Do you want to get your Creative Juices flowing? ....#101010

Hey there, we are counting down the days for the start of the online Course – One BADASS Art Journal.   It officially starts on 6th February 2017. There are some great teachers, 19 Lessons with lots of juicy videos, inspiration and lot and lots of FUN!!

Sign Up HERE

With only a few days left before we start the course I wanted to give you a great opportunity before the class starts - totally FREE - 10 prompts, in 10 days for 10 minutes #101010:

Take part over the next few days with 10 mini exercises to kick start your creativity - every day for 10 days I will be giving you a creative tip/prompt/idea.  I want you to spend a minimum of 10 minutes, longer if you can to do the exercises and let me know how you feel after the 10 days.  

While you prepare yourself for the BADASS Journal course, or if you are still in-between stages of making up your mind I wanted to bless you over the next few days.  These 10 prompts  to kick start your creativity come from my bigger publication of 65 Ways to kick start your Creativity, and you get 10 different ways for free!

The great thing about these ideas is that anyone can do them, you don’t need to be an artist, so if you are looking for ways to unwind or give yourself that much needed time then these are things ideas that you should try.

For each activity you can try it using different mediums or surfaces, colours - do not limit yourself.  I want to give you ways in which you can experiment if you want to.  You can adapt it anyway you like to suit, and there are no right or wrong ways to create, so do not put any boundaries on yourself. The most important thing is to have fun. 

I am really looking forward to have you join us on the One BADASS Journal and I have a lovely lesson to share with you, and some of the creative tips you can take part in over the next 10 days will help loosen you up a bit, and whether or not you take the course they will be useful to you as you embark on your creative journey.

When you take the opportunity to purchase your class through my link you will get two great bonuses sent to you and they include:

25 Way to fit Art and Creativity into your life and is filled with some great ways to find the time to be more creative.  

Canvas Embellishment art class with over 2 hours of training and together they are both worth over $30.  If you have taken this class before don’t worry there are additional hints and tips that I have added, a great workbook, with lots of process photos for you to see as you create your work of art.  In the class you will see the way I approach painting on a canvas and embellishing, and you are totally welcome to do the painting as I have done, or you can use the tips and create something of your own.  You will walk away from the class with a selection of useful tools that you can go on and use in other paintings.

While you make up your mind for the BADASS Art Journal course you can play around with these tips. 

Join me HERE tomorrow - totally FREE - 10 prompts, in 10 days for 10 minutes #101010 You will get the first tip tomorrow, if you don’t want to miss a day and get them straight to your inbox, then you can sign up to my Mailing list for the 10 prompts, in 10 days for 10 minutes #101010.  

I will also be giving you some inspiration via Instagram so check me out there as well, and if you are sharing what you do over the next 10 days on Instagram add the hashtags #101010 and #realityarts

Stay blessed and be a blessing!

Art Journal - 31 Things to Create with Recycled Materials -

John Lewis Journal

I picked up a while ago a John Lewis catalog after a visit to the store with my sister. I had also joined their loyalty program and received my complimentary tea and cake voucher, which they send out I think 4 times a year – which was yummy by the way (everything in moderation)!

Recycling can come in all shapes and forms and as you would have seen over the last few weeks if you can think of a creative problem or something you need to make you can probably use a majority of the things you have around you.

After looking through the catalog it sat around my house for over a week. I thought of some of the things that I could do with it and making a journal was what I really wanted to do, but I wanted the kind that you could use the background images as a place to start, and you could also completely go over the page with gesso and create your own image. 

John Lewis Journal - Recycled creatively

What I liked about the pages was the feel and the thickness, it holds gesso well, and it had some interesting images, and this allowed you to add to the image using art supplies. 

Page to add gesso to

So where you say have an image of a bed,

Were you allowed to jump on your parents bed?

I added to it and drew in children jumping on the bed, something we were never allowed to do as kids.  With each stage a part of the process you can enjoy the separate parts or the whole.  An enjoyable exercise was to block out some of the picture for the next stage, adding gesso and a bit of colour and then adding a figure

Here are some other ways in which I altered the pages, I enjoyed placing the characters within the picture and thinking about what their story was.

Some stories tell of hope and looking to the future.....

thinking about the past, and being present.......

So now I have a set of great pages at different stages that I can use when I have time to spend finishing off a piece

Why don't you check out your local store and their catalogs, you might find one that you will be able to use as your own journal. Here is my original post that will give you a closer look at some of the pages.

31 Creative Things to do with Recycled Materials - Spiced Tea Box

Spice Tea Box Container

Great ways to alter your teabox!

I did a post about this container showing you how to alter it as it utilizes a product that I use quite a lot and that is tea. 

Recycling at its best!

