Volunteering Artwork: The Gallery of Mo

"My Favorite Scarf (self portrait)"
Self portrait with mustache created for The Gallery of Mo
Prismacolor marker and pigment liner on paper.
2013

I signed up to be an artist to help create some portraits of people with mustaches on them as a part of the Gallery of Mo for the month of November.  What is the Gallery of Mo and what's up with mustaches and November all of a sudden?  November has become dedicate to mustaches and raising awareness and funding for prostate and testicular cancer. Movember supports programs focuses on awareness and education of men's health as well as living with or beyond cancer or mental illness.  Thus re-creating November into "Movember."  

Would you like a self portrait from an awesome artist with a mustache on it?

Here's how you can one and participate in this fundraiser:

1. Visit www.galleryofmo.com

2. Select an artist who is participating based on their created self-portrait...with mustache (like mine above)

3. Upload a photo of yourself that you would like made into a artistic creation…with a mustache

4. Donate however much that artist is asking to commission a portrait for the fundraiser (some artists ask for different prices based on how they create their portriats, how much time it takes them, how much they would like to help donate to the fundraiser, and things like materials;etc.)



I plan on mailing the original illustration of requested mo'triats that come my way, if it's requested.  I'm also excited to share that I have had two mo'trait requests with one in the works and the other completed, scanned, and shared with the recipient.  This project has been pretty fun and very rewarding…and we're only about the first week into the month of November.  

I have to say, reading the feedback from the first mo'triat request I received from the United Kingdom was truly uplifting!  Even though at times I felt a little like I was creating  a caricature (maybe because of the mustache?), it was still a great experience to create a piece and have such positive feedback.  I've got one in the works, of one of my good friend's fathers, and three more empty slots to create some more mo'traits!   

Also, if you'd rather have another artist create your mo'triat in a different style, there are a myriad of others willing to create one for you.  You've got until November 30th, 2013 to request a self portrait with a mustache, a mo'trait!  Get on it!