Hello! My name is Mica Angela Hendricks. I am an illustrator and graphic artist. I started this blog as a sort of place to share all the random projects I get myself into. I don’t think I’ve spoken the word “bored” in YEARS. I keep myself quite busy.
So why a mockingbird, you might ask? Well, because according to Tom Robbins,
“Mockingbirds are the true artists of the bird kingdom. Which is to say, although they’re born with a song of their own, an innate riff that happens to be one of the most versatile of all ornithological expressions, mocking birds aren’t content to merely play the hand that is dealt them. Like all artists, they are out to rearrange reality. Innovative, willful, daring, not bound by the rules to which others may blindly adhere, the mockingbird collects snatches of birdsong from this tree and that field, appropriates them, places them in new and unexpected contexts, recreates the world from the world. For example, a mockingbird in South Carolina was heard to blend the songs of thirty-two different kinds of birds into a ten-minute performance, a virtuoso display that serve no practical purpose, falling, therefore, into the realm of pure art.”
So basically, this is a collection of a variety of interests. I like lots of things. I enjoy making and doing things with and for my daughter. And I wanted to share ideas and to inspire creativity. And, as my daughter once said, “I like to make to make things I think is beautiful.”
busy mockingbird 
my husband sent me a link to your fabulous sketchbook collaborations you do with your genius daughter! I love them and was up late reading your blog, so inspiring!! Thanks, I love finding people like you on the internet and felt compelled to tell you.
Thank you so much for telling me so!
Hey Mica! I have a fairly successful band called Raggy Monster that is named after my imaginary friend that I drew when I was 4 years old. I found your work incredibly adorable, and I was wondering if you’d like to be involved somehow in the album art for our second full length. (It won’t be coming out ’til at least Summer ’14, so you have a ton of time to think about it.)
Here’s a couple links you can check out:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/raggymonster
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/raggymonster
I know you’re probably extremely busy, but I thought it could be a cool collaboration (And we’d obviously tell everyone about you and your awesome work).
Let me know what you think/if you have any ideas.
-Billy Schmidt
these are so beautiful mica!
we produce a user-submitted biannual publication called Stolen, which we would love to know if you are interested in submitting for volume two!? check out our website for more information http://www.stolenpublications.com, or email submissions@stolenpublications.com if you are interested xx
Your work is incredible! Thank you for sharing it with the world. I have just bought several prints for Christmas presents and one for me! I am truly enamored with your (and your daughter’s!) work!
Hi Mica! I just discovered your blog/work and I am fascinated. I am currently a freshman at the Savannah College of Art and Design, with the prospective major of illustration. For my drawing class, we have to interview artist in our field that inspires and intrigues us. I would so appreciate your time if you were willing to answer five or six questions about your work and inspiration. If you are, please email me and we can go from there! Thank you so much.
Sincerely,
Maia
Hi Mica! My four year-old daughter Zora and I love the work you’ve done with your daughter. I’m a poet, and Zora and I are currently collaborating on poems inspired by the illustrations created by you and your daughter. We’re in the early stages of developing the poems, but I’m wondering if you’d be interested in a collaboration to pitch to children’s book publishers.
I have an MFA in poetry from Virginia Tech, publications in journals such as Prairie Schooner and North American Review, and I teach writing at a small university in Tennessee. If you’re interested, you can find more about me and my email address at http://carriemeadows.weebly.com/
Either way, I’m happy to have discovered your work!
[…] Mica Angela Hendricks, aka The Busy Mockingbird, knows a little about happy accidents. After her art supply loving 4-year old turned her “mom words” about sharing back on her, she was compelled to accept an unexpected collaboration with the clever half-pint. […]
Hello Mica Hendricks —
I’m writing in hopes of interesting you in a publication project for which I’m a founding editor, a literary and art journal called SPACES. I’m hoping you’ll be as inspired by we are by intersections of visual art, words and other mediums — as inspired as I am by the energy and spontaneity in your collaborations with your daughter. So let the brazen solicitation begin!
