artists and the art industry". She only wanted two sentence answers to each of the questions. Of course, there was no way that I could answer her questions in a few short sentences. So I simply answered the questions with my full and complete thoughts, and suggested that she pull what she wanted out of my comments, because it's a topic that I'm obviously so passionate about - not to mention knee deep in the muck.

So here are the questions she sent me. (How would you answer them?)

1. As an artist, how has the state of the economy over the past 18 months affected you?

2. As you prepared the Artisan Festivals, you were in contact with artists in all different mediums. What were they telling you?

3. In your opinion, what can artists do at this time to protect their careers?

4. What opportunities do you see for artists and arts organizations at this point?

Here is how I answered her questions:

1. As an artist, how has the state of the economy over the past 18 months affected you?

With so many galleries going out of business it's been hard to find steady brick and mortar representation. And with low attendance at art festivals sales are way down. There were days when I felt distraught and heartbroken over the real possibility of losing my art business.

So I started talking with a lot of other artists to see what they were doing to keep their business alive. What I came across did not offer me much hope -- in general the majority of artists were at a loss for any NEW and innovative ideas. Teaching art classes was a common idea. "So does that mean there is going to be a swarm of artists teaching art classes now?" I thought to myself.

Fortunately I noticed that there were still some artists out there doing better than just holding on by a thread, so I decided to find out what "those" artists were doing, and what I learned inspired me to re-write my business model. In the meantime I'm hustling like most to do whatever necessary to keep paying the bills.

2. As you prepared the Artisan Festivals, you were in contact with artists in all different mediums. What were they telling you?

What I've heard from most of the artists is that jewelry and 3D art, (primarily sculpture, art funiture, or functional art) is selling better than 2D art. Therefore a lot of 2D artists are producing smaller, more affordable pieces to fit within collector's budgets. Reports from artists have been that sales are down about 40% (or more). Attendance is low at art festivals, and many artists had to cut back on how many festivals they participate in throughout the year. Some artists I know have gone the opposite direction and doubled up on how many shows they do in attempt to maintain what their income was. It's all haywire and trickling down.

3. In your opinion, what can artists do at this time to protect their careers?

As an artists who is associated with many other artists I can attest that the majority of artists do not know how to market themselves well. They would rather be in their art studio producing their art, and leave the marketing up to someone else - I know, because that is exactly where I would rather be. However, if artists want to protect their art career in this economy they need to be spending at lest 50% of their time marketing their work and learning the latest marketing strategies. And these days the best place to do that (with the added benefit of very low cost) is on the Internet. Traditional marketing methods are simply not as viable as they once were.

Unfortunately, too many artists really do not understand how to use the Internet as a marketing tool. Many think they are using the Internet to market their work because they have a website, and/or they have posted their art on some Fine Art Marketplace website. Sadly though, most of these websites are set up only as online portfolios, and most of the visitors to those sites are other artists -- very few sales are made that way. Artists need to learn how to get lots and lots of traffic (visitors) to their websites & blogs, and there are some great techniques and tools to do just that.

Fact is, more and more people are spending their time online getting their news, entertainment, and staying connected with other people via email and social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. With the development of Web 2.0 technology over the past two years a lot of new marketing tools and strategies have made it possible for business people (like artists) to market themselves effectively and actually sell their products online -- including fine art!

4. What opportunities do you see for artists and arts organizations at this point?

I feel that the art industry has the opportunity to get downright creative, we are knee deep in uncharted territory, but we get to be a big part of breaking ground in this new frontier. I think we are going to see more artists "Getting Real", and developing their "Personal Brands". It's no longer about just making cool art, unique art, or pretty art and then putting it up on display someplace; it's about getting to know the artist behind the art. We have to become more transparent; we have to allow people to really get to know us - the real us. Not the "Us" that hides behind a bunch of clever marketing gimmicks, taglines or fancy designed websites. It means stepping outside of our comfort zones and doing the things that we are unfamiliar with -- things that scare us, like network marketing on the Internet. LOL!

The Internet has opened the door for a new breed of art collectors. Many people feel intimidated by the traditional art gallery environment. Whereas online they don't have the added pressure of someone trying to "qualify them" determining if this person is worth their time and effort. The Internet is a friendlier, non-judgmental arena.

Let's face it, artists and art galleries have been spoiled by the false economy for the past two decades while people were busy living beyond their means, and galleries and art festivals were pushing prices up and up taking advantage of the consumer's luxurious spending habits. We have an opportunity to start fresh, and do things very differently now. Better and smarter.

People still want art in their lives -- they always will.

Let me know your thoughts on the topic.

I'm finally on Facebook

2009-08-30T11:20:00.006-07:00

Well, It took me a while to finally get around to starting a facebook page, and I'm so glad I did. Connecting with friends that I haven't seen or heard from in over 25 years is pretty cool.

I also started a Facebook Fan page, which is also pretty cool. Don't have any fans yet. LOL!

