Arts and Wellness Cafe - Word for the Week - 'Eager'

 

Arts and Wellness Cafe - Amanda Trought

The word for this week is 'Eager' and we look at the way in which our eagerness translates to our creativity.  What is it that you are eager about in what you do. I love to create and so will find many different types of materials to make something.

I shared above a recycled art journal that I transformed and then used what I had to cover it, it will be a space where I can add to the pages when I want and just create.  Sometimes when I approach an art journal page all I want to do is just add an outline and in this case this is what I did on one of the pages so that I can come back another time and it would already be started

I shared some of the fabric art pieces that I have been working on and decided to work on this one over the next week or so, I am busy looking for fabric to be the backing.

Beading is also an important part of the piece for me and I will be spending time looking through some of the beads that might be just right.

Here is another one that I am looking forward to working on and I also have a wood burned wooden piece to add to it.

I also share details of the book by artist Shimoda and her book - The Art of Care Giving you can check her out HERE or http://www.shimoda-accessories.com

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Come and join me on Patreon and see Patron only videos and posts - Behind the scene footage and more! Check it out HERE

Arts and Wellness Café - Discernment and Creative Projects

 

Welcome to Arts and Wellness Café.  As the week comes to a close we look at the word Discernment and how it using it impacts not only on your life but your creative pursuits as well. 

Here are some of the projects that I shared in the video up close.  The first one is a stitched project, one of my first and I really enjoyed creating.

The other project that I am working on is trying to extract the pigments from flowers and using it to dye fabric. Here I have been using a mortar and pestle 

This is the extracted pigment and the pulp from the flower

Here is the flower - the Clitoria Ternatea and the way it dyes the fabric.  You can also use it as a herbal tea - tastes delicious!

For a herbal tea you place the flowers in the cup and pour hot water onto it.  The blue color is then released.  If you add a couple of drops of lemon juice it turns the water purple instead of blue.

I will be sharing more from the results that I have gotten from other fabrics that have been dyed.  If you want to see behind the scenes of some of the work I am doing you can join me on Patreon

Join me on Patreon

For supplies, if you are interested in creating using the same supplies you can check them out below:

Embroidery Thread - https://amzn.to/3mFeYLC

Hand Embroidery Stitches at a glance - https://amzn.to/2PSpxPy

Fabric squares - https://amzn.to/2PMxExn

Pestle and Mortar - https://amzn.to/3mBdi67

Coffee filter - https://amzn.to/3s8YVHa

Clitoria Ternatea Seeds - https://amzn.to/2QiJb77

Clitoria Ternatea Flowers - https://amzn.to/39ZlwzB

Arts and Wellness Café - Joyous

Come and join me for the Arts and Wellness Episode with the theme Joyous.  Where does your joy come from and how does it flow into your creativity?

You can also hear the Creating in Faith perspective on the podcast 

Arts and Wellness Cafe - Stillness Revisited

Thank you for joining me today in the Arts and Wellness Café, in todays video we revisit the topic stillness and have a chat, I will also be sharing some of the fabric experimenting that I have been doing, alongside a meditation.  

One of the things that we can forget to do for ourselves is have a time where we can be still and reflect, we live in an ever increasingly busy world with social media on top of life and there needs to be a time where we can reflect and take stock of things.

I also review this book on African Textiles as I have been experimenting with wax and dyes and would love to create more traditional cloths to use in my art  

You can check out the review video HERE

Here are some of the pieces I have been experimenting with, I have laid down a pattern with clay, then applied wax to the spaces.  When the wax is removed you get this finish.

This one is my favourite so far

I am still experimenting so watch this space!

It would be great to know how you go about giving yourself some time to 'catch up' with yourself and how often you do it.

Hope you enjoy,  Stay blessed and be a blessing.

Arts and Wellness Café - A continuation of Bliss

 

Have you ever thought about the word bliss and how it relates to your creative walk?  Can you see your work as a vehicle that provides the nurturing moments when you can take stock of your surroundings and feel at peace?  I continue to look at the word bliss and the way in which we can look at our creative journey and find the pockets of bliss within.  

At the end of the video I take a look into one of my art journals and share how you can create one using recycled materials.

PODCAST

Also check out the podcast recording which started us on the journey in search of our bliss!  

I look forward to hearing what things in your creative space brings you bliss.

Arts and Wellness Cafe - Hit the Ground Running - its 2021!

How have you been getting on so far with 2021 off to a start of sorts we find our self half way through the month already!

Here are two of the Arts and Wellness Videos I have shared so far and in this one I consider the season that we are in, or that you find yourself in.

I share some insights in these videos and hope that you find moments of inspiration and maybe a few ah ha moments filled with a touch of laughter here and there.

What Season are you in?

As 2021 continue have you taken a step towards knowing exactly what season creatively you are really in.

It's 2021

What plans have you made for your year ahead?

Enjoy, Stay blessed

Belief - Creating in Faith - Realityarts Podcast

 

Creating in Faith - Belief

 

Thank you for joining me.  Check out the podcast episode for today and also take a look at some of the courses linked below.  We are now in Season 3 of Creating in Faith and I would like to thank all of those over the last 2 years that took time out to listen to the different episodes, it was most appreciated.

Today's word is: Belief 

Creating In Faith Encouraging Recordings are to bless and inspire you to be the best of yourself. It can be really great to pull out your art journal/Journal and express what comes up for you either with images and colour, with words or with both. Check out the weekly and monthly videos to help you spend more time in your art journal. 

