Yesterday's Mixed Media Workshop was lots of fun, full of colour and smiles. We had elephants, hearts and anchors all being framed by the end of the day. Creative abandon was had by all! Thank you to the very talented Kylie Carson for the lovely captures.
0 Comments
I am running another mixed media art workshop tomorrow, and I love how the ideas for this project are limitless. My beautiful boy made this Elephant in the last workshop and I had it printed (in my Redbubble shop) for him onto a cushion. He has such a sense of satisfaction when he looks at it.
As some of you know, I have been having a love affair with Elephants for a while. There is so much to love about them and I think the main one is their love. They are so full hearted and gentle with their herds and family, yet they are such huge and strong creatures. It is no wonder then that Ganesh is such a well worshiped Hindu deity, also know as the God of beginnings. I love the beginning of something, a new day, the start of a new art work, a new group of people at my art workshops and especially the beginning of a journey. So in fact my new art work could be called "The Beginning" but I am looking forward to seeing "The Elephant God" around. SHOP
My new iPhone case arrived today and I know I am going to love my Pineapple design during our upcoming summer. My Redbubble shop has also just released the new cases for the iPhone 6. To shop phone cases click HERE
So much to do and explore around this neck of the woods. A clean out happened but it hasn't opened up any extra space at all, some writing and playing with elephants. A walk along a new undiscovered (to us) headland, I taught one of my beautiful boys how to make a Mandala and I am in love with the sultry tones of Sam Smith (and my coffee). Have a great weekend.
One thing our new generation does really well (and maybe a little too much) is "put themselves out there". With the selfie, Face Book, Tinder, Snapchat, and other platforms these guys manage to express themselves so easily. This is not about the repercussions of the next generation, but rather why do we, as artists find it so hard? We all dabble, I have a Web Page, Face Book ART page and Instagram but I am not as candid as many younger people are. I like to share, but really not too much. I discovered today why. It's about being brave enough to withstand the recourse. No matter what people say on social media you can't "unread" it, you can go back and delete it but the conversation has already gone "out there". It's great to put yourself out there but you have to be ok with the "feed back", it takes a strong person not to take things and comments too personally. Whether you are an artist sharing your work with the world or a teenager posting a selfie, just remember why it is you are doing it? Then, know that you don't need validation from the masses, validate yourself. I have been dabbling with imagery of elephants, I like to entrust my art with everyone because I believe the world can only be a better place when creativity and art are shared. A very beautiful friend of mine bought this original art work for her daughter. She wanted it to be a reminder to her that she had the ability & the potential to be creative. The word un-limiting usually refers to the mind and its experience with the Divine, it is a word used in Buddhist teachings to also express the minds freedom and peace. How do we get free from limitations? I am big believer that everyone can be creative and the only thing holding people back is the limitations that they put on themselves. "I'm not creative". "I take bad photos". "Art is not my thing". Everyone has the potential to make beautiful things, we do it everyday with out even realising. We cook delicious meals to nourish our bodies, we use creative methods to parent and many more. If you believe you are a creative being and unlimit the mind, imagine how much happiness it would provide to your life? “We think that accomplishing things will complete us, when it is experiencing life that will.” Mark Nepo The last of my "Aloha" wood art panels went to it's new home last week. I know it will be loved and is part of a new beginning.
Letting go is hard but done kindly can be valuable, work with what is working and not was isn't. be Brave to transform and change what you know isn't right. The above pictures show two paintings at three different stages. A blossoming of the paintings took over once I could detached myself from trying to control the outcome.
"You know what’s wrong with you, Miss whoever you are? You’re chicken, you’ve got no guts. You’re afraid to stick out your chin and say “Ok life’s a fact, people do fall in love, people do belong to each other because that’s the only chance any body’s got for real happiness. You call yourself a free spirit a wild thing and you’re terrified somebody’s going to stick you in a cage. Well baby you’re already in that cage, you built it yourself and it’s not bounded on the west by Tulip, Texas or on the east by Somaliland it’s where ever you go, because no matter where you run, you just end up running into yourself.”
- Paul Varjak (Fred) This is an art work I made for a Black & White exhibition (that I never entered). It now belongs to a beautiful lady in my life. I never quite realised, at the time of falling in love with the above quote out of Breakfast at Tiffany's, that it was about the importance of showing your vulnerabilities to someone you trust to maintain connection. |
AuthorSydney based mixed media artist. Archives
August 2023
Categories
All
|
Support |
© COPYRIGHT 2015. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
|