Course Review and Insights - Life Book and Soul Food

Life Book and Soul Food are in progress and as I said a few days ago HERE the focus for Tuesdays on the blog for 3 weeks out of the 4 will change slightly as I share insights and Ahha moments from the courses that I am doing, while sharing some of the work. In an ideal world I would just be doing my work on the courses, but the reality for most of us is that life still goes on in the meantime. There is no pause button, so being realistic you can’t get everything done at once, it just isn't possible and choices have to be made.

In both courses we have already had quite a few videos to watch and techniques to try out, while we battle with the ‘Critic’, and mine tells me ‘I don’t have the time’ and that it isn’t necessary to grow or stretch myself, and by no means climb out of my comfort zone. My critic is the one who wants me compare myself to other artists as I sit up watching anything on sky tv – flicking through the channels until at least 1am rather than be in my studio space being creative, perhaps what the critic needs is a holiday with a roller coaster ride of adventure to shake it up a bit!

Within all the chatter and the noise the still small voice says ‘don’t be afraid, everything will be alright, you can do all things, I will give you the strength, step out in faith, your steps will be ordered and when you can’t stand, I will carry you, standing in the gap for you!’  

What I‘ve been doing so far on the courses is thinking about what I am learning from each contributor, what is it that is an encouragement to my own work and the processes that I use. There isn’t always going to be something, but even doing something different from the way you would normally do it will help you come back refreshed. 

A couple of things that I am trying to do is be freer with the techniques and playing with the materials, thinking about colour and how I use it in my work and whether I can be bolder experimenting more with the materials that I have. 

In Life Book Tam did some useful exercises around the colour wheel and i thought about the different ways I use it and how I can experiment with colour more within my work.

My Encourager

Be strong in heart because miracles can happen 

This image came out for me as that gentle reminder that I just need to be who I have been called to be through my work.

In Soul Food, Mystele shared with us how she uses her gelli plate, I don’t have one but have been improvising with a Perspex plate using the tools I have and I created a few backgrounds which led to this image;

Fly

The perspex is hard and it dries quite quickly, so I’ll continue to experiment and see what I come up with over the weeks.

Yesterday I spent time watching Gwen Seemels contribution

working with coloured markers and pens and working in layers. I’ve been using Promarkers pens and more recently Spectrum Noir and revisited a page I did 

Love yourself..

And thought that I would spend more time working with the pens as I quite enjoyed it. I had stopped using the Promarkers because I felt that I’d hit a wall, but again just needed to push.

I intend to do more pen based images. What also resonated with some of the things she said was about layers and self portraits. Over the course of around 20 years I have only done 2.  I guess with all the faces I have done over the years there is a little bit of me or my personality in each.

Doing self portraits really gets us to look at ourselves and we need to do this from time to time. We can be too hard on ourselves, and walk with the perception of what we think others are seeing and then depending on your frame of mind see yourself how you think others are seeing you or how you think they think you should be seeing yourself! ((Really).... – did that make sense to you?).

I only want to see myself the way God sees me...

My Heart Overflows

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings an crowned him with glory and honour...Psalm 8:3-5

I want to see the gifts and talents I have been blessed with used to bless others. My word for the year which I’ll remind myself of again is ‘attention to detail’ – what exactly can you hear, see, smell, feel, taste – and being present, all of me in every situation. I want to see the seeds that I planted and tended last year bear fruit this year. I am looking for growth, change, sometimes it will be uncomfortable and awkward, sometimes I’ll share, sometimes not, but we are going to see new opportunities, doors opening, new techniques learnt and we will be speaking of miracles. I don’t want to be the same or do the same things that I did last year and I plant to work hard to see those things come to pass.

Planted by the River

Let me encourage you as you face your own journey, to really see yourself, who you really are, the whole you, not a fragmented image. It is not an overnight transformation but a slow and steady pace, a get you up early and stay focused pace that calls on you to be here in the moment right now!

If you are talking either Soul Food or Life Book or any other course that is great, it would be lovely to hear how you have found the course so far, share your insights. If you hadn’t taken the step yet, it is still early days and you don’t need to worry about catching up. Whatever you do today do it with meaning, passion and intent. I am looking forward to sharing other insights with you along the way. Blessings!

Stepping out of the Boat - Creating in Faith

Time to step out of the boat

Anything that is worth having you not only have to work hardfor it, but you also have to step out of your comfort zone'.  I know that the times where I have made a bigger effort the results are more rewarding because you can appreciate the hard work that went into it. As you look back you really see your achievements and the steps you took to get where you were to where you wanted to be.  

We can sometimes get complacent, too comfortable or even lazy when it comes to making those changes, but with perseverance you will see the results of your hard work.

You need to get out of the boat and walk!

