Starting Over

I realized the other night that what I created for the Hope Project won't work and I need to start over. Why, you ask? Because I created those pieces trying to fit them to both my book and my grandiose vision for my BFA. In the attempts to fit both ideas behind the pieces, I realized my true artistic goal was never reached. Oh well! Things always are better the second time around, right?

And so this isn't just words, here is one of the pieces from Diabeasties:

Diabeasties: The Last Chapter!

Show is up May 17-30, 2011
BF Larsen Gallery
Harris Fine Arts Center on
BYU Campus

All invited! Please come!

Sneak Peak @ the Show (which is still nameless HINT HINT)

To quote a good friend, "While everyone else is graduating this is what I've been doing." The images for my BFA are printed and ready to go, courtesy of acrylic matte medium and my hubbins, who helped in the juggling of thin, wrinkled, and easily destroyed moist paper as I was getting them mounted on illustration board. I was going to show step by step progress, but got too caught up in pealing thick layers of matte medium off my skin to remember (by the end of the night, I even had it in my hair--that wasn't so fun to get out).

And at last, with roughly 20 workable days left till I have to be done, I have finally begun to paint. To stimulate dying brain cells back into semi-working state, I have been listening/watching the history of the English monarchy from the UK series aptly titled "Monarchy." I have made it from Aethelberht of Wessex (I can't remember where we started), to Albert the Great, to Cnut the Great, and am currently up to William the Conqueror, post-Hastings, 1044 AD. I encourage you to watch them, they are quite interesting.

Whilst I paint and delve into my historical nerdiness, I beg of you to pray, friends, and pray hard for me to finish. And come to the show!

Pictures for your perusal:

Blank board, pre-illustration. Check out my gallon of matte medium! That was full when I started.

The final part, after all the hassle of adhering them to the illustration board

This one printed out way too dark, and is going to be reprinted. Here is a brief size comparison to my, albeit, little hand; final image 17.5" x 35"

 Much yellower than it really is, due to tungsten lighting

To see the rest, you have to come to the show. Be there or be square!

Another plea for help

Dear All,
I have been working on this great project for children newly diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and their parents. I still need people to help me out! If you are a parent with a Type 1 diabetic child or are a Type 1 diabetic who was diagnosed as a child, please contact me via email (maria@mariamercer.com)! If you want to know what the devil I am talking about, click here for another blog posting with more information. THANK YOU! I'm not looking to change the world, the goal is to help out people with a changing life!

Sincerely,
MMA

The Diabetes HOPE Project

First off, I am a Type 1 Diabetic who has lived with this disease since I was 9. I am obviously not the first child (nor have I been the last) to be diagnosed with this disease. Nor was my family the first or last to be dealt these cards and thrust into a foreign life. Living with diabetes changes us out of necessity.

Sometimes, even for the better.

This life-altering event lead me, in October of 2009, to apply for a grant at my university called the ORCA Grant. The project I proposed to work on was to create two books based on children who have been diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes--one for the child diagnosed, the other for their parents. The point of these books is to help others through the initial shock. This project was created to provide support, humor, and hope to families confronting diabetes by giving them down-to-earth, useful information on how to deal with every day situations that involve a diabetic child. In a neat turn of events, I was put in contact with author Rick Walton, who, along with Co-Author Kristyn Crow, had already written a book for children that needed an illustrator. Being a trained Illustrator, it fit perfectly into the project--I no longer had to write the children's book, I would illustrate it. But that still left the book for parents, which is where you come in.

I need help providing others with stories. Your stories.

My one voice and my one experience aren't enough to give other families help. If you know anyone who was diagnosed as a child (12 and under) with Type 1 Diabetes or if you are friends with the parent(s) of a child who was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, I could use the connections. I need more information. I have already tried contacting people and no one has really responded. Please help! I am not spamming you looking for personal information. What I want is merely stories on what it felt like to be diagnosed (or have your child diagnosed) and how you (or your spouse or family) have personally learned to cope since the diagnosis with things like blood sugars, vacationing, school, and life in general.

Providing inspiration and hope to families in need is the whole goal of this project.

Please help me, and together we can help others!

Contact me at maria@mariamercer.com