Mia Araujo

New Works

2013-03-27T11:21:00.000-07:00

I have some new small originals for sale, including the Arya study for my Game of Thrones piece! I've been working on a top secret project for the past couple months, which is where most of these pieces came from...in the meantime you can snag them while they last at www.miafineart.bigcartel.com

'Nightshade'
12" x 12"
Acrylic on wood.

This past weekend, I was happy to be a part of Corey Helford Gallery's 'Art Collector Startup Kit' Group Show. Each artist created a 12" x 12" piece to be offered at lower price points in order to encourage new collectors to pick up an original from their favorite artists. If you are interested in my piece (above), please contact jch@coreyhelfordgallery.com or sherri@coreyhelforgallery.com

More soon!
xxx

Game of Thrones

2013-03-08T15:33:00.000-08:00

‘Porcelain, Ivory, Steel.’ 16” x 20.” Acrylic on wood.

Forgive the delay, but I've had a flurry of different things going on the past few months, some of which I'm still unable to share right now. But today I can finally unveil my contribution to HBO and Mondo Gallery's ‘Game of Thrones’ group exhibit, opening March 8^th at SXSW in Austin, TX.

It was a dream come true and an absolute thrill to paint so many of my favorite characters from my favorite show on television..all with HBO's approval!

Below are some of my sketches and studies done in preparation for the piece, back in January. I finished the piece in February, so you can imagine how long I've been dying to share it with you ;)

For those of you near Austin, the opening reception will be from 7pm-10pm on the 8th, and the show runs til March 12^th. Do take photos and share them, if you go! More about the show here:

For inquiries/sales please contact gallery@mondotees.com
Or view their website after the show opens, for the preview page.

Updates, updates!

2012-11-14T12:11:00.001-08:00

"Secrets of the Deep"
8.5" x 14"
Acrylic on wood.

It's been a long time since I've posted here- my apologies! I've been juggling a lot of things these past few months, and honestly facebook, instagram, and twitter are a bit easier for me to update than this here blog. But I will do my best to get back on the ball here :)

Above is my most recent piece, which was part of Copro Gallery's 'Anomalies' group show curated by Jon Beinart. My 'Feral' study (below) will also be in Tokyo at Shinjuku Ganka Gallery
starting tomorrow, Friday the 15th, as a part of the 'Hivezilla' group exhibition, curated by Nathan Cartwright!

"Feral" study
6" x 9"
Graphite on paper.

Other than that, I am currently focusing on commissions (which I will be sharing as I finish) and small originals that I will be posting for sale on my bigcartel store. So be sure to check back there often for new things!

In other news, I have revamped my website! It is no longer flash-based, and can be viewed on all mobile devices and ipads. Sheesh- it's about time! I also recently joined deviantart and behance- so be sure to follow, if you are on either of those sites.

I'm overdue for a sketch dump- so that will be in a future post!
Until next time...
be swell!
xxx

Mini-Print Giveaway Winner...

2012-06-06T10:59:00.001-07:00

The contest is officially closed, and I've been announcing the winners on each site. Here, I skipped over the double-comments and counted from the total of 18, so the winner is Karen! I will be emailing you later this afternoon, or you can go ahead and email me your mailing address if you get there before I do :) Congrats!!

Thanks so much to each of you for entering! There were 286 entries across the board- I wish I had that many prints and could afford to mail them to all of you ♥
Really, your support means the world!
More soon...
xxx

"Into the Woods" Giveaway

2012-05-30T13:26:00.000-07:00

It's time for another fan appreciation giveaway! I have some extra mini prints from my solo show (above) that the printer made as backups, so those of you who couldn't make the opening- here's your chance!
The image size is 5" x 7", and it's signed (unlike the opening night ones).

-To enter, simply leave a comment on this post with your email address, so I can contact you if you win (You will not be added to any mailing list, nor will you be assaulted with spam).
-You may leave a personal comment if you wish, always appreciated, but not mandatory :)
-As usual, I shall select the winner via random number generator.
-Contest ends Tuesday June 5th at midnight PST.