I posted my nifty MiliGirl Fan Page widget in the sidebar here on my blog. I love widgets. Widgets are fun little "thingymajigs" aren't they? Oooops, I just deleted it and I can't seem to get it back. Bummer. I'll see if I can figure out the problem.

Well, for now if you'd like to join my facebook fan page it's called: MiliGirl

I Like My Comfort Zone!

2009-08-29T08:00:00.006-07:00

Kicking and Screaming!

Boy I tell you I've had some pretty frustrating moment over the last several months. It felt like I was having a few good old-fashioned "5-year-old" temper tantrums.

Many artists are known for having gypsy lifestyles. Always chasing down the art festivals, always on the move. I, on the other hand, happen to prefer the stable studio. Oh, I have done my fair share of art festivals, and traveling for my opening gallery receptions (blah, blah, blah). I do love the part where I get to meet people. I love that part! Oooops, I already said that. It's the packing up, the breaking down, the unpredictable weather, the damage to equipment and artwork, and the late night trips after the shows. That's the part that I don't care for. I guess it boils down to the fact that I don't like the "M" word. -- moving.

The past five years of my life have not only included chasing down art shows, it's also included uprooting my home base (10 times!) Ten times in 5 years! Where is the stability in that! It sucks! That's been much worse than the art festivals.

Then the economy pummels the art industry and I find myself pounding my head, fists, and feet on the pavement screaming, "What Now!" "How do I hang on to my art business?!" "How much more can I take?" Booo Hooo. Right? That's embarrassing to admit. It's not like I'm alone in this -- most people are in the same boat, Melanie.

Soooo..... I finally took a breather and looked up. When I did I realized I was trying to stay in a place that simply didn't exist anymore. We are in the midst of a major change and I needed to either hop on and get creative or get out! And since I'm a die-hard artist to the end -- I decided to hop on.

I may be a slow learner, but I finally get it. Change opens the door for new and exciting things -- that's how I'm choosing to deal with this recession. Watch out people! There's going to be some big changes goin' on round here at MiliGirl.com! Stay tuned!

Artists who blog

2009-08-27T15:07:00.012-07:00

No S#/t...I Won't Quit!
or is it ...Hell No I Won't Go!?!?!

The last nine months "This Artists" has been on the Behemoth Roller Coaster Ride. Both in my personal and professional life I've had to tend to some things that have required my undivided attention. So my priorities were shifted and "blogging" was simply not a top priority.

Then when I was finally able to get back to blogging -- "it" happened. A glitch. Yup, a yucky, dirty, nasty glitch. I tried to publish a new post and got an error message. Talk about frustration. Ugh!

But I'm back now. : ) :o

Sooo . . . Let me re-introduce myself. I'm Melanie. Welcome to the world of "Melanieville"/

Have a look at some of my newest drawings below. I continue with my fascination with the human figure. This time I did a little manipulation of some gorgeous yoga poses.

Tomorrow I hope to find a victim (I mean a willing volunteer) to let me draw her during the 4th Friday Art Walk in Prescott at the Satori Design Studio Gallery. Maybe I'll do a little manipulation of her hair. Could be fun!

"Scorpion Pose - Thistle" by Melanie Banayat

"Pigeon Pose - Bird of Paradise" by Melanie Banayat

"Crane Pose - Flower" by Melanie Banayat

I love a good show!

2009-06-07T10:15:00.063-07:00

Nudes & Nature Exquisite Art Exhibition

There's nothing quite like a good combination of Nudes, Food, Wine, Music and Fire to make for an exciting inaugural "Nudes & Nature" Art Exhibition.

It was fun to be part of such a refreshingly new exhibit here in Prescott, Arizona. The response was so good -- we look forward to doing it again next year!

We have lots of pictures!
Have a Look . . .

Nudes & Nature Artists (left to right)
Robert Burford, Joy Tkach, Ann Alexander, Melanie Banayat
Michael Colbert, and Neil Orlowski

Nudes & Nature Art Exhibition

2009-05-29T09:56:00.012-07:00

Beautiful Art, Food, Wine, Live Music, and Fire Dancers!

You are cordially invited . . .
to attend the opening artist's reception of Nudes & Nature on Saturday evening
June 6th from 6p - 8:30p. There will be a total of six artists exhibiting at this event:
Melanie Banayat, Neil Orlowski, Ann Alexander, Joy Tkach, Robert Burford, and Michael Colbert.

In addition to my original art works and limited edition giclee prints I will also be selling some of my original charcoal sketches for $25 each! I hope you can make it to this Exquisite Art Exhibition. 10% of all proceeds will go to the United Friends charitable organization.

One Weekend Only!
The show will be open to the public on Saturday from 10 am - 5 pm and Sunday from 1 pm - 4 pm. For those of you living in the Phoenix area this is a great reason to drive up and get out of the heat!

