Art has the power to change the atmosphere of a room. Art inspires and breathes life into our souls and gives us hope. Artists are culture warriors who “shine their art and change the world”. 

 Patricia Pasbrig’s only interaction with the world was through art for ten years; by 40 years old she was completely deaf. She was isolated from communicating with the outside world. Locked in her mind and her home, she lost confidence to branch out and start a new life in Arizona when she moved. As a recluse, she immersed herself in art, making two pieces a week. Finally, she got a cochlear implant which allowed her to learn to hear again! As she explored Arizona, she met a woman who connected her to the Milan Art Institute. Patricia drove to MAI and sat in her car, working up the courage to walk into an environment where she knew no one. Since then Patricia has blossomed into herself again. She volunteers at the Milan Art Institute once a week and attends classes regularly.  She plans on participating in the Mastery Program at the Milan Art Institute to further develop her artistic skills and help others overcome their fears. Patricia’s desire is to use the power of art to bring confidence and a voice to the deaf.

Our Mastery Program begins in just a few weeks, September 14th. Inspired by Patricia, the Milan Art Institute is currently running a scholarship campaign to help people afford this life changing experience. John and Elli Milan, founders of the Milan Art Institute, are seeking your support to help people fulfill their goals as artists. Please consider a minimum donation  of $100, and in return, you will receive an original painting of a tree by John and Elli Milan. In the first week we sold 7 paintings – now in our third week we have sold 40! Our goal is 100 trees by September 7th. Milan Art Institute is asking YOU: Make a Pledge, Plant a Seed! 

The talented Cathy Maiorano joined us on the 2015 Greek Art Tour and brought back her beautiful art journal cataloging her journey. Flip through a digital copy of her work below to experience part of her Greek adventure.

By Tina LaRea

Today is June 11, 2015, and I have just returned from an art tour of the magnificent country of Greece.  The tour was organized and hosted by Milan Art Institute of Queen Creek, Arizona.  Proprietors and world renowned artists, Elli and John Milan, co-led two groups in an adventuresome tour of Greece with art journals, canvases, brushes and paint.  With co-leader and fellow artist, Mr. Bruce Marion, also of Arizona, the tour participants sketched and painted abstract figures and landscapes, museum articles and actual Grecian ruins throughout the tour.  With only two art classes under my belt, I went along and participated, and I’m glad I did.

In the marketplaces, proud vendors of fresh fruit, organic vegetables, and freshly caught fish beckon the passersby to stop at their stand and purchase their goods.  The produce is remarkable, and I can attest to its tastiness of it as our fabulous tour guides, Nikos and Popi Delis, cooked an authentic Greek dish for us made with shrimp and a variety of fresh produce.  And the restaurants also served fresh produce.  I would repeat every single meal I ate while in Greece.  Greek food is hard to beat in my opinion.
 
Greece is rich in ancient ruins which tell the stories of conflicting heritages, political takeovers, transformations, and cultural values.  As I walked through the ruins, my soul acknowledged how very surreal it was to be there, to know what had gone before me, and that the evidence was right there in front of me, undeniably present.  Pictures can show the structures, but they cannot wrap you up in the feeling of authenticity like being there in the present can.  If you have never been before, go.  Greece is worth seeing in this lifetime.

From the 2015 Summer Greek Art Tour, here is Dafni Milan's exquisite art journal.

At lunch and dinner I forgot my American lifestyle and slipped into the traditional Greek communal feast.  Chatting with friends while sipping something exotic and feasting on Greek salad with huge chunks of feta, olives, tomatoes, and cucumber.  Dipping crusty artisanal bread into sauces on plates of chicken, pork, and beef or drunken stew. Afterward, we walked lazily through streets filled with locals selling their wares in small shops that looked like they were painted by an old master.  Is there a reason we can’t live like this all the time?  I think this might just be heaven on earth. If you’ve never been inspired like this, plan to join the Greek Art Tour in 2016. You’ll find your secret truth too.

By John Milan


Like the four craftsmen, sent to the farthest corners of the earth, a group of artists seeking the fire of creativity begin their journey. There is something that artists try to describe in visuals, that is to capture dreams and moments and then share them in a solid, concrete form. For my family, going to Greece is truly living the dream. The tomatoes, the potatoes, the breeze coming off the Aegean sea, the crystal clear water and colors of sand, everything is different there. The people are passionate and want to tell you about their way of life, that is magical. The history is rich and you sense that time has a different meaning.

These are a few of the reasons why the Milan's go to Greece with other artists. This year we celebrate with Bruce and Lee Marion. They are magnificent, creative artists, who have brought together many of their friends, family and other artists to tour the historical and mesmerizing country! We are so honored and thrilled to be on this journey together. Many styles of art will be taught and memories will be gathered.

These past few months were full of art shows and various art projects for new endeavors. We recently finished up a large collection of new abstract works.  This led to a variety of discoveries in shades of grey. Many new techniques and materials were used in this process, that can be shared in future art classes. We have heard that yellows, greys, burgundy and Duck Egg are very popular in contemporary design this year.

While we examine the ancient and modern Greek styles, we will no doubt bring the culture we find back home with us, in one way or another.

The hotel we are staying at is in a little village with really cute brick hotels and restaurants and shops. The main seating area of the hotel is outside and looks off at the sea and the beautiful country of Greece with trees and plants all around.

Last year, I went all over Greece to lots of different cities but this year, I am just going to my favorite places: Kyrani, Cavala, Thassos, and Thessaloniki. I don’t get to go to Halkidiki, but the rest of the places make up for it.