It is easy to decide to do nothing and not make changes, cause change happens whether you decide to act or not. You can do nothing and not make any decisions and decide to leave things the way that they have always been, but do you think the way it has always been done is working for you?  Take some time to think about it for a moment.  Think about what your purpose in this world, if that is too scary, think about what your purpose is for the next week and how different you want it to be, what do you want to achieve this week that you never thought possible last week, what will it look like?, who will it effect, how will it really change your life?  If you want things to be different you have to move cause change is caused by motion, whether it is on a grand scale or if it is a little bit at a time, one day, one thought, one action at a time.

Stepping out of the boat, out of our comfort zone  requires us to have faith - which is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen....  The bible also tells us that 'I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength' Philippians 4:13.  What things have you been sitting on that you really want to try, you've been giving yourself that excuse time and time again and keep telling yourself 'soon' or 'I'll do it the next time', next month or next year, and time passes and before you know it next year has come and another 3 went along with it.  I want to encourage you for 2014 where ever you are on your journey not to be fearful of what is to come, not to be afraid of what you can see, or what other people are saying.  Take a step out of the boat that you are in and have faith that with each step you can make that difference, that change.

Get a different perspective

I started this series of creating in faith posts last year July after been asked by my fellow artist and friend Mika Diaz on Motley Soul to contribute to one of the groups on her site, and now a year and then some has passed you can see my first post HERE. It has been a real journey, and I have come out after a year having grown.  I have gained new insight, which I am looking forward to be able to see just how far I have come.  I have created a series of creative bookmark holders, and pieces of art, capturing prayers, thoughts, desires and dreams, of which I know some have been answered, often as a result of changing perspective.  I will be sharing my reflections next week and share what I will be doing next as a project on my blog. Have a blessed week, leave a comment, let me know what steps you will be taking for change this week.

The Lord is my shepherd;  I shall not want.  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul... Psalm 23:1-3

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me..Psalm 23:4

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. Proverbs 16:9

Memories of Home - Mixed Media House Series

Memories of Home - 5 x 7 in mixed media painting

Memories of home, is a weekly series of art and reflections of home.  I will be sharing a selection of mixed media 4x7 houses that I have been making, that capture different elements of home either that I currently enjoy or that I remember as a child.  I had originally started making these as one of the monthly challenges on Motley Soul, but the challenges of life got in the way!    I have decided to continue to make and share the houses, which are made from a selection of materials.  As I continue to make the mixed media houses they take me back to times past and in contrast how very different things are now.  I chose a selection of words that all bring back memories of home life, or how I wanted my environment to be ie 'nurturing, relaxing, a sanctuary' things that I want to experience at home and I am sure that others too want to have that place where they can be themselves.  I will share a memory or thought whether from growing up as a child or where I currently live with my family.  Along with the mixed media house, every now and then I will add a journal page or a piece of art around the word for that week.

Earliest Memories

Parliament Hill Fields - age 4

 

My earliest memory of home was when I was around 4 years old.  We lived in 2 rooms on the 2^nd floor of a house.  My mum, dad, me and my brother who was a baby occupied one room and my sister who was 10 years old occupied the other.  A large fireplace dominated the room and at bath times we had a large tin bath which mum used to fill with jugs of water.  I never thought about how it would be emptied, but I guess there are a lot of things that you don’t question as a child you just know that one minute it is full and we are playing, splashing and laughing and the next minute you are being wrapped up in an oversized towel looking forward to the night time snack.

The house that mum currently lives is where I grew up in from the age of 7 until I left home.  As a family we faced the normal ups and downs, the challenges and triumphs and came out the other end.  My sister was the one who started our quest for adventure, if you were bored and wanted something to do when we were kids you went outside and played.  My sister would take me and my brother all over London going to museums and galleries and exploring the sights that people come from around the world to see but many who live here take for granted. When my sister went off to University it was just me and my brother Robert.  We didn’t have the technology they have now and our entertainment was playing outside with a football, or making it up a game as you went along.  The storyline for our adventure games always involved a space ship, aliens, saving the world and low food supplies!

Gardens on our doorstep

 

View from Parliament Hill

We had to make use of our environment, we had Parliament Hill Fields and Hampstead Health on our doorstep.  From a very young age it was one of the places my dad would take us on a sunny Sunday afternoon, and we relished being out in the wide open space.  

Me and Robert continued to use it as our back garden and when we weren’t saving the world we would frequent the adventure play ground with its climbing frames and tyre swings.  We had loads of great memories of our adventures during our 6 week holidays, riding out on our blue scooters and facing the world of ‘aliens’ –  the sweets in our pockets acting as our cloaking devices and energy packs.

