Imperfect PLAY

Play - print available here

I have been finally reading Julia Cameron's, "The Artist's Way". I don't really know why I put it off for so long. Maybe I presumed to know what it was about. Maybe I thought she'd whip my butt into shape and I wasn't ready for that. Whatever my reason,.....it was there standing in my way. This year, for me, has been all about letting things emerge by being still. By letting my imperfectness just be. To go through life at an unhurried pace.....to enjoy the process of life like I enjoy the process of painting. I'll admit the being still and unhurried pace is a real struggle for me. But Wayne Dyer and Deepak Chopra and assured me that if you take the this path of expending the least amount of effort the universe will work in ways that will not only surprise you but you will actually get MORE things done. To not Force things......to let them evolve naturally and just in time as they always have.

So I've been writing my morning pages for 4 days and a bit of a poem emerged on the 2nd day. 

imperfect play 

feeling in the moment, expanding

fingertips out to reach, but slip

in their thoughts of perfection.

so where do they hold on to next?

its that middle ground where imperfections play

where mistakes frolic, and where true love resides

its where a scrape on the knee results from

playing so hard and forgetting the rule of gravity

it is this magical realm 

where i don't have  to be 

perfect or accepted. 

to just play....acting silly

and being so uniquely me, 

i don't have to compete with

the other kids.

 there is no competition in this magic place

only individuals connected as one.

 

the magic that was artfest

Artfest

smiles, sand, bonfire

jenny's song

calm with closed eyes

creating from your 7 year old self

discoveries made

neon bursts of happiness

rainbow serenades

symbols that speak volumes

reaching a place of connectivity

with ourselves and others

tears of uncontrolled inspiration

salted carmel and wine

laughter to the nth degree

hoping to hold the moment

for it to never end

thank you, my friends for making this last artfest truly beautiful. i love you Kym, Sunny, Heather, Jenny, Orly, Cheryl, Kathie, Danielle, Kate, Michelle, Janna, Dawn, Sarah, Glenny, Marie, Lisa, Liz, Jesse, Lana, Juliette, John, Misty, Katie, Miss Mindy, Catherine, Betsy, Mary Beth, and Serena.

and to all my awesome, amazing, inspiring, rock star students. keep painting and make those beautiful mistakes!!

 Kym and Jenny

we met at Play and instantly connected.

you guys are medicine for my soul!

inspiring student work from my Expressive Color class

 the massive line of paintings from Expressive Color

I encouraged the students to work on several simultaneously

to detach themselves a bit

Some folks did 2, 3, 4, or even 5 paintings!

 more crazy awesome work from the Expressive Color class

Everyone really embraced the Neon color pallette

 students photographing the batch of bird and bunny

paintings in my All 'a Flutter class

more sweet, amazing birds and bunnies

i loved how everyone's pieces looked so uniquely their own

they painted with their soul and what came about was

absolutely beautiful.

i had tears of joy and realized teaching is not only rewarding

but can reach folks on a level only art would be able to go.

Soars to the stars

 Topper - original 14"x18"

available here

"she soars to the stars
forgetting the hindrances
trying to hold her back
she is free to fly
and becomes one with the night
she is finally strong
finally brave
to live her dreams again!"

Art and Soul Magic

Before heading to art and soul to study again with Jesse Reno my goal was loosen up but what I came away with was way more. If you have never studied with Jesse...(and i call it study because its WAY more than just taking a class....its a new way of thinking....a magic that is revealed) he is an amazing story teller. 

 In the Follow the Leader class, I had a break-through. Jesse was giving us prompts and something just clicked and revealed itself to me. Here is what I wrote on the back of this painting:

Moon Sees and watches

orchestrating magic

she swims, he observes

a deer frolics in the frigid ocean

under the full moon

uninhibited magic

I realized in the midst of painting this that the story revealed to me was the moon and how it affects each of the figures I was painting. About a year ago upon leaving the Oregon coast the group that I was with were all taking photos of the bright full moon and we noticed a deer playing in the ocean......frolicking among the snowflakes and waves.

If you have followed my story.......in the beginning I saw the moon over the sea on the west coast. It was at this very moment that bravery entered my spirit and said out loud i want to paint!

on the last night after dinner we noticed the bright, FULL  moon shining over the ocean!

 me and jesse

my chief!

my mentor and friend

thank you for sharing your story, your energy, and all that is you

Jesse and Mindy collaboration drawing

 me and donna

i love you, your light, your spirit, your energy

me and andrea

we sat next to each other in Follow the Leader

much growth and high vibrational energy was felt.

love you girl!

