One of my favourite blogs to call in on  a regular basis over the fast few years has been Christine Mason Miller’s - some of you may know her formerly as Swirly.  I’ve been reading her newly released book Desire to Inspire and it’s got some very juicy morsels of encouragement and a few good ole kick up the you-know-whats! This is the perfect companion to my recent quest to define the real reason why I paint and do what I do. It’s easy to say because I love it, but why?  I think Christine may have given me the perfect answer…

“…every step taken toward your most passionate, meaningful life is the highest service you can offer the world.  When you honor the sparkle within you- as a mother, a gardener, a runner-you light the way for others to do the same for themselves.  You can set an example for possibility and passion by doing something as simple as taking an art class, writing an authentic blog, or preparing a beautiful dinner party.  The world needs your spark-your beautifully unique and powerful spirit-every step, no matter how small, matters” pp79

and it crystalizes further for me in this passage taken from her book Ordinary Sparkling Moments…

“when we focus our energy toward constructing a passionate, meaningful life, we are tossing a pebble into the world, creating a beautiful ripple of inspiration.  When one person follows a dream, tries something new, or takes a daring leap, everyone nearby feals that energy and before too long they are making their own daring leaps and inspiring yet another circle”

Well on that note I thought I’d share with you my latest foray into a more abstract type of work.  The first image is a sneak peak into some of the hidden layers and the second is the final piece.  Although I’m having lots of fun with this, there’s more lovely patterns on my easel to show you next!

So in the words of Florence the Cat (above), “why are you waiting for an invitation to be awesome?”

XDH

What
Is the
Root of all these
Words? (creations?)
One thing:  love.
But a love so deep and sweet
It needed to express itself
With scents, sounds, and colors
That never before
Existed.

~Hafiz (bold mine)

photo my own – mid-west Australia en-route to Canarvon

Hi everyone!  A friend of mine is heading over to Israel to  be a part of the first FOI (I think that’s an acronym for Friends of Israel) Chapter conference in Israel.  She’s pretty darned excited but needing to raise a bit of money to get there.  In order to help her do that, I’m donating one of my paintings to the cause.  I have one painting left from my exhibition last June  which you can see here…

Delicate Light

48 x 35″ Acrylic on canvas (gallery wrap)

My friend Louise Hansen needs the money within about 12 days so that she can book flights, pay for the conference etc so I really want to sell this painting  ASAP!  In order to do that, I’ve decided two things.  Firstly, I’m dropping the price!  I want this to be a win/win opportunity, so that whoever purchases this painting does so at an absolute bargain!  And (2) that the purchaser knows that almost all the money will be going to a great cause.  I say almost, because I will be keeping just enough of the sale proceeds to cover the cost of the canvas and paints.  Sooo…

The painting will be up for sale at the reduced price of $550.00 (that’s a $200 saving!) I will take $150.00 to cover costs only, and then I will donate $400.00 to my friend Louise Hansen to put towards her trip.  I will also get Louise upon her return (she doesn’t know this yet to  do an interview here with me to share with you all about how the trip went and share some photos too, so you will be able to see exactly what that money helped to contribute to. 

So, here it is again  – first in best dressed, as they say…

This lovely big 48×35″ canvas, ready to hang on your wall for only $550.  $150 of which I will keep to cover costs, and $400.00 to donate to help pay for Louise Hansen’s conference in Israel.

There you go folks.  If you are interested, then post a message in the comments section below, and as I mentioned, first one to do so will be the owner of Delicate Light!

XDH

Have you heard of Myers Briggs?  It’s a personality test and I had the opportunity to complete the whole thing years ago as part of a professional development (pd) course whilst teaching.  Supposedly it was to help with staff relations?  Anyway, it was amusing because I continually scored either exactly in the middle of, or slightly to one side of the sliding scale of emotions/traits.   I remember at one point needing to choose between these 4 archetypes as we were trying to narrow down our own personality type.  I cant remember exactly what they were right now, but I was completely frustrated not being able to choose between two of them.  I think the lady who was running the PD had had enough of me and my inability to choose.  I asked for her help and  (after she huffed and puffed a bit) then proceeded to point out that I couldn’t possibly be both of these types as:  (pointing to image a)” if you were this type of person you’d most likely be in the military, very organized, likes regimentality, ordered, etc… And if you were this one, then you’d be more of the creative, the hippie type, free and wanting to travel the country in a Kombi with a paintbrush in your hand “  etc etc…At this point I should tell you, that at the point of taking that test I was a lieutenant in the Australian Army!  And as it’s turned out, I’m a a hippy wanderer, Kombi loving artist too  

So what’s the point you may be asking?  The point is, I am completely in love with patterns.  With creating patterns, digital, precise, ordered and lovely, and yet on the other hand, I just want to get wild and free and make some beautiful big abstract pieces as well.  I think that for a while now this has really been an issue for me.  Not consciously, but deeper down on some other unspoken-of level.  I haven’t really articulated it up until now, but I just felt like I had to be one style.  That a good artist, a respected artist had a definite style, a recognisable voice. 