Traditions handed down

Back at home, finished your homework, cooked dinners and all of us around the table, the chatter of our voices excited to share what we had done.  Mums cooking could rival any chef and she could put her hand to an amazing array of dishes - the tastes, the aromas, the combinations, she was an amazing cook.  She passed on those skills to us as we developed our own specialities.  Robert mastered making deserts, pies, - mums famous fruit spiced cakes and his custard with a dash of mixed spice and vanilla which he would make from scratch - he made it an art, he made it just right with the balance of texture and flavours, it was on his 'to do list' at every family dinner. My sister mastered fine dining and I was always a ‘lets see what we can make out of this’ type of person.  I love the challenge of learning a recipe and making it my own, altering and creating and entirely new dish.  I like the spontaneous and it depends how I feel what I will cook.

I think back to those days with fondness with the family - no elbows on the table mind you!  but you spent time sharing about your day and more time was spent, listening, laughing and relaxing....

I hope you join me each Wednesday on my journey over the weeks, as I share my mixed media houses and some art journaling and look back to the memories of home, and look forward to you sharing some of your own memories.

Love - Creating in Faith

  I was going to write a long piece about the different types of love and the way in which we love our family and friends, but looking at Corinthians 14:4-7 it shows us quite simply the qualities of love.

Love is patient

love is kind.

It does not envy,

it does not boast,

it is not proud.

It does not dishonour others,

it is not self-seeking,

it is not easily angered,

it keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

It always protects,

always trusts,

always hopes,

always perseveres,

Love never fails 

This is a very useful measuring stick that removes doubt and confusion we can clearly see the character and quality of what love is and equally clearly what it isn’t.  Many things over the centuries have been done in the 'name of love', and caused more harm.  But when you start to think about the qualities that are listed in the scripture, you can begin to understand that the thoughts we have and all the terms we use for love don’t really add up to much...

 
What Love isn’t

It does not envy,

it does not boast,

it is not proud.

It does not dishonour others,

it is not self-seeking,

it is not easily angered,

it keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil

 

What Love is

Love is patient

Love is kind.

Love rejoices with the truth.

It always protects,

always trusts,

always hopes,

always perseveres.

Love never fails.

 

Take some time to think not only about how you love others, but equally how you love yourself.  What are you saying about yourself to others?  We can be quick to bring and let ourselves down. Do you keep your promises to yourself, and look after yourself the way you would want someone to care for you?  Take time this week to give it some thought, make the necessary change.  In a nutshell anything less just isn’t Love!

 

.....the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel ...  Collosians 1:5

Book Review - Art Journals and Creative Healing - Sharon Soneff & Art Cards

I came across this book purely by chance and after reading the introduction knew I had to buy a copy.  Art Journals and Creative Healing is a lovely book with a wealth of contributions and photos shared by many artists.  It follows on from Sharon Soneff's previous book entitled Faith Books and Spiritual Journaling which is on my wish list!

The book is split into two sections, Health and healing for the emotions - which looks at finding peace in the midst of turmoil and Health and healing for the body - finding comfort in the midst of physical challenges.

Each contributing artist shares a piece of their story, how they have used their journals for healing and how you can incorporate them for yourself.  There are a wealth of great ideas for approaching areas that can be quite sensitive, and you work at your own pace.

Dotted throughout the book are a series of worksheets written by Mindy Caliguire to help you recap on the previous chapters prompts and to help you overcome any blocks there are also creative tips.  How deep you choose to go is up to you as you reflect about your journey in your journal but you will find strength and support in the process.  You will also find a great list of resources and biography with contact details of all the contributing artists.  I think it is definitely a book to have on your shelf.

Art Cards

I have also continued to produced my art cards as part of the 21 day Art Challenge with Motley Soul, here are some more of the cards I have done.  It has been really great to do the smaller pieces of art, and try different ideas and styles.  The cards are 4 inch x 6inchs and you use whatever card you have, I have used card that I had used for other backgrounds and then added a new design ....more to come!

21 Days - January Monthly Challenge

My first four cards in the challenge

Have you thought about what you are going to do with all those pieces of papers, cards, or odds and ends that you have in your art collection that you promised you will clear out?  Before you put them in the recycling, why not join me and create a series of twenty one 4 x 6 cards created from decorated paper, scraps, or just about anything you already have.  

 

If you've been to my blog before you know I like a challenge big or small.  I've been playing over at Motley Soul  with Mika on her January challenge and you don't realise how much fun it is until you take part.  There is no fee, lots of encouragement, a series of prompts available if you get stuck, and is a great way to help you de-clutter from all those things you started to create and never quite got finished.  You can create some lovely pieces of small scale art that you can use in future work or bless someone with.  There is no time like the present, so come over and join in!

You can also join me every day this month for the Ultimate blog challenge