Artsy with Mya

 This was a really, really interesting book. Full of fascinating facts, stories and artwork. However, the formatting and font of the book made it rather difficult to read in a e-book format. The words almost appear blurry on the tablet screen and it is rather hard to focus on the reading. So this is a book that I would recommend to definitely get in a print edition - especially a hardcover one.  This book is basically a really good coffee-table book that you wouldn't mind having out cause you'll actually read it.  The pictures, descriptions and stories included in this book are excellent. This does not shy away from the not so nice parts of the art movements and the artists in them.  A fun read, unique and full of details.  I received this book free from NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group - White Lion to review and this is my honest review.  Four out of five stars

 The original story of Anne of Green Gables is without a doubt a classic and the whole series was one of my favorites growing up. I think that the art of manga is a excellent choice to put this book into. The character of Anne especially feels particularly fitted to manga and the energy that it exudes in its books.  This is a slightly abridged version of the book simply due to the difference from written word to manga but it retains the soul and heart of the original. This is a wonderful way to introduce others, especially kids to the wonders and beauty of classic literature in a format that might be a little more fun for them.  The authors that translated and edited Anne of Green Gables for the manga included a little section at the end of book talking about their process and how they decided to focus on certain topics of the original for the manga and even included characters sketches as well which were very interesting.  I received this book free from NetGalley an...

 The colors and designs in the book are stunning. They are unique and bold. However, these are definitely not beginner friendly patterns for the most part. I would say that the majority of the patterns are advanced intermediate to expert in difficulty.  Farther along in book some of the patterns and instructions are not all the way completed, but once they are completed, they will be absolutely stunning both in the book and by whomever makes them.  If you or someone you know wants to expand their repertoire of embroidery project, this will be a perfect gift for that!  I received this book from from NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group to review and this is my honest review.  Four out of five stars

 How many times do you have something in your head and then you try and put it out in the world and it just looks nothing like what you imagined? I know a lot of people feel like this and I know that a lot of artists can feel like this too - especially me.  Often-times I have these ideas for my art - these really cool focal points, landscape ideas or even people and silhouettes that I want to do. But every time I try and work it out either on paper or on canvas, it does not turn out anything like I was wanting it too. Sometimes what ends up coming out of the failed visualization of the idea turns out just as good but the rest of the time, it just sucks and I hate it.  I took approximately two art classes in college and the requisite art courses in high school and every time I set out my art supplies and work on creating something - I remember that and I feel like a fraud and that I shouldn't be doing this; much less trying to sell my paintings because who would want to bu...

 I have always wanted to travel and Italy has long been on the list to countries that I want to visit. This is a guidebook that I would definitely want to bring with me on such a visit. It has a lot of detail in it, so I probably wouldn't want to carry it around during the day, but I would definitely read it before a trip and during a trip depending on the plans for the day.  This guidebook is nice because it not only talks about and shows the physical locations but it talks about the history of the fashion salons and brands; the people that created them and what their focus was. The book also gives details about the hours and primary focus of the businesses talked about and how to visit them.  The book also mentions cafes and coffeeshops around the fashion area of Milan and mentions what each one specializes in and recommends a few things.  If you are planning to take a trip to Milan, I would highly recommend to both read this book before hand to get an idea of what...

 So starting yesterday, I decided to try and expand my reach of my artwork in hope of reaching more people. Therefore, I decided to start a Facebook page. I created a whole other Facebook page with my name and started a page and shop as well. I probably didn't think that all the way through cause I got several messages about whether or not I had been hacked, but no not hacked. I just wanted to make sure to keep certain aspects of my life separate from each other - not completely separate but still having boundaries between them.  So I have a new Facebook page under Mya Kallevig and an art page with the name Art by Mya. I am working on getting a Facebook shop set up that is linked to my Ko-fi shop as well so that my work can be shopped from either Facebook or Ko-fi.  I currently have about 8 of my works listed on Ko-fi and I have more that I am working on getting up, but my family and I are in the process of selling our old house and moving into our new one and so it is ha...

 These are some of my paintings that I currently have for sale on my Ko-fi shop. I like to call these paintings my knife painting collection, because I did each of them with my palette knives.  All of these paintings and more are listed on my Ko-fi shop and I am working on adding more items all the time. Here is a link to my Ko-fi shop:  https://ko-fi.com/myaanne/shop

In year 22ish of my life, I thought that my life would be a lot different then it is right now. In 2020, I graduated with a major in social work and a minor in psychology. I immediately got a job working in social work in the Child Protection Unit of my home county. I started there in May of 2020 in the midst of a pandemic, so I never thought that the job would be easy, but it was far harder than I thought it was going to be or even what it should of been.  I worked in CPS for three months before I quit. I tried really hard to convince myself that what I was feeling at work was just normal growing pains and that if I just kept working that I could get through it. I tried to believe that I just needed to work harder and become better at my job faster and then it would get better.  Looking back, the turning point for me seriously considering leaving was when I had a phone call with a client and they told me repeatedly that I was ruining their life and that they hoped that I was ...

I just recently added this painting to my Kofi shop. It is a acrylic painting on canvas roughly 4x8 in size. I have it listed for $20 dollars and I can ship it to wherever needed.  This is probably one of my favorite paintings at the moment and it turned out far better than I imagined.   

  So my family is trying to move to a new house that we are in the process of building and trying to finish, but unfortunately the cost of materials and labor has been greater than planned for. But the transmission of my dad's truck just went out which is just another unexpected expense added on. So I am trying to help alleviate some of that burden - all money donated to this goal will to my dad and half of the proceeds from the sale of any of my artwork will also be a part of this. My goal right now is $2,500.00 and I am trying to add it to my goals but it is not showing up for me - hopefully it will for you This is cross-posted on Kofi as well

 As an artistic person who is looking at trying to make art more of a focal point in my life and perhaps even a source of income, this book was really informative and interesting to me. The author went into several different aspects of what artists need to consider and work through in their artistic pursuits. She talks about the importance of networking and mentorship for artists - which includes both being a mentee and a mentor.  Other topics that Beth Pickens discussed in this book include balancing artistic pursuits and a regular day job and what that may look like; how social, economic and familial factors can contribute or detract from an artists ability to pursue their art the way that they want too. The topic of grief is also a big chapter in this book, because it can play a really large part in the development of an artist, their art style and impact how they feel about their art.  This book is a heavy book. It can take a lot to get through, but if you are an arti...