I have a least two cups of Spiced tea a day, the morning ‘wake me up’ to get myself in the work frame of mind and the 'afternoon reflection', the tea has such a delicious taste, I will be sharing at some point about some of the other tea in the Palanquin range.

Over a period of time I got through so many boxes that I thought it was time to create something out of one of them.

I kept the structure of the box with all its parts as I didn’t need it to close but to house supplies that were quite tall, such as paint brushes and things that I use on a regular basis. 

I used brown paper on the box to get the texture and then added gesso it.  You can see instructions HERE

Sitting on the desk I also wanted a reminder of why I was there, and that is to create, and added encouragement with a ‘teabag treasure’ - what do you do with those teabags that are out of date? (you’ll find out about these soon).  

Choosing the lettering

There are lots of great ways you can use these boxes and I will be sharing some more ideas.  

Tea Box Treasures - Amanda Trought - Realityarts

Again, a great way to use recycled materials, for your own space and they can make lovely gifts and you can add your own style.  Join me tomorrow for another creative recycling idea.

For more inspired recycling ideas and useful tips check out Zero Waste Barbados and Journey to Zero Waste

Have a look at some of my ideas on my Pinterest Recyled Board



Stay blessed and be a blessing!

And the Awards goes to.......NIFCA Visual Fine Art Exhibition

I won three awards in the NIFCA Compitition

I recently took part in the National Independence Festival of Creative Arts - Fine Art and Craft, here in Barbados and I submitted 4 sculptures.  The exhibition yielded some amazing art work by very talented artists and I was blessed to be selected to have my work on display among them.

There were different categories, non professional and profession, and a variety of additional awards in each category.

I submitted my sculptures in the professional category and was blessed to have had 3 awards - 2 bronze and 1 silver award.  It is great to have had this and I was very pleased.  It is a great encouragement, especially to think about from start to finish of the process, getting the form to complete, selecting the work (finishing the work!) - I nearly didn't enter.  Thinking about what I wanted to be included had me changing my minds a few times.  I encourage you if you are thinking to take a step out and share your work that you do so.

Here are the four sculptures that were exhibited

The Gift - Bronze Award

The Gift has been inspired by trying to understand the gifts that lay within each of us.  We all have some treasure locked away, hidden from the world, and we need to locate it, dust it off and let our lights shine. I love working in layers and for the art to express something to different people.

The Gift - Sculpture, Amanda Trought

The Gift - Sculpture, Amanda Trought

Angels walk among us - Silver Award

This sculpture is a reminder that there are angels all around us disguised.  The kindness shown by a stranger, someone going out of their way to accommodate another, to the generosity shown by others when you least expect it.  The blessings don't always come packaged as you would hope.

Angels Walk among us - Sculpture, Amanda Trought

Angel Walks among us - Sculpture, Amanda Trought

The Dancer - Bronze Award

The Dancer was inspired by a sculpture  - The Little Fourteen year old Dancer by Edgar Degas, and I was compelled to create one.  My dancer tells of hardships, over coming and breaking free.  Don't we all have something we are trying to let go of?

The Dancer - Sculpture, Amanda Trought

The Dancer - Sculpture, Amanda Trought

The Stilt Walkers Treasure

Inspired by the Carnival stilt walkers it tells of the unusual situations and circumstances we can find ourselves in and how we need to hold on to what we hold dear.  Others may see us in a different light, but it is not how others see us but the treasures that lay within.  This is one of the biggest sculpture I have done so far and is currently being exhibited at The Crane Gallery, Barbados

The Stilt walkers Treasure

Treasures and gifts seem to come out in my work quite a bit, and I guess essentially what I would hope is that when someone sees my work it creates and emotional response in one form or the other and touches their creative spirits.  All pieces are for sale - looking for a good home, and I will be uploading them to my website.

There are some other exhibitions that I visited  this month that deserve a post all to themselves so keep an eye out this week for the posts.

Stay blessed and be a blessing. 

Click HERE to find out more and register

 If you haven't signed up for the One BADASS course, you will be in for a treat if you use my code.  I am giving away a free guide and class to create a mixed media art canvas.  Check out my post HERE to see what they are.

She dreamed of a place - Digging up those long forgotten dreams - Mixed Media Painting

Mixed Media Art - Amanda Trought

She dreamed of a place, not so far away, not so long ago, but on a different dimension.  She had been there many times, and in this place she was herself, she didn't have to pretend, she was who she was created to be.

We are all going through some kind of journey and we have to decide how we we can make a difference to those things that we have the power to change.  We have more power that we realize, sitting in a garden of treasure, with the tools in your hand but looking over to your neighbours treasure and asking why you couldn't have a better garden.

All along, all that it would really take is for you to dig a little deeper, show up, be consistent, disciplined and when you least expected it as you wiped your brow it would show up.  Those little glimpses of the treasure.