I am really excited for the art portion of this trip. Last year, we made a few small paintings and worked on them throughout the trip. I wanted to paint, but at the same time, I wanted to enjoy Greece and do things that I couldn’t normally do in Arizona. This year we will have our own art journal that we can draw, watercolor, collage, and journal in.

Now I can enjoy Greece while I am being creative in my art journal! I can be sitting at a cafe or at the beach and I can be doodling or journaling in my art book. The 2015 Art Excursion Tour is going to be such an influential, amazing trip and I am so excited!

We were all taught at some point in our lives that using our imagination is childish. We associate coloring and drawing as something just kids did for fun. The truth is, each and every one of us was born to create. It’s in our DNA to build, draw, invent, and see things as the way we imagine them to be. As children we are creative, but slowly over time the message of “art is just play” is drilled into our minds. By the time we are in high school and we are thinking about what we want to do with our lives, most of us aren’t considering becoming a full-time artist. We believe an artist can’t make a living, because that was what we were taught. Who wants to grow up and be a starving artist?

I believe with all my heart that this is not true. I feel sad for all the people who were once wildly imaginative and had that passion, but lost it to the voices inside telling them its not possible. Think about all the young people who put their artist dream aside because the world taught them “better,” and what their lives would be like now if they actually pursued their passions? If your dream is to be an artist or maybe it’s something you’ve only scarcely considered, I want to tell you that it is POSSIBLE. Don’t listen to what the institutions tell you, because they don’t know the truth. They are living under a deception of how the world wants people to think, that only certain special, very talented artists can make a living. It’s not true. 

I believe that all it takes to be successful is dedication and a true passion inside you. Without the passion you have nothing, even if you are the most talented painter alive but you didn’t have the love, you wouldn’t go very far. It doesn’t matter if you have no skill whatsoever, skill will come if you love what you do and you keep at it. First I was passionate about art, then I became skilled. 

I started painting when I was twelve. I took almost all my parents’ art classes (which were a lot). I wasn’t very talented at first, but I kept at it because I loved it. I took a whole range of classes, from abstract, mixed media, water color, to realistic oil. I tried all sorts of things. Eventually I got better and better. The harder I worked, the more skills I gained. I started selling pieces at age 13. I took a few art bootcamps where you have to complete four paintings per week for six weeks, and that was where I grew the most. I hit some walls and mental blocks, but I pushed through them and I’m so glad I did. I stumbled into a style of painting I never knew could come out of me, I was 14 and came up with sixteen beautiful pieces from the bootcamp. Each one was a true work of art. 

They were paintings of girls with a few foxes and birds. My mom warned me before I attempted my idea, that this was going to be very difficult and close up portraits of people’s faces was one of the hardest things to pull off. I understood what she said, but I painted my ideas anyway. Well, I pulled it off and they came out amazing. The reason I succeeded was because I worked hard and listened to my gut. I was moved to paint these and I just did it. I wasn’t afraid of the outcome or if I was wrong, I just painted. 

It was an instant success, I knew it from the time each one was completed. I felt I had finally found myself and my unique style of painting. I sold almost all of the pieces from the bootcamp, which motivated me even more to keep painting. And the great thing is, after you’ve jumped into the creative river and you’ve learned how to swim, it only gets better! When you are flowing in the creative right side of your brain, where you don’t 

think with words but with feeling and intuition, the creativity flows out of you, and you end up creating some gorgeous things. The key is to keep going, when things get difficult you have to move past them. 

I haven’t stop painting, in fact, I paint at least eight hours every day. I finished high school early so I could paint full-time. Those pieces of the girls and the animals launched me into some even better work that I still continue today. I’ve learned so much and gained so much knowledge since then. The more you paint the better you will become. I am 15 now, and earning a good amount of money each month just from selling my artwork, either through galleries or private clients. I want you to know and believe that becoming a full-time artist is possible! You can make a living just by painting! You have to work really hard and learn all sorts of techniques. Be fearless and above all passionate. I promise you will find a unique style of painting that only you can produce. Everyone has their own special style and voice. All paintings have a voice and say something. Making art is your chance to proclaim to the world what you want to say. Becoming an artist is an option for your career, it’s all up to you and how bad you want it.

I am an artist.  Those are words that for over a year I was not able to say.   I had taken an art class in high school in1969 and had never taken another as work and eventually family took over my life.  I have been “crafty” for the last 40 years, doing everything from jewelry making, garden art to gourd art and welding. I never got serious about painting even though my mother was an artist.   

In September 2014, I read an article about art classes at the Milan Art Institute.  “Me time” had come so I decided to give it a try.  The first class that was offered was a portrait class.  I can tell you that I had absolutely NO confidence in myself that I could even remotely complete a portrait.  But, I stepped off the ledge and into the Milan studio.  As I walked in,  I was literally shaking I was so afraid.  “What was I doing here?”  

At once I felt a calming influence when I met Elli Milan.  She was so sure I would not fail that I started to believe her.  She is the kind of teacher that makes you feel like you can really do it.  And, amazingly, with her help (a lot of help), I produced a portrait of my granddaughter that is hanging in my house today.  

It has been 18 months since that first class.  Since then I have taken classes almost every week, sometimes two or three classes a week.  I have come to hold the entire Milan family dear to me, so much so that I volunteer at the studio twice a week.  The best part is the personal satisfaction I get when I talk to people and they ask me what I do.  I say comfortably, I am an artist.