There are some courses that I want to remind you to check out that I am teaching on:  

Life Book 2021 

Life Book 7 Day Replay Sessions (FREE)

Creative Jumpstart 2021

One BADASS Art Journal

Loving Healing Creating Summit 

Check me out as well on the following:

YouTube www.youtube.com/amandatrought 

Blog - realityarts-creativity.blogspot.com Patreon Blog - www.patreon.com/realityarts Twitter - www.twitter.com/Realityarts Instagram www.instagram.com/realityarts/ Facebook www.facebook.com/realityartss/ 

Check out some encouraging boards on Pinterest @realityarts ******************************************** 

Artwork available from the title image HERE 

I also have an Arts and Health NHS Network for information on activities and organisations working in the field. You are welcome to join, it is a FREE resource and if you have any activities or want to talk about your work you are welcome to send me the information and I will see that it gets uploaded. You can create your own profile on the network and connect with others who are passionate about the arts in health too.

Painted Fabrics

Painted Fabrics

Painting Fabrics

Here is a short video in which I share with you painting on fabric. It is one of 3 short videos to get you inspired to creatively play with your supplies.

I think it is important to get a view of how things start their journey, usually at this stage as a piece of fabric that gets painted, then it is built upon.

It is great to experiment and find ways to either use the pieces as accents or main feature in a stitched piece. There are many fabrics that you can create different effects with using your art supplies.

I also have an Arts and Health NHS Network for information on activities and organisations working in the field. You are welcome to join, it is a FREE resource and if you have any activities or want to talk about your work you are welcome to send me the information and I will see that it gets uploaded. You can create your own profile on the network and connect with others who are passionate about the arts in health too.

What else is happening:

Come and join me on Patreon 

I am Teaching on Life Book 2021

Arts and Wellness Café - Hopeful Extended

Arts and Wellness Café

Join me in the studio for Arts and Wellness Café where we look at more ways in which 'Hopeful' impacts on you health and well-being.  

I also share with you two short process videos so that you can look at playing with backgrounds, just using Inktense pencils, collage paper in a journal, you can apply colour to the page and use it when you only have a short time to play.

Creating pages in your Art Journal Add colours to the page and activate!

I also catch up with some of the Life Book taster sessions, it is great to be able to see what the other teachers did for their sessions and here is one that I was able to do Inspired by Eulalia Mejia creating the backgrounds, using gesso and going in a mark making on figures, the one below is what we did in the classroom.  

Here is the the one below that I was able to do, it is a lovely exercise and very therapeutic as well with all the mark making.

If you would like to register for Life Book CLICK HERE

Use the code FEELHAPPY20 to get the 20% off at the checkout, you will also get all the taster sessions as well!

Arts and Wellness Cafe - Nurture and Unleash your Creativity

Come and join me in the most recent Arts and Wellness Cafe where you are encouraged to unleash your creativity.  Start trying new things, revive some of those art supplies that are just sitting down doing nothing.  If you are not familiar with the way they work then ask, take a course - you can even connect with me and I will show you how - you can take a look through my YouTube videos and you may find the answers there, above all, just don't give up.

Another thing that you need to be mindful of is 'self nurture' - it is alright not to have everything planned out all the time.  Sometimes you need to take stock, take a break, really look at where it is that you are going creatively and in other areas of your life.

Looking after yourself using creative activities have an amazing effect, and you have to also look after your supplies and where your creative practice takes place.

I also mention Life Book Taster Sessions, I hope that you have signed up and making the most of the art activities and free gifts and who knows you may be one of the ones who win one of the 40 places that are being given away.  My session is going live on Tuesday 6th October and I hope you can join me and let me know how you get on.  You can sign up HERE if you haven't already.

On Monday I will be starting my Podcast series again and Mondays is Creating in Faith where we look at a word and spend time reflecting You can check it out HERE

Arts and Wellness Cafe - Artist Materials Bank

Welcome to the Arts and Wellness Cafe, in this video I will be sharing about the Materials Bank that I have visited and picked up some items to create with.

The Materials Bank was initiated by the NCF (National Cultural Foundation) to provide a space at the Queens Park Gallery for supplies and materials that creatives can access for FREE.

Check out some of the things that I got on this visit.

I would also love for you to share about your creative journey, what are you working on at the moment, what creative challenges have you been having.

As always, stay blessed and be a blessing.

Life Book Taster Sessions 28th September 2020 - 11th October 2020

Welcome, I am excited to share with you the FREE Life Book Taster Sessions.  I hope you will join me for some amazing & Free Life Book Taster Sessions which begin on September 28th! 

This is my lesson lots of creative play

Do you want to learn how to create more well-being in your life? 

• Do you want to create, express, develop and grow? 
• Do you want to play with paints, get messy with collage, enjoy mark making and drawing? 
• Do you want more hints and tips on how to use your creativity to become a happier person? 
• 
  

Creative Play Detail - mark making and colour

If the answer to those questions is YES then come join us on the FREE Life Book Taster Sessions!

Arts and Wellness Cafe - Getting Lost in the Busyness

In this video I share about taking time doing things that don't actually lead to your priorities and before you know it you are running out of time to do the things that really matter and you wonder where the day has gone.

Come and join me in the Art and Wellness Cafe

I also give you a tour of some of my work, let me know if you have a favorite!