I’m part of a team that launched a new online publication just under a year ago, a publication different than others in that rather than fighting the take over of technology, we’ve decided to embrace it. We’ve created a multimedia space for words, visual art and video, celebrating artists and storytellers and releasing new content every other month. SPACES launched November 13, 2012, and has gotten thousands of views in over 15 countries. Ever since launching, SPACES has explored intersections and experiments, all kinds of places where beauty and art meet and blur.
You can check out SPACES here:
http://spaceslitmag.com/
As well as sections for poetry, photo essays, and one for videos of writers reading their work, we have a section for pastiche and genre-hybrids which features interviews exploring unique, innovative and genre-defying creative work. The pastiche and genre-hybrids section, which I edit personally, is the one I’m contacting you about today. We would like to do a short email interview with you (and, if possible, your daughter — after all, she’s a part of the project too) about things like how you two got started working together, what it’s like to work with your 4-year-old daughter, and how this work has affected the rest of your creative life.
Please check out SPACES and let me know what you’d think of working with us. We will gladly post any links you would like to appear with your interview, and we would also like to feature a few photos of work you’ve made with your daughter (plus some of your other work if you’d like).
Thanks for taking the time to read this, and for your consideration of my request. I look forward to hearing back from you, and we at SPACES hope today is beautiful for you.
Be well,
Austin Eichelberger
Founding Editor, SPACES
Hi Mica- my sister just sent me the link to the story about your collaboration with your daughter. how great!.. i thought you might enjoy a different project i also did with kids drawings
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/09/11/opinion/sunday/20110911_Opinion_Fashion.html maybe we can collaborate some day! ha.
best ,
Heather MacCrimmon
Those are absolutely wonderful!!
Hi there, love the collaborations with your daughter, they’re beautiful to look at, and an amazing concept. The mixture of your artistic maturity with her childlike naivety works perfectly. I’m an artist myself, i mainly do silk screen prints of less well known musical figures, as well as social commentary about various subjects. i also do traditional painting, sculpture and photography. I was wondering if any of the originals of the collaborations with your daughter are for sale? Or if you would be interested in swapping a piece for one of my original works. Thanks for your time.
Jesse Diss
Thank you so much! Currently, we’re not selling any of the originals–I’m saving them for in case she might want them when she’s older. Thank you!
Hi Mica,
I’m so loving your collaborations with your daughter. How I wish that I’m also that talented. I’m a stay at home mom from the Philippines taking care of our 14mos old baby girl. Just wondering if you accepts custom drawings? I’m thinking of sending you our pictures then your daughter will finish it again after you make our heads. Kindly let me know through email. Thank you so much. 🙂
Thank you so much! We’ve decided not to do custom work…I don’t want to put that added pressure on her at 4. I hope you understand!
[…] to artist Mica Angela Hendricks for turning me on to this […]
I read the article about your work on Distractify today and was amazed when I got to the 7th row of cartoon pictures because the woman and man look just like a young married couple I am friends with! I posted a link to the article on Andrew’s page, so he can see for himself. You and your daughter drew Andrew and Christie Potter! Anyway, your work is amazing and I really enjoyed seeing you and your daughter’s talents!
Picture of Andrew and Christie at this link:
Well, gosh! I couldn’t get the link, and I’m not sure which image is the “7th one,” but that’s awesome! They’re almost always drawn from old movie star photos…I’m not sure who they “were!”
[…] artist Mica Angela Hendricks got a new sketchbook, she thought it would just be hers, for her own drawings. Her daughter […]
Hey while surfing I came across your blog, and to mu surprise you daughter is really amazing. You and your daughter’s collaboration art is terrific. I am just wondering, how do I shop for your art while in India!!
Hats off to you both..!!
Cheers,
Manasi
Thank you! I’m not sure if Society6 ships internationally?
great works, ı wıll try wıth my daughter 🙂
Deniz
Your stories and mother-daughter collaborative efforts are marvelous and inspiring. Perhaps your collaborative efforts might continue downstream for just about forever? That would truly be an item for the history books! Then again, it already is. What you’ve done here is just marvelous. Thank you for sharing.
George
That would be wonderful! Truly, I never expected she’d be this interested in art and drawing, and it’s been very special to me that she has. I’m aware she may grow out of it later, so I do my best to enjoy every bit of it!