In addition, I will be giving away 5 more of these, each on a different social network platform- tumblr, facebook, my facebook fanpage, instagram (@mllemia), and twitter.
Follow the links to find my giveaway post for each, and enter in as many as you wish- one entry per site/platform, for a maximum of 6 entries...make sense?

May randomness favor you, and thank you very much for your support!!

p.s.: It's taking me a while to do a proper post about all of my new work, so in the meantime, check the new gallery section on my website for images, detail shots, and framed shots! More soon :)

It's finally here...

2012-05-11T23:11:00.000-07:00

My solo show opens tomorrow, May 12th at Corey Helford Gallery! Above is the gallery's ad in the May issue of Art News. Huge thanks to Hi-Fructose, Juxtapoz, Daily duJour, Arrested Motion, and Platinum Cheese for spreading the word:)

There are 7 paintings and 10 drawings total, my largest output ever! I will be posting all the images from the show by Monday, but in the meantime, here is the info on prints:

The above piece will be available as a print here, through the gallery.
"Predators"
Giclee Print
Image size: 22"″ x 15"″ Printed on a 24"″ x 17" sheet″
of Moab Entrada Rag Natural 300 fine art paper.
Limited edition of 50, signed & numbered.
$150.

In the meantime, you may phone or email CHG to order:
sarah@coreyhelfordgallery.com | 310.287.2340

For those of you in LA, the first 300 guests at the door Saturday night will
receive a free mini print of "Forest Healer"- see above for scale :)

So please stop by if you can- I'd love to meet you and share what I've been working on for the past 10 months!
xxx

Progress shots

2012-04-18T09:21:00.003-07:00

"Oryu-yanagi"
36" x 24"
Acrylic on wood.

Hi-Fructose was kind enough to post about my upcoming show, and reveal the above piece.
Less than a month away...exciting!

It seems like as long as I'm busy, posts here will come once a month, eh?
As I said last time around, I've been posting a lot of little progress shots on instagram. Here is a sampling for those of you not on there (it's finally on android though, so follow @mllemia if you join :)

More soon! xxx

Instagram Progress shots

2012-03-19T09:13:00.001-07:00

I recently joined instagram, and have been sharing some progress and process shots as a way to document the final 2 months of work on my solo show. Feel free to add me! (mllemia)
Here is an instagrid link for those of you not on instagram, if you want to take a peek at last week's action.

I also cross post some of the photos on facebook and twitter, but the instagrid link will continually update as well. Above is a drawing study of one of my models, several of which I plan on including in the exhibition.

More soon!
xxx

Solo Show...save the date!

2012-03-01T10:33:00.000-08:00

Quick post so you can mark your calendars...and here is the first super-washed out progress pic that I can share from my new body of work, to be unveiled in just over two months at Corey Helford Gallery! This is a detail from one of the larger pieces in the show.

And now, back to work!

Sketches and studies

2012-02-22T15:35:00.000-08:00

Here is a sketchdump of a bunch of stuff I've been doing on the side over the last couple months. Drawing comes more naturally to me, so whenever I need to take a break from painting, I like to do studies like this. The first several are large-sized drawings done on newsprint, the last 5 are from my sketchbook.
And yes, the lighting in these photos is a tad too warm- apologies!

Art Fusion at Last Rites Gallery

2012-02-10T20:01:00.000-08:00

I've been working like a madwoman on my show (what's new?), and still going...but here's something I can share at the moment!

Tomorrow at Last Rites Gallery, a very interesting artist collaboration and live painting event will be taking place, and I am honored to be a part of it. The participating artists who are not on the east coast (I am one of those) were asked to make a 24"x30"ish sketch on a provided canvas, which will then be painted by the local artists who are attending the live-painting event tomorrow afternoon. The finished collaboration pieces will be auctioned off that evening to raise money for the International Child Art Foundation. Here is the press release if you'd like more info.

Follow this link to view all of the canvas sketches. Mine is below:

For those of you in New York, here is the info to attend, as well as the list of participating artists. Should be fun to watch the painters at work, so if you are able to make it and take photos, feel free to post a link in the comments :)

I have some very busy months ahead, but I will try to post more often! Hope you've all been well :)

P.S.: Thanks SO much to everyone who's been buying postcards and prints the past couple months- every little bit helps me to keep doing what I'm doing, and I'm extremely grateful! xxx

UPDATE: Follow this link for the ebay listings for all of the collab paintings, and to see how they all turned out! This is your chance to get some great deals on artwork by all of the artists involved, and to help a good cause at the same time.

