Happy Birthday Michaela

Today Michaela would have been 24.  Amazing.  I can imagine the kind of woman she would have been.  It is strange to miss something that never was. 
People often ask me about Michaela's art.  She was amazingly talented (like her brother), but she didn't really focus on art.  She really loved the written word.  She wrote poems and thoughts and lyrics to songs she liked.  She journaled her entire life.  She was often sad and lonely, yet somehow brought light and love to other people.  Few recognized her sadness. 
Since so many people have asked about her art, for her birthday I am giving you a special present--from her.  These are excerpts from the art journal that she kept during her summer abroad in 2008.  I hope you enjoy.


This is the first page of the journal.

A Cityscape drawn over a page of journalling.

Pencil drawing.

A pencil drawing of her Italian instructor, Luca.

Her Favorite singer--from the Band "Fall Out Boy".  She was obsessed.

She believed.  I still have that blue Ipod.  It is engraved :).

A bit of anger, perhaps?

Colored pencil drawing of her friend, Erin and her in a car.

A happy day in Valencia, Spain.

The colors of Capri, Italy in watercolor.

Dear Michaela...Past Midnight is not PM.  You never could tell time on a clock, could you?

Not a fan of the bullfight.  I told her she wouldn't like it before she went.

She was so often lonely.  Youth is hard.

She drew this theme several times and told me it illustrated how she felt awakened by her trip to Europe.

The bottom said:  The FIRST THINGS THAT CAME TO MIND 7/9/2008

She got to do a lot while she was there, but had to budget some things out.  A good life lesson.

This speaks for itself. 

I hope you enjoyed this.  I hope you find beauty in your life the way she did in hers.