M.Z. Gillin

Art

See more on Instagram @mzgillin

The print sale is OPEN! I’ll put the purchase page on my profile. We have 5x7s, we have minis, we have hand-painted gold ink on each one! I filmed the process of painting this charity print design. 🐝 Maybe next I’ll see if I can record the printing, cutting, and gold painting process. Print sale starts tomorrow, Saturday Feb 28! Over the last few months I’ve been very disturbed by the many reports of ICE activity in various parts of the U.S. The violence, the illegal tactics like warrantless arrests, and the general lack of accountability are frightening and infuriating at the same time. • My anger toward the situation is pretty useless if it ends there, so I looked into some organizations that help in tangible ways. The National Immigrant Justice Center and the Illinois Community for Displaced Immigrants are two that provide really meaningful services for vulnerable people. The NIJC also takes legal action against ICE when their methods step outside the law, which I find very encouraging. • So, these prints are my way of trying to do something to help. The profits of each sale will be donated to these organizations, and each print will be individually signed and individually painted with gold ink. I’ve been developing my home print setup (only two paper cutter injuries so far!), so it’s really fun that this is a totally in-house operation from art to scan to printing to cutting. • To me, it sometimes feels overwhelming and hopeless to try to make a difference against something so big and widespread, but I think it matters to try, and reading about the work of these organizations gives me hope. Thanks for reading this far. More info coming soon. • MZG • Presidential portrait of my cousin, el gran @kalepcotto Dinner with the family at El Camino Real. Not pictured: my mom, who was sitting beside me. 🥘 Swipe for the double-page spread, as we say in the comics business! (I say that as if I’m actually in the comics business!) Colfax Ave in South Bend, IN. First Presbyterian Church South Bend…I think. Going through a sketchbook that’s almost finished. Sketching in downtown Mishawaka. A couple weeks ago I went to Battell Park in Mishawaka and spent some time roaming around looking for interesting spots to draw. I liked this area, right on the corner of Main St and Mishawaka Ave, because there are a lot of distinct elements, lines, and textures all working together: plants and grass in the foreground, dense architecture in the distance, a more open street scene off to the side, and of course the river itself. It’s also interesting to me because there’s been a lot of construction in this area over the last 10 years, so a lot has changed since the days when I was hanging out here in college. It feels nostalgic and unfamiliar at the same time. I had such an awesome time at September ArtWalk! It was a joy to be set up outside on such a beautiful evening, especially after the threat of getting rained out. Huge thanks to everybody who stopped by my table and picked up a piece, to @elkhartparks for having me, to @annajhagen for the photos and the help with the setup, and to my guy @scrollsawscribbler for getting me these stunning (and I mean STUNNING) frames in time for the show. I hope to return next summer!