Postcard Set

2012-01-06T14:21:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone had a lovely end of the last year! I'm working like mad, but thought I'd take a breather to let you know that postcard sets are now available to order here at my online store. They are only $4 each + free shipping. Details below:

You will receive all of the above postcards.
One will be signed at random.

Two of the cards have images on both sides (above). The other two have text on the back.
Phone numbers and old email addresses on those are defunct, by the way ;)

Free shipping on all orders via USPS first class mail. (International buyers have the option of adding tracking for an additional cost). Here is the fancy blue envelope you will receive, snugly enclosing your order!

Sketchbook stuff (and maybe some sneak peeks and process stuff) soon...but now, the easel beckons!

Prints on Sale Now!

2011-12-15T12:01:00.001-08:00

See the previous post for details on the sketch-giveaway!

Print Release Details...and a Giveaway!

2011-12-13T14:39:00.000-08:00

Finally- print release details! "Sleeping Sickness" will be available in 2 editions on Thursday, December 15th at 1PM PST at my webshop: www.miafineart.bigcartel.com

Since this is the first time that I am releasing my own prints, I've decided to do two editions- a larger-sized, more 'collectible' piece with a small edition size...and a mini print with a larger edition size, for those of you who just want this image on your wall. Read on for pricing, exact sizes, etc:

Pretty sure most of you can imagine how big the large print will be, so this is the image size of the mini-print. It will have a wider border on each side though:

And here is the fan appreciation part! I've decided to give more people the opportunity to win a mini-original from me, and just as before, randomness shall be the judge.

Every 5 five orders, I will choose a number at random, and include a free mini-sketch with the winner's order. 1-5, 6-10, 11-15...all the way up to 75, a number will be selected within each batch. So there will be 15 chances to win on mini-print orders (75 divided by 5 is 15...), and 5 chances to win on large-print orders (25 divided by 5...well, you get it!). In total, 20 mini-sketches will be awarded.
I will leave it a surprise, so if you win, you will know when you open your package. Limit 2 orders per customer (in case you are getting a gift for a friend and one for yourself...but please stick to this guys, or I shall be cross).

Below are some of the mini-sketches that I will be giving away...they measure roughly 3 1/2" x 4 1/2", graphite and white pencil on toned paper:

Check back here on Thursday morning for a reminder, or follow me on facebook and twitter!

Coming soon!

2011-12-12T12:53:00.000-08:00

Proofing the upcoming print release...pricing and release date info soon! The lame phone pic will have to do for now ;) Busy, busy!

"Lush Life 3" Group Show

2011-12-07T22:41:00.001-08:00

"Requiem (For the Damaged)"
22" x 30"
Acrylic on wood.

Above is my new piece for Roq la Rue Gallery's 'Lush Life 3' group show, opening this Friday. Below are some detail shots:

There was a lot on my mind while I painted this, so if you're curious, read on:

This piece is dedicated to all people who create during times of social upheaval, war, natural disasters, or any other kind of turmoil. Even though I don’t live in a war-torn country or in the wilderness, fighting each day for survival, I ingest hundreds of stories and perspectives during the course of one painting, in the form of news commentary, political interviews, military documentaries, and podcasts on history, psychology, and anything pertaining to the human condition. It can often become harrowing to listen to all of this while trying to create something that has beauty, magic, and hope.

This is what I imagine it must be like for a creatrix like Demeter or any other embodiment of mother nature, who is destined to create for eternity, while the world responds with death, darkness, and destruction. I wanted to capture the melancholy of a goddess that has come to this realization and ponders her fate and that of the world, the ghosts and demons, the dying and the living. The red stream of fabric in her hands represents life blood- she holds it to her chest with her right hand, as it slips through the fingers of her left. There is a powerful paradox between life and death, between creation and destruction, and though she understands the importance of her role in the balance of the universe, there is a sobering acceptance of the grim reality in her gaze.