What I love most about this is the fact that you take the time to be with your daughter and give her a legacy that she will treasure forever. I wanted to say this is really awesome, and what you do will live on for a very long time. I hope that all your ventures work out as well as these do. I have learned that kids teach us a lot more in life than we would ever learn on our own if we take the time to listen to them as well.
Thankyou very much! I agree wholeheartedly–our kid has taught me way more than I ever thought possible.
I love your work. Do you do any personal requests? For Christmas, I would love if you and your duaghter could do a picture of my partner and I. I could provide photos and let your guys do your thing. Let me know if you’re interested and also what it would cost.
Thank you!
Mica your work is so amazing. Can you and your daughter make a children’s book? The alphabet animals would be such a great one! xoxo, Erica
Thank you so much! I’m really really hoping to. I’ve had a nibble or two from publishers, but no bite yet. Thankyou!
[…] Para conocer mejor el proyecto, se puede visitar el blog […]
Have you tried doing the reverse with your daughter? I.e. Let her draw the head while you create a body?
Ha! I have, actually! Although, she has not yet learned the lesson of “letting go,” and gets quite frustrated when I add to HER drawings! Hahah!
This is awesome. I am starting a collaborative photo project with a bunch of 4th graders soon. This gives me the courage to let them run the show a bit but also that I won’t lose my own vision in the process. Thanks!
I was inspired by your 4 year olds art! I am a preschool teacher and printed out the children’s heads… Let them add to them! I would love to show you the results! How can I?
Sarah
Love it! I can’t wait to see! Please email at busymockingbird@gmail.com
I saw this on a friends Facebook and got super stoked!!! Tell Myla Mr.Jordan(from cyss in AK) thinks she did a SUPER job!
Oh!!! Mr Jordan! thank you! She STILL says how you’re such a great teacher! Would you be willing to send us a pic of you (and maybe ms young too) waving hello or something? She will say from time to time how she misses you both. We’re at busymockingbird@gmail.com. She’ll be so excited to hear from you!
Hello Mica Angela,
I just found your webpage and I love your blogs and the way you express yourself. It is genius what you are doing and I love that you are so honest about your doubts, and problematics you had in your way. Life is a huge journey and I love to say that you inspired my journey now as well! Will love to tell my friends, and especiallly one artist woman I know about your experiences I read about. Maybe she’s able to integrate her wonderful daughter into the process of making art as well. I’ m sure the kids love it. Artists make their passion to their job, so of course you can forget bout the time you spend with it, good to involve the persons you love the most into your passion and make them part of your art!!
Best wishes and greetings, don’ t stop turning 🙂
Nadja
Such a beautiful blog. Thank you.
Amazing! I am a primary school teacher and we are using your collaborative art with your daughter as inspiration for our art topic of ‘Urban Wildlife’. We will print photos of their faces and allow them to choose an animal body of their fancy, finishing it with pastels! Thank you so much for the wonderful idea! We will add some finished articles to the class blog when we are done for you to have a look at if you like 🙂 http://kidblog.org/Class4Lblog/
Arun
Oh that’s wonderful! I love to hear it, and I’d love to see what you all come up with!
My boyfriend and I love the work you do with.your daughter . We were wondering if we sent u a picture if us, if you and your daughter could draw us! We want to frame it and hang it up! Maybe if you’re up to it, a picture of us with our dog! That would be amazing.!
Hello~
I’ve seen your story and drawings on Facebook a few times, but somehow only now found your blog. As a young/new artist, I find your story rather inspiring. I know I’m a control freak when it comes to my art (all of my supplies have an enforced 6-inch personal bubble) so I must commend your ability to let your daughter step in and help
I wouldn’t be surprised if this becomes a more popular form of collaborations because of your bravery in not only letting go, but in putting it out there for the world to see
Hi Mica!! I loved your art with your daughter’s touch!! Amazing
kisses from Brazil
Thank you! Hugs from the U.S.!