And, that may well be true in some art circles.  But it has taken me 39 years to realise that this is me and be at peace with it.  The way I’m deciding to approach this revelation is to regard it as an asset rather than a problem or creative deficiency.  I’m going to see if this can work for me, rather than against… 

psssst – don’t tell anyone, but I think that I might just  fuse these two styles together in my next exhibition in June.   Even I don’t know what I’m likely to come up with next, but I know that I’m starting to feel more and more comfortable with the fact that I can actually be both things creatively and I don’t have to choose one pathway or the other.  *sigh* just saying that makes me feel so much better

 Here’s a little taste of my divided heart.  These are some of the paintings I’ve completed this year.  I just received a delivery of 40 canvases on friday so now I can go shopping in my garage and get all these ideas out of my head and breathe life into them!  So excited!

Waiting for the Perfect Moment 19 x 19″

It’s a Big World Baby…1m x 1m

Letter to Florence 1m x 1m

Rest a While 1m x 1m

Thanks for calling in, have a great week!

XDH

If you could go back to your eight year old self now in a time machine and giver her/him any words of wisdom, what would it be?  What would you tell your little self not to be afraid of?  Whom not to listen to?  Wouldn’t it be great!  It was this stream of thought which inspired this new painting for me.  This is Florence, our new cat – well actually I’m not sure if she will be Florence or Pearl, but anyway…  That record there ( do you even know what a record is???!) is an a replica of one of my childhoos records.  I had read along books with records and I loved following along and listening to the stories…

If I could go back in a time machine and visit my eight year old self, I would tell her this:

You are so brave and adventurous – don’t take the safe road – explore this wide beautiful world!

You are not big boned – just a beautiful, healthy little girl.

You can run – despite what Sr Clare says.

You are an artist, even though you didn’t paint the big rabbit on the shed wall…

Being an all-rounder isn’t a bad thing – it’s great!

Don’t worry if Cheryl Marron deosn’t want to play with you or be your friend – you have no idea how many awesome friends are ahead of you as you journey through life – there’s heapsa and they’re beautiful, inspiring and encouraging people…

So…  How about you?  What woul dyou say to your eight year old self?  How could those thoughts inspire you to create your own painting?  Why not blog about it and link back to here, I’d love to see!

XSH

Rest A While

Acrylic and canvas

30 x 30″

I’ve been itching to press beyond what I know and try some more abstract pieces.  Get big.  Paint big.  Paint wild and free!  Here’s the first of what I hope to be many more.  It’s titled Rest A While, in honour of one of my favourite passtimes, making a fresh pot of tea.  I mean really, when there’s a crisis, when a friend drops by, or while waiting for paint to dry, what else is there to do but brew a fresh pot! 

Oh, don’t worry though – I’m still roaring ahead with many more patterns in paint as well – it’s my split personality at work

XDH

 Have you ever heard of The Brave Girls Club?  Well if not, then perhaps it’s time you did.  I came across the heart behind the club Melody Ross through the Hello Soul Hello Business course and I’m completely loving that space right now.  Each day there are these lovely tasty morsels of encouragement for big girls, small girls and inbetween girls – everyone! 

Here’s one of those tasty truth morsels from last week which really resonated with me.  I love that whole idea of having your little cry but then getting brave and getting over it to show the world you’re not beaten.  As Kallie puts it “it’s time to put our brave-girl boots on, pull them all the way up, do a little dance in them and then get back to work”  Actually, on brave girl boots – have you got a pair?  I reckon I could be ultra brave in these…

or very comfortably warm and  brave in these!

Actually I do have a pair of these brave girl boots and they are full of Aussie brave! 

Love that gutsy girl power!  Thanks Brave Girls Club and thanks Kallie!

XDH

I always get really nervous and anxious when painting a commission.  So much so I possibly should’nt accept them!  But deep inside I know it will work out in the end.  Well I always hope it will…

In taking on commissioned work, I’m learning to be brave and step out and push beyond my comfort zones, stretch to my perimeter and see what I’m made of!  I do enjoy a personal challenge!  Today was confirmation of that when a customer came to collect her painting.  I’m always accutely aware of that moment when they first lay eyes on it – I can see whether or not they genuinely love it or not, and I can tell you, she LOVED it!    *phew* !  I’m so relieved and happy that another one of my paintings go out into the world to be proudly placed in a new home, thus completing the circle from blank canvas, to home on the wall… Joy!