Death is everywhere, but so is rebirth and magic, which springs from the darkness of the unknown, from the heart of the cosmos, and makes life worth living, or at least a bit more bearable.

If you made it this far, you get a bit of news: I will be releasing prints of 'Sleeping Sickness' (below) sometime next week, with the option to purchase as a large-sized print or as a mini print. There will be free mini-sketches included with select orders. Check back here, follow me on facebook, or on twitter (@mllemiaaraujo) for updates on that score!

Spectrum 18

2011-12-03T12:45:00.001-08:00

My copy of the latest Spectrum annual came in the post this week, so here are some snaps of my entries- excuse the glares! It is a rather glossy book.

Fantastic cover art by the great Jean-Sebastien Rossbach!

"Snow In Summer," my first accepted entry in the 'Book' category!

"The Priestess" in the 'Unpublished' category.

"Two Spirits," in the final spread of the 'Unpublished' section!
And super-honored to be printed opposite Michael Whelan.

Also this week, I finished my painting for Roq la Rue Gallery's "Lush Life" group show, which opens next Friday in Seattle. It's a bit different from what I've done before, and a good 'preview' of what my solo show pieces will be like. I will share images sometime next week, so stay tuned...

Oil Studies

2011-11-17T12:31:00.000-08:00

I decided to dabble in oils for the first time this summer (I worked with water-soluble oils in my second year of art school, but never with the real thing!). If you follow me on facebook you may have seen my first attempt, a study from a fashion catalog:

Next, I tried a more simplistic approach with a random image:

Here is an oil study for one of my solo show pieces that I am currently working on in acrylic. It got a bit choppy and thick, but it was valuable practice. (The final piece will not have candles with dodgy halos in it, mind).

And here are a few 2 1/2 hour model paintings from Ignat Ignatov's class, which I took a few months ago. All are 12" x 16":

There's so much to improve on with these, but the important part is that I had a lot of fun with a foreign medium. I also think that my acrylic work is definitely benefiting from everything I learned here. If you ever get the chance, take Ignat's class- he is a terrific and encouraging instructor!

And just to keep them all together in the same post, I'll repost my last oil study (an attempt to go thicker with the paint on a smaller canvas), after Howard Chandler Christy:

Working on a piece for Roq la Rue's 'Lush Life' group show right now, which opens next month...stay tuned!

Spectrum, Sketches, & Studies

2011-10-25T22:26:00.000-07:00

Hello, new followers and old friends!
I've been crazy-busy with painting, but I have a few things to share with you. The good folks at Spectrum posted a video preview of the upcoming 18th annual! My three pieces can be seen during minutes 1:33, 6:02, and 6:54, respectively...so excited to see them in print!

It's an amazing-looking book, and apparently already available for pre-order on Amazon. Go get it!

Next up...some simple costume sketches that I've been doing from Downton Abbey, which I'm currently obsessed with. I'm not a tv person, but this show is right up my alley, particularly since I've adored the Edwardian period for more than a decade, and get sucked right into that world. Love it!

And here's the full image of the modified master copy in oils that I posted last time...just an exploration with paint strokes. (Pardon the wonky camera angle.)

Lastly, huge thanks to Ricardo Ferreira for spreading the love and showcasing my work on his blog! Very kind of you, sir.

More soon, I promise!
Until next time...

And the winner is....

2011-10-12T01:31:00.000-07:00

Jazzie Brindle! Congratulations!! Please be sure to reply to my email with your mailing address, and I will get the piece off to you this week :)

Thank you so very much to everyone who participated in my first giveaway- yes that's right, the implication that there will be more in the future is intentional ;)

I am still floored by how many of you entered- your kind and encouraging words were definitely taken to heart, and will help tremendously when I start running out of steam in the coming months ^___^ Really, I wish I had an original for each of you to walk away with, but at least know that there will be future opportunities.

I leave you with a detail of a quick oil study I did of a Howard Chandler Christy painting last week...still need to fix some bits, but 'twas fun!

Fan Appreciation Giveaway!

2011-10-04T10:36:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: Comments are now closed, and the winner will be announced later on Wednesday...stay tuned!