Hi, I’ve nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award. Congratulations! Please check out this post for details: http://seezooeyrun.wordpress.com/2013/12/09/surprise-by-a-versatile-blogger-award/
I love your artwork and your blog and how you and your daughter create together. I admire your willingness to take the challenge she put to you about sharing. Between you have made some beautiful unique images.
Do you take commissions? I have an idea for an educational board game around intersectionality – (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intersectionality). And I would love you to collaborate. If you might be interested, please drop me an email and I can explain more.
[…] you can’t share, we might have to take it away," retorted the 4-year-old daughter of artist Mica Angela Hendricks when mom refused to let daughter draw in mom's sketchbook. There began a collaboration where […]
[…] share comes from Mica Hendricks, an illustrator and graphic artist who blogs here. A few months ago, she created this post. She had […]
We absolutely love your work. Do you do commissions? We would adore a piece of your collaborative artwork in our home.
Thank you so much! We don’t, sorry–we’ve had a lot of requests, but I don’t want our daughter to feel the pressure of custom work. I hope you understand! Still, there are the prints available at Society6.com/micaangela. Thanks!
[…] – according to Tom Robbins, from the busy mockingbird […]
[…] hope that Mica and Myla continue their project through the years; it’ll be amazing to see the progression of artistic […]
Do you have a Facebook page for you collaborations? Or just of the art work your daughter and you do? Live your blog!!
Thank you! Yes we’re on Facebook as busy mockingbird. Thank you!
Tonite while watching some truly stoopid TV movie about the Red Sox
I turned the blab off bc I heard a whisperwhill singing outside in the night!
It had been a long time and that little bit of true song was so much greater than anything I’d heard all day-
Just wanted to share a bird story.
Loved what you wrote about Robin Williams, named after a bird no less…
Sweet dreams,
Eye
So glad I have found your blog! Love your work since I love to draw faces too. How sweet your petite resident artist is! I have boxes of artworks from my kiddos past. Perhaps I should splash a bit of color on them and see what we get. Too precious to part with I agree. My favorites were the ones sketched at your daughter’s age… on envelopes to far away uncles…. scrap paper…. even an etch-a-sketch. A mom sees the beauty in them all!
Love both of your works! And glad to know that I have one of those character freckled faces. It’s what makes us unique! Amen!
As an artist and a mother of three, this idea strikes a chord with me (and the illustrations are so beautiful). I have a very, very creative and artistic 6 year old whose art impresses me, and Myla’s is just as good (if not better). So, my question is this: what types if materials do you recommend that will hold up with a (rough and tumble) 6 year old’s pen and watercolor (if that’s what you use)? It almost looks like guache. I’ll get the book for our coffee table!!! Thank you.
Oh I love that you have a creative kid, too! I’m not sure if you’re asking what materials we use? I wrote a post on it awhile back (here) but we draw in ballpoint, color in marker, and add highlights in acrylic. It’s a lot of fun! I hope you get to try it out, and thank you so much!
I am doing a speech on how kids influence art and I came across your site and I just would like to say that this is perfect and the stuff you and your daughter do together is amazing!
I would love to get in touch with you for my speech!
I’d be happy to! Feel free to email me at busymockingbird@gmail.com. Thanks!
J’aime beaucoup vôtre travail, félicitations …!!!
Hi Mica, I just discovered your blog, and I love it! especially your collaborations with your girl. It gives me a lot of ideas. I love drawing, although I am not very good at it. Keep going!
Hi Mica, I just discovered your blog, and i´m inspired by your collaborations with your daughter. You really inspired me and i also got a lot of ideas, what i can do with my future art students, thank you so much.
And i also love your Frida Art Print 🙂
Amazing blog you have here! Added to my favorites 🙂 Keep up the AMAZING work!
I’m super psyched about following this blog! I follow a lot of writers and do not have much art in my reader, as I am not a visual artist – but I love the work I’m seeing and can’t wait to see more. What you said about the mockingbird makes me think of the adage that all artists steal. I mean that in the best possible way!
[…] Mica Angela Hendricks is an artist and author who loves to collaborate with her young daughter on detailed, fantastical illustrations. Check out her work at Busy Mockingbird. […]
Viva la mockingbird! May we all find the song within us.