Friends and love

The other day I had not only one but two pieces of love land in my mailbox......

poem -left by Jenny Messerle and bloom collage -right by Jennifer Belthoff

Jenny and I met at the PLAY retreat in Port Townsend. I really can't explain the highly vibrational energy I felt when I first entered the room where we all created....(sometimes till midnight) but Jenny was so much a part of that magic. There were tears, laughter, and hugs. There was so much love and energy flowing....at times it was so much my heart could almost burst. 

Jenny shared poems, songs, and her amazing art throughout the retreat. we were so lucky to have her there!

I love you Jenny!!

I would like to share a portion of the poem Jenny wrote just for me:

Rainbow Creator by Jenny Messerle

"strawberry red freezer pops that melted and i'd drink....

yellow icing on a smiley-face cake...

lime green jello and mystery-flavored jelly rolls....

amidst the turmoil of growing up -

pockets of peace and happy moments.

these are also the colors radiating from her paintings,

reminding me of childhood delights and replacing my worries and concerns

with cheerfulness and innocence

paintings, paintings, paintings

she supplies to the world

each painting an extension of her spirit and outlook

through her presence and paintings

she creates rainbows in people's rainy hearts

and shines sunlight on cloudy dispositions and in every dark nook"

as i sit and type this and re-read this poem, tears are welling up and chills come over me....

to have someone see this light that I feel inside and to express it so uniquely and exactly how i feel inside is one of the most powerful energies i have felt. all i ever want to do with this life of mine is to "create rainbows in people's rainy hearts". wow. jenny, you have captured my heart and shone the colors of your soul bright. so bright in my heart! i will cherish this poem forever.....

and speaking of energies.....my girl Jennifer has been inspiring me for years now....

it seems not so long ago that she wrote words that spoke to my soul. to believe in myself and to realize that beauty can be seen in the sorrow. to get up from being dragged in the mud....and to shine even brighter than before.  She encourages me and gives me so much. her friendship is like a friendship of no other. we have something special. when we get together, there is just something that clicks. we understand each other. it is without a doubt.....something powerful. a connection that could only be devised from something higher.

if you haven't visited her blog, i encourage you to visit it and visit it often. she is so prolific and her poems may change your life. they did mine!

i love you my two Jennifer's! whose words fill up my heart. you both mean the world to me.....

Doodles Unleashed!!

 I'm so excited to announce that my friend Traci Bautista has just had a new book launched!!! Its called "Doodles Unleashed" and I'll tell you that when I received this on my doorstep.....I just gobbled it up and could NOT put it down. You will go crazy with all the eye candy and crazy fun prompts, tips, and inspiration!! Bravo Traci girl......

You can find her book here on Amazon but why not head over to Traci's etsy shop and get a signed copy!!

 

I had the opportunity to meet Traci last summer in Arizona at the Art Unraveled retreat where Traci, Danielle, and I ventured out in the 113 degree temps to thrift shop. Oh the fun! We also happened across a cute, cute candy shop.

Head over to the book tour page to see more of all the goodness about this book....

Here are some amazing vintage fabric inspirations that Traci shares with us:

 

 

"In my new book Doodles Unleashed, I share many of my inspirations for creating doodles in my mixed media paintings include vintage fabric. The hunt for inspiration is an important part of my art making process.  I am continually inspired by the colors, patterns and textures from vintage fabric and clothing.  I often go to thrift, vintage and antique stores not only to shop but for inspiration, taking photos of the things that call out to me creatively. I use these photos to inspire my drawings and color palettes in my artwork.  Have fun exploring and looking with different eyes when you shop!"

Creative jumpstarts:

• Grab your camera and head to your favorite thrift store and take snapshots of the colorful fabrics and items that you like.
• Look at your photos and paint your page with the colors in the photos or doodle the patterns on your art journal page, let the photos inspire your mark-making.
• draw a pattern from one photo, then take another photo and draw another pattern on the same page
• doodle the pattern with watercolor and brush instead of a pen
• look for vintage patterns online..search google, fashion blogs & magazines
• create a swatch book of vintage patterns
• explore your favorite fashion designer collections for patterns

Registration is OPEN for Paint Your Story!!!

Registration is now open 

for Paint Your Story!!

click here