I’ve decided to do something special this week in honor of everyone who has supported me, encouraged me, bought originals or prints, sent me emails, tattooed my work onto themselves, etc. etc! Being a self-employed artist is not easy, but every single one of you has made it possible for me. And for that I will be eternally grateful!

So! Here is your chance to win one of my painting studies (below). Even though it's unfinished, it's one of my favorites. As you can see, her desk-mates will be sad to see her go :)

'Gasp!' study
5" x 7"
Acrylic on clayboard
To Enter: Leave a comment on this post with your name and email address, so I can contact you if you win (I won’t send you spam, promise!). It's entirely optional to leave a personal message, but I would greatly appreciate it :)

The cut-off time for comments will be Tuesday, October 11th when the clock strikes midnight (PST). I will then select a winner at random, and congratulate him/her in a new post the following day.

May randomness favor you, and thank you all so very much!

Solo Show Sketchbook Studies

2011-08-29T11:06:00.000-07:00

As most of you know by now, I've been working on my first solo show (slated for May 2012 at Corey Helford Gallery) for nearly 2 months now. In addition to being halfway through a few paintings and sketching for a few more, I've been drawing madly in my sketchbook...here are 10 sample pages for you to see.

Busy, busy...

Tom Bagshaw @ Corey Helford Gallery

2011-08-25T10:20:00.000-07:00

I don't usually get a chance to get good photos of the shows that I see in person, but I recently went to see my friend Tom Bagshaw's first show at Corey Helford Gallery, alongside David Stoupakis.

Some may be turned off by the fact that he works digitally, but I am on the other side of the aisle- I have just as much respect for digital painters as I do for an oil, acrylic, gouache, or watercolor painter. Each of these mediums can be regarded as being 'easier' to work with, depending on the artist, but each requires just as much skill to handle successfully. In fact, I think digital painters have to work harder to achieve the warmth and life that Tom puts into his paintings..much like computer animators trying to capture the essence of hand-drawings.

To me, the imagery and the feeling I get from it, is what captivates me- regardless of the medium. I have been entranced by Tom's works for more than a year now, and he delivers every time! I was equally impressed by the presentation of his work- the framing and varnishing really pulls you into the piece. I took some detail shots to try to capture the effect, but see for yourself if you are in the area! The show closes this Saturday.

Tom is also starting up an exciting new project called 3Cs- in which he will paint 100 digital portrait studies in 100 hours, over 100 days. The first 100 people to show at the Fine Art Print Company in Bath, UK at noon on the 1st of September will have the honor of being painted by him over the next three and half months! Makes me wish I lived in the South West of England! For more info on how you can get involved, follow the link for the project blog here.

Book Signing this Weekend

2011-08-03T11:35:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! I'm going to participate in a book signing panel for the first time this weekend at Grand Central Art Center in Santa Ana, CA and I hope you can make it out and say hi.

Sandow Birk, Bob Dob, Kris Lewis, Jason Maloney, Jeff McMillan, Nathan Ota, Nathan Spoor, Nicola Verlato, and I will be there to sign the Suggestivism book that I told you about in the last post! And we'll chat with you too ;)

We start at 7:30pm and will be going for a couple hours- details below:

Publications

2011-07-15T11:10:00.000-07:00

Here's a little photo-tour of a couple things I was featured in lately:

I'm part of the 'Rising Stars' encore feature in Issue 71 of Imagine FX.

the Rising Stars feature in which we all urge you to submit your work...if you're 25 and under that is.

My copy of the new Suggestivism book by Gingko Press arrived this week! There's a signing at Comic-Con next Saturday at the Hi-Fructose booth, and one at the Grand Central Art Center (I'll be there...) in August. Stay tuned for more on that!

This is how my 'Four Seasons' piece looks inside...

My interview pages and studio shot by Kevin Knight. 53 artists total, each being interviewed and providing a photographic glimpse into their studios!

There are also exhibition photos inside...nice.
Huge thanks to Nathan Spoor for curating and letting me be a part of Suggestivism, and to everyone who made the book possible from design to production. It's gorgeous!
That's all for now! I've been doing some oil painting studies for the first time and will share once I have a handful of them photographed :)