Tag: Mia Meow

Today’s “Drawing a Day” – “Happy Thanksgiving!”

"Happy Thanksgiving!" Drawing by BZTAT
“Happy Thanksgiving!” Drawing by BZTAT

I took a break from my “Drawing a Day” project for a few days, as, I confess, I got a bit busy with other things. I am back with a drawing today, just in time to show my thanks to those who follow my artwork year round. Thank you for being a fan, a friend, a collector or occasional enjoyer of the creations that I share here.

I hope you and your family have a warm Thanksgiving full of love, light and color!

For an artistic challenge, I am making a drawing every day in November. Each drawing will be placed for auction on here on my blog. These drawings will be fun images that will make nice gifts for the upcoming holidays. I have done “Drawing a Day” projects before, and they have been a lot of fun!

You can follow each day’s drawing by by subscribing to my my blog or by following my posts on FacebookInstagram and Twitter. Minimum bids will be low – you just might get a great artwork for a bargain!

Today’s drawing is of my cat Mia Meow and a Turkey, each eying the other warily. Friends can come from the most unlikely places, right? The drawing is drawn with Prismacolor Pencil on black paper. I hope that you like it! 

Thanks for following along all month and for bidding on the drawings!

By the way, let me know what you would like to see me draw the rest of the month in the comments below. I am open to suggestions!

Here’s the info about the drawing:

5″ x 7″ Prismacolor Pencil Drawing by artist BZTAT 

Comes with an acid free mat ready for a 8X10″ frame.

Leave bids in increments of $5 below in the comments section.

Minimum Bid $20 USD

Shipping: $5 USA $15 International

BUY NOW OPTION: You can buy this piece now for $35 as long as no bids have been made in the comments below. Simply write BUY NOW in the comments and I will send you an invoice via Paypal which can be paid with a credit card or with PayPal.

Highest bid at 10:00 pm EST on Thursday 11/23/17 wins the piece.

Winning bidder: I will send an invoice via Paypal to the winning bidder which can be paid with a credit card or with PayPal.

Please allow 2-3 weeks for USA shipping.

Life is an Adventure!

BZTAT

“Oh My, Mia Meow!” Children’s Picture Book Project

This post was originally posted on the Mia Meow Creative Adventures blog. Learn more about Mia Meow and the upcoming book at: MiaMeow.com.

 
Mia Meow Children's Picture Book Project about a creative catHave you heard about the “Oh My, Mia Meow!” Children’s Picture Book Project?

I have done a lot of special projects through the years, and all have been important in some way. This project, however, rises to a whole new level of importance for me.

The more I get into it, the more I realize that this book can have significant impact on the lives of children, and there is nothing more important than making a difference to a child.

The book itself is simple. An ordinary cat faces everyday obstacles and seeks to find a way to overcome them. In the process, she discovers her power through creativity and ingenuity, and she becomes a very extraordinary cat. She explores new environments and meets a variety of animal friends along the way. It is an adventure that is revealed through colorful illustrations that intrigue and enamor children, and thus, inspire their imaginations.

Simple books for children can have a lot of power. Life lessons that are revealed through endearing stories and imaginative illustrations help children develop perspectives to shape their understanding of the world. Tapping into children’s imaginations allows us to broaden their understanding so they can create their own worldview.

So, what is so important about this book project?

