Artwork by Michael DiLello

“Mikey D” – The Chiropractor/Artist

I am a widowed, single father of three children. I am a Chiropractor by profession. I also have FSH Muscular Dystrophy. I was diagnosed in November 2004. In October of 2008, I could no longer practice due to my condition. When I was a pre-adolescent, I realized that I was able to draw. I was able to look at images in magazines and mostly comic books and recreate them in a pencil drawing. My talent was very raw at first, but the more I drew the better my drawings were. As I got older there would be periods where I would drawing all the time. And there were also periods where I wouldn’t draw for months or years. No matter how much time passed, the quality of my drawings never diminished.

I love drawing. It brings me peace in my life. I lose all track of time and I’m totally in the moment. It is a gift that I’m eternally grateful for. Each one of my children are also very artistic and creative.

The main challenge I have in art is my inability to draw from my “imagination.” I would love to learn and hone that skill.

I would also like to learn how to work with different mediums. Most particularly colored pencil. I have seen some amazing colored pencil work and it has sparked my interest.

I have been receiving emails from the Drawing Academy and I have been reading some of the testimonials of past and present students. I’m very impressed and I think it’s a very high quality art education.

I would like to win the Drawing Academy Contest because I would like to enhance peoples lives with art. Being that I am unable to work in the profession I love, I would like to purse a career in art – my first real passion. Especially pencil portraits. That is my favorite thing to do.

People should vote for me because I’m a very passionate and dedicated person. Whenever I pursue an endeavor that I love and believe in, there is no stopping me. I really want to enhance and impact peoples lives through art. I love making pencil portraits for people I love and care about. The expression on their face and the emotional response when they see themselves in a pencil portrait, is great satisfaction for me.

Attached is a pencil portrait that I made of my daughter – Jackie.