As she dug deeper she realized that her journey was important, her life had meaning and she had things that she could share, so many things magically happened around her.  She would often take these things for granted. she just needed to get over, round or through herself

I value my journey, my voice, my treasures, my sparks of inspiration, my gifts, talents and abilities, I value me!  I will show up for me, stand in the gap, shine the light, to through the process and continue to dream my dreams

What talents have you been covering up, or playing small and what needs some light shone on it?  I would love to see your comments, stay blessed and be a blessing!

Sculpture - Work in progress - sneak peak

I thought I would share with you a sneak peak of a piece that I am working on.  I have got the structure, with the armature  and the first layer of clay.  I have pre-molded the faces so these were added on at this point.  

I wasn't really sure where I wanted to take it initially, and what story the figures were telling.  One figure I guess is being rescued, I am not sure that it is the obvious choice though, and I think that the story has a twist.

Sculpture - to rescue or be rescued?

I really enjoy working on this piece and have a few others that I want to get finished, they are all at different stages.  I enjoy working on more than one piece at a time as it fits with the way I like to work.  

I find when you have to wait for pieces to dry, it enables you to go on to another piece and do what needs to be done.

Sculpture - work in progress

If all goes well with the time I should have some sculptures complete by next week, so will be sharing here, so do check back.  Why not subscribe or join the mailing list and you will be updated with any new posts.

If you get a chance, hop on over to my Inspirational quotes blog to get this weeks encouragement and see if the art work inspires you.

Word for the Week - Matthew 5:14

Welcome to this weeks Word for the week,  We are fast approaching the last week of the month and when you look back, think about the things that you have done this week to make a difference.

I am the light of the world, a city on a hill that cannot be hidden  I will let my light shine before men, that they may see my good deeds and praise my Father in heaven.  Matthew 5:14

Think about the things you can do, however small that can make the difference in the life of someone else.  To them you are a walking miracle and you inspire them.  Take a look in the mirror for the moment, and recognize the light that you carry within...

As you meditate on the scripture and enjoy the image ask and think about the many gifts you have been given, the many challenges you face, and the fruit that will come from the work of your hands. 

Words and images for the week, to bless, encourage and inspire you to be all that you have been called to be. 

What will you do with what you have been given today?

29 Faces for February - Week 2 Roundup

On the round up for the second week, you will begin to see a slight theme running through some of these images.  They are part of a mini art journal that I have been working in, it is very simply made and I have really enjoyed painting within it. I will share at the end of the month how it was put together and more of each page.

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9

Day 10

Day 11

Day 12

 I decided to do something different for this face, very different

Day 13

Playing around with pen and ink

Day 14

Day 15

Although we are half way through you still have the opportunity to take part - use what you have and have fun creating.

You can check back here next week for the roundup or see each day on my Art Blog and hopefully be inspired to start creating and getting out those supplies!

Happy New Year - 2016 - What's in Store!

I am late in wishing you all a Happy New Year, but better late than never.  There are so many things that I have planned for this coming year, I feel as if I am a roller coaster ride, and its one of those ones where you say 'I'm ready to come off now' before you go up another steep climb and let out the loudest scream you can muster:)  

I will be reflecting on 2015 this coming week, that seem to go so fast as well as share on the exciting developments that have been taking my attention away from the blog.  I have been painting and creating and exhibiting, but I guess we all go through the moments where we hide ourselves away, and work through things, and get a sense of where you are in it all.

2016 has found us in a very different location than last year and we have been able to enjoy the warmer weather of Barbados.  Many of you know we have been spending more time here and I have yet still to share that transition and the ups and downs, and it's also coming as we continue to go through a process of change!

This year I am teaching in two exciting online courses that you are going to love, there are so many inspiring artists taking part, I feel honored to have also been chosen to teach.

The Journey Within - Click here for more information

The Journey Within starts today and I had two seats to give away, the two lucky winners who have been selected will be announced shortly.  

You can still register for the course HERE

The other course is One BadAss Art Journal which starts on 1st February 2016 - we are currently on a Blog Hop to meet the artists.  It will be my day to share and show a sneak preview of my class on Sunday 3rd January, so please do come back to see what's in store for you!

Click HERE for more information

The other great news about courses for this year is that I will be a guest artist on Embrace Your Art 2016 JAM, and will be sharing some more information about what I will be creating on this.  

I know that creatively 2016 will be a year where the seeds sown in previous years will begin to bear fruit.  I am excited at all the creative possibilities, the revelations, ah-ha moments and more and look forward to connecting with you as you dive into your creative self where ever you are around the world!

I would love for you to join me on the journey, that is going to be bursting at the seams, so strap yourself in for it is going to be an extremely exciting year!