Please fave the news article. How? I hear you ask. Look [here].

This issue’s letter is:

M

The deviant that is being featured and interviewed today is:

`Mirz123

My name is Michelle, but most people call me Mirz--which is pronounced "meer-ez", if you were wondering.  I'm a mom of many who will be turning  41 this year.  I do varied arts from web design to literature to pencil sketches. However, my main art focus is pixel-art, particularly smilies and emoticons.

I have known about dA for years, visiting here to find various art on themes that interested me. At one point, I even set up an account to use for my webcomic, but never followed-through. Then my oldest daughter, *RandomyPurple, became active on the site and started following the emoticon community.  She encouraged me to start posting my smilies and even uploaded my lemmings emote for me. After getting some positive feedback, I bit the bullet and began using my account--and I've been here ever since.

I started getting active on websites and forums after the loss of a child in the late 90s. Since it would have been inappropriate to choose a silly name, I decided to go the serious route and just used the first 2 letters of my first and last (maiden) name.  I really liked the fact that it looked good and was short.  Back then, sites allowed 4-letter usernames.  Nowadays I usually have to tack the 123 at the end to make the length requirements.

Hands down, the community.  Apart from that, though, I love the fact that I can share my art with a wide audience, as well as find art that appeals to me. There just simply isn't any other art resource out there that allows me to do that as effectively and as easily as deviantART.  Granted, I realize dA is not the end-all of art sites, but it provides me with everything I need and I'm very happy to be here.

Lots.  Not that I don't like or appreciate them, but I tend to be a simple surfer.  I don't utilize channels, I have never used Muro, and I have only been on dAmn 2-3 times for a few minutes each.  I'm sure there's other features I don't use, but since I don't use them, I'm not sure what they are.

I loved art as a child, but was always in the shadow of my younger sister, who was much better art-wise.  In my teens, I moved to literature and play-writing, something I still love and enjoy.  As an adult, I got into web-design and utilized pixel-art graphics heavily. The inability to find the art pieces I needed spurred me to start pixelling.  I made my first smiley at 29, but really started getting serious about it a few years later in my mid-30s.

I have to admit, emote/smiley-wise, my biggest inspiration is Mazeguy. [link] smilies are the reason I got into making emoticons. As for on dA, there would be too many to list.  If someone really wants to know who inspires me, they should check out my journal and news features, as I try to showcase those artists frequently.  That said, there are many artists who inspire me from a community-spirit point of view.  ^SparklyDest, `TimberClipse, `Synfull, `PurpelBlur, `WDWParksGal, `Steph1254, `Endorell-Taelos, and `ArtByCher, to just name a few.

It really irks me when artists don't communicate with their watchers and vice-versa.  The core of this site is that it is an art community.  You can go to a static website and view art.  It's the interaction that makes dA special.  I also deplore attention whores.  I'm not talking about the insecure teens who simply want friends and can be a bit needy.  I'm talking about the people who maliciously troll, doing everything and anything to cause chaos so they can be in the center of it all.

My heart breaks every time I see the images of those who have suffered through these terrible natural calamities. The human tragedy is simply awful.  There really are no words you can say to someone who has lost everything and whose future is so uncertain.  But if I could convey one message, it would be to not give up hope.  Sometimes it takes a LONG time to get better, but it will.  And know there are people sending good thoughts and prayers your way.

I love orchestral music.  Classical, movie and game music, and other instrumental pieces.  I'm also a child of the 80s, so when I'm in the mood, I'll blast MJ, Duran Duran, INXS, Genesis, etc.

I have a huge soft spot for superhero flicks.  Batman, Ironman, Mystery Men. Though,  I actually like a bit of everything.  The only thing I tend to stay away from is intense horror/gore.

As the sun colors flowers, so does art color life.  ~John Lubbock

for taking the time to interview me.