  1. The stories and artwork of Mia Meow grew out of my work with preschool children. Their enthusiasm for the character, the artwork, and the story is what inspired me to create the book.
  2. The Mia Meow story teaches children that they can overcome obstacles with creative thinking and imaginative resourcefulness.
  3. Our culture tends to emphasize idealized stereotypes of power and mastery. Typical childhood “superheroes” have unrealistic strength and mythical weapons to demonstrate power, and they give children an unrealistic vision of how they should engage with their world. The story of Mia Meow lays a more realistic foundation for a child’s belief in his or her own creative abilities as a source of personal power.
  4. The story encourages arts integration as an important learning process for young children. The arts are key to childhood learning and healthy emotional development, yet so many schools struggle to maintain arts programming due to funding cuts. Mia Meow offers a creative and fun approach to learning which is supported by research in its effectiveness.
  5. The book engenders a love and empathy for animals, encouraging children to be considerate and respectful of all creatures.
  6. The book project and crowdfunding program, which will be launched soon, has a goal of raising funds for creating and publishing the book, but beyond that, there is also a goal of donating books to programs that serve children. My hope is that the crowdfunding campaign, once launched, will raise enough funds to donate books to:
  • Preschool classrooms of schools involved in the Artful Living Program, where the Mia Meow story and art were inspired.
  • The Canton, OH Police Department Community Policing Program, as a way for police officers to develop positive relationships with children and families in challenged neighborhoods.
  • Libraries in Stark County, OH and surrounding areas.
  • Other school and youth programs designated by contributors. Although my own focus will be local programs, my hope is that contributors will consider donating books to programs worldwide.

I will be launching an Indiegogo campaign soon for the “Oh My, Mia Meow!” Children’s Picture Book Project. I am using this online program to allow others to be a part of the project to gain seed funding for publishing the book and also to encourage donation of books to worthy programs. I hope that you will consider helping me with the campaign by contributing and/or sharing it with others to get the word out. Thanks so much for your interest in the project!

Life is an Adventure!

BZTAT

Mia Meow’s Great Adventure

Digital Pet Portrait of Mia Meow
Digital Pet Portrait of Mia Meow, sitting on the bed where she’s supposed to be.

I had a big scare last night. My cat Mia Meow slipped out my front door as I was going outside, and she took a jaunt around the neighborhood. She must have been plotting this, as I am always extra careful going in and out just to prevent this sort of thing. I had my hands full, though, and the light was low. She must have seen what she thought was a great opportunity.

When I saw her slither out between my ankles, I quickly shut the door so that none of the other cats would escape. She hesitated, as cats do when entering unfamiliar scenarios, but she then disappeared off the porch into the great unknown.

There are big leafed weeds around my porch right now. Since I am moving in a couple of weeks, I hadn’t bothered to clear them from the flower beds. I instantly regretted that decision. They proved to be excellent cover for my little Houdini cat.

And tortoise shell markings are nature’s most perfect camouflage. I could not find her ANYWHERE.

I spent the next 3 hours creeping around my yard and checking up and down the block. I easily found my two neighbors’ cats and the possum that slinks around my yard at night, but no Mia Meow.

I tried my best to think positive and not catastrophize the situation. It was hard, though. Mia is skittish around people, so calling others to help with the search was not really a good idea. Plus, it was well after midnight at this point.

Dejected and bereft, I finally decided to go back inside and sleep a few hours. I presumed that she probably would stay hidden from my view if I stayed outside, anyway. She’ll be more visible in daylight, I thought.

I did not sleep well. I was haunted by the thoughts of bad things happening to my kitty in the dark. She must have been terrified by this scary world that looked intriguing at first, but was actually full of dangers for which she was ill-prepared.

After a couple of hours of fitful sleep, I was suddenly awakened. “What was that?” Brewskie, my ginger and white cat who was lounging next to me, had the same query on his sleepy face. I heard it again coming from the open bedroom window. Was that a meow?

Indeed it was, and not only was it a meow, it was Mia Meow’s Meow!

I rushed outside in my PJ’s and found her meowing by the back door. Rather than reach for her and risk scaring her off, I sat down on the ground and let her come to me. She must have grown tired of her adventure, because she came right up to me and started rubbing her face on my hand. I grasped the ruff of her neck and quickly pulled her to me. She did not resist at all.

After eating a late dinner of kibble, Mia joined the other cats in a restful nap on the bed, and I was able to sleep much more soundly for the rest of the night, myself. I was so happy to see her cute face when I awoke this morning!

I cannot imagine what I would have done if I hadn’t found her. Mia’s entry into my family was not planned or even sought, but now that she is with us, I cannot imagine life without her.

I hope that this is Mia’s last adventure into the great outdoors!

Life is an Adventure!

BZTAT