My new painting has the longest name ever! But when I tried to rename it especially to make it easier for Sam at Late September (who is the poor person who has to say the name when anyone enquires about it) I just couldn't. From very early on in the painting process this became it's name without any doing of mine. 

Angels Have Wings Because They Are Not Afraid To Fly

The idea of flight and believing in yourself is such an exciting prospect. Fear stops a lot of us from doing many things. It is often the fear of failure that prevents us from living true to who we are. Fear also gets in the way of creativity too, being fearful of making mistakes or creating something from within your very being that may not be accepted or liked by others. I don't believe in being fearless, this quite often comes with risky choices or dangerous outcomes but to step into your fear, acknowledge it and walk through it carefully to the other side, reaps such great rewards. I'm quite taken by the idea that Angels own their wings, were given them because they always had faith in knowing how to use them. What beautiful things were you given that you are not afraid to take flight with? 

My new painting can be found at the lovely Sam's at Late September in Glenbrook. 
Prints of my paining can be found in my Redbubble shop.

It's quite an amazing feeling "finding" yourself or being back in touch with yourself. In so many ways it brings a clarity to all parts of life. I'm getting ready to start a new canvas and I will be taking this theme along for the ride.

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. 

 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.