maya’s blog

I write from a new part of the country with a newish job and a new fiance! Here’s what’s going on: In Jan 08 Clint and I moved to Newton Upper Falls, MA and I started working as a full-time medical illustrator for Argosy Publishing. I have really been enjoying my time there - how many people get to draw all day long, and draw anatomy at that? The east coast has taken some getting used to, but it’s very charming and we have had some wonderful times, especially outdoors.

Over Labor Day weekend, Clint proposed to me at my parents’ house in Michigan. “About time,” most people said, but it was the perfect timing, and very sweet. We will marry next September in Lansing, Michigan and then live happily ever after.

To back up a bit, I DID finally finish my thesis in March and I graduated from UT Southwestern in May. I am a diploma-carrying-Master-whatsit! I hope to become a CMI, Certified Medical Illustrator, and will be working on that over the next couple of years.

Currently, my outside-of-work project is a Holiday Art Sale of sorts! I have been painting since the beginning of October and now I just have to finish up and post the rest of my work. I’ve set up on online shop on etsy, and I’m pretty excited about the “opening” of my sale - it should happen in the next few days! After the holidays, I’ll keep putting new work up, probably one piece at a time. Painting over the last month and a half has been SO good for me in every way, so I’m thinking I should do my best to continue.

The lungs are from undergraduate school. I think the assignment was to make a non-sqaure painting. The kidney was my Halloween costume a couple of years ago but now decorates my bedroom wall.  This is how I got my nickname among my classmates, “Kidney.”

In our first year of medical illustration school, we drew a hip bone. It seemed like a never-ending project at the time. When it was finally over, this is how I made use of some intermediate versions of the drawing.

A variety of paintings featuring the oxygen-getters. 2005-2007.

Use this LEGO® cross-section to study the kidney!

couldn’t resist doing a couple more.

Sometimes I make Ukrainian Easter Eggs, and not just at Eastertime. It had been too long since my last batch so I decided to get out my dyes. Here is one rather traditional egg, with fish, and one medical-illustration-inspired egg, with kidneys!

(Instructions for the process can be viewed here.)

Today I spent some time playing around with Illustrator CS3. I’m usually a Photoshop girl, but people do need to make vector art sometimes, so I’m giving in and doing a little practice. Here is today’s fish.

How to make a delicious treat out of your everyday artwork!

Step One: Pick out an illustration you could re-create in two or three solid shades. Think black, gray, white (or brownie, powdered sugar, more powdered sugar). Don’t steal illustrations! It will be more fun if you use your own. (To be serious, for edible at-home projects, you can do whatever you want, but otherwise, try to develop the habit of getting permission in writing before you use someone else’s copyrighted property.)

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A kidney cake! This yummy confetti cake shaped like a kidney AND ureter was made for me for my birthday this August by the lovely and talented Erin. Thank you!