Location
The exhibition will be hosted in two buildings located next to each other in beautiful downtown Prescott, Arizona. You can click on the following links for photos & directions:
204 N. McCormick St, Prescott, AZ and 208 N. McCormick, Prescott, AZ

Hope to see you there!

Sincerely,
Melanie
www.banayatfineart.com

MiliGirl Note Cards make unique gifts for women. Find and send the perfect "Just Because" greeting card at the MiliGirl Collection online store.

Please share this post with others - Thanks! Melanie Banayat

Louie Awards Finalist!

2009-04-26T17:34:00.005-07:00

A “Kiss” of Intuition
Prescott Artist Becomes Finalist in International Competition

“I never imagined that my one little note card would be noticed in the sea of greeting cards submitted by established greeting cards companies throughout the world.”

Four years ago when artist, Melanie Banayat, told colleagues, family and friends that she wanted to design a line of greeting cards using images from her fine art she didn’t get a whole lot of enthusiastic support. When she told them that she would be writing words to compliment the artwork, once again she received such remarks as, “Why don’t you let the artwork speak for itself – why not just do blank art cards?” and, “Your going to shoot yourself in the foot, because your cards will compete against your fine art and kill your fine art business.” But in her heart she truly believed in her dream to create inspirational cards that truly touched an emotional cord in people. Melanie wanted her images and words to reach a larger audience on a more intimate level of communication.

“There were many moments when I felt very alone and unsure that anyone would even look at my cards, let alone read them or buy them. So I sought out support, advice, and encouragement from other greeting card artists who helped me face my fears. I tested the market with a few dozen cards that I printed from my home computer and held my breath when I displayed them for the first time at a high-end art festival in Carefree. To my delight – people were buying them. They were buying multiple cards at a time; some even bought the entire line of 24 cards. Festival after festival the cards kept selling like hotcakes. After six months of testing the market I decided it was time to take the plunge and print a large run of the cards. Then a few months after I officially launched my MiliGirl notecard line I received an invitation to participate in the International Greeting Card Louie Awards competition. This competition is equivalent to the academy awards for the greeting card industry. I left the invitation on my desk, thinking that I wouldn’t have a chance at winning so why bother. Eventually the invitation got buried under a pile of paperwork and I forgot about it.”

“A few months later when I finally got around to clearing off my desk I found the invitation again - right where I left it. This time I said to myself, why not? I’ll go ahead and submit one card and see what happens. I filled out all the paperwork, and sent it off in the mail just one week before the final deadline – and then I put it out of my mind.”

“Three months later I received notification that my card was a finalist. I was standing in the lobby of the post office when I read the notice and screamed with joy, “Oh my gosh, you’ve got to be kidding me! This is Great!” There was a gentleman standing a few feet away who looked over at me and said, “Good news, huh? Gee, all I ever get is a stack of bills.” Then he shared a giant smile with me.”

“There were over 800 entries from 140 companies worldwide. Melanie’s card entitled, “Kiss” made it into the top three (3) finalists for the ‘Superbly Stated’ category. Melanie’s card will be displayed along with the other finalists at the International New York Stationary Show in May 2009 where winners will be announced during the awards banquet in New York.”

Melanie originally entered her note card into the "Rising Star New Business" category for greeting card businesses less than 2 years old; she felt this was the right category since she only recently launched her MiliGirl notecard line this past July of 2008. However, the Jurors moved her card into a more appropriate category called: "Superbly Stated", for it's editorial content. The cards were juried based on Imagination, Impact, Artistry, Harmony, Sendability, and Value.

“The cool thing about all of this is that there are nice little perks to becoming a finalist, I have now earned the honor and prestige of placing the Louie Award finalist logo/seal on my card as well as on all of my promotional materials – this is very exciting to me. My single submission was up against many of the big name greeting card publishing companies – I never imagined that my one little card would be noticed in the sea of greeting cards submitted by established greeting card companies throughout the world. Twenty-five of my cards will be distributed to key people in the greeting card industry, who knows, maybe I might get a few phone calls and some orders -- That would be really nice.”

“The image featured on my “Kiss” note card is part of my series of paintings on Motherhood. I began painting these images as an exploration into my personal struggles as a mother and the tumultuous relationship that I had with my own mother throughout my life. I wanted to take a closer look at the mother & child relationship through the process of painting and writing. It was a powerful and healing process that played a key role in the mending of my relationship with my mom.”

“I believe that greeting cards are a wonderful tool for communication. I truly love what I do – combining my fine art with words on greeting cards. And just as I had hoped from the beginning of my greeting card venture, I believe I made the right choice in trusting my intuition (this time), and going for it.”

Melanie’s cards, prints, and original artwork can be found online at www.MiliGirl.com or by calling (928) 239-5656. Prescott retail outlets include: Grayleaf Galleria, The Phippen Art Museum, and Fountain of Youth Day Spa.