This painting is acrylic and glass beads on canvas.  I haven’t even really got a name for it yet!  When you stand in front of it, you feel as though you are under water – a sense of calm and cool.  But then, there’s also a sense of looking down at the earth from above, almost as though it’s a topographic map of an estuary or lake…  Have you any ideas?  I’d love to hear!

XDH

ps – another 43 degree day today – did you know that’s 109.4 F ???? 

Last post I shared with you a little bit about the painting that was accepted into the Mid West Art Prize Exhibition.  Today – I just wanted to show you the one that didn’t make the cut!  I really love this one just as much because as i mentioned before, I am just starting out to have a play with pattern and design in paint.  I don’t feel bad that it didn’t get accepted, because I really love it.  i understand that not everyone will love my work, that’s ok.  And the good thing is that I can now say that I have one painting for my exhibition!!!

Anthropophily Heterophyllous Jensonii

“Peacock Plant”

105 x 105 cm

Acrylic on canvas

A curious plant with showy growth habit, dense foliage and interesting peacock-like flowers mimicking both crown and tail feathers.  Height to 2m. Drought tolerant, easy in cultivation.  Prefers coastal sandy conditions, full sun to part shade.

This is a painting I also finished a few weeks ago for a local business called Us&Them titled Run Little Dog.  I did post it to Facebook, but have since had it professionally photographed and wanted to share   I’m really excited about the possibilities that are whirring around in my brain to explore more of this new style I see emerging in my work, and also the direct intention to start to incorporate pattern and design as well. 

I’m so glad that three years ago I shook off some dusty old fears which told me I’d never be able to paint anything ‘good’ .  I’m so glad that from somewhere inside I started listening to my brave voice, because the journey has been so exciting so far, and it’s only just begun…

XDH

Earlier today a letter arrived,  one I have been waiting for anxiously for seven. long. days. 

Last week I submitted two of my paintings into the Mid West Art Prize, and guess what?  One of them was accepted!  Woohoo, very big happy dances over here!  Although I must say it was a bitter sweet experience as one of my dear friends did not get accepted.  This is hot on the heels of some discussions I’ve been having with friends lately about the subjectiveness of art and wether it is deemed to be ‘good’ or ‘liked’ in the art world.  It’s tough isn’t it?  One person may love a piece that another one dislikes.   It can be a rocky road at times…  Something I’m learning more about in the Hello Soul, Hello Business course is that authenticity is key.   Being accutely aware of why we do what we do, and making sure that our internal compass is set to our true north to direct us on our soul path is the most important part of being in a creative biz.    If we are swayed by what other people think, and paint what we think may be liked, or accepted then in the end it will all come undone.  I know that my friend has painted her true authentic beautiful self, and her pieces although not accepted, were amazing.  So i take my hat off to her for being such a great example of being steadfast and focused on the big picture.  

 Defining my creative language, my accent, my true style.  These have been key for me in the past year.  And the reason why I’m particularly happy about this piece, is because I believe it’s my best work so far. 

“See ‘Im Dog Tree Miss?” Acrylic on canvas 1.2 m x 1.2m

It was inspired by a few different ideas and experiences.  For starters, you may recall that I’m doing an on-line course in surface pattern and design.  This is something I’m new to, and absolutely love and want to develop further.  So I knew that with this piece, I wanted to incorporate a repeat pattern of some description, and have a play with pattern in paint.

Secondly, I have a very distinct memory from a time when I was teaching in a remote Aboriginal community in the Kimberley.  Each friday, we (linguist, female elders, children and myself) would pile into the troopies and head off to a pre-determined place where we’d hear dreaming stories, make billy tea or cook damper or gather bush tucker.  It was a time rich in culture and it was my absolute favourite part of the week.  I remember travelling those dusty gravel roads and loving the banter of the children, the dry wind in my face and the beautiful desert scenery.  There was one point along the road which followed a plateau with trees silhouetted on top.  Each time we passed there, the kids would get excited and exclaim “see ‘im dog tree miss?  See im, see im???!!!”  and get really excited when I could make out the distinct shape of a dog’s head for a brief moment when the angle was just right!  Can you see the dog tree?

I also wanted to paint the background with intention rather than let it just unfurl on its own.  I wanted it to resemble the colours of the sunset as that too is a resonating image from my time spent ‘up north’.

This memory reminded me of the times I would lye on my back as a young girl and make pictures from the clouds.  I loved that.  And so there you have it, that is the story behind this piece. 

And d’you know what?  If I dont win any prizes, then I’m completely ok with that.  I’m just so honoured to know that one of my paintings will be  hanging on the wall in the regional art gallery – completely and utterly chuffed!

XDH