21 Secrets - Tracie Hanson

Creating backgrounds and pulling out shapes, defining what feels right and allowing the painting to tell its story has over the past year been a method I find quite freeing, and have really come to enjoy starting some of my paintings this way.

 My journal paintings depicts a group of women who are supportive of each other within a community sharing time with the younger generation...

Tracie Hanson encourages us in her Journal Quest workshop to experiment further with colours and backgrounds that compliment each other and let the painting flow, pulling out the shapes, this takes practice and perseverance but it is a delight to see the finished pieces and what they have to say. 

I used charcoal pencil to draw the shapes I could see, then started muting the background colours as I wanted to bring emphasis to the figures. The story develops and unfolds the more you look. 

This was another lovely workshop where you can take or leave some of the techniques.  I encourage you to check out her website, she has some amazing paintings that she has produced.  Blessings..

52 Weeks of Colour - Knowing your treasures

A thought for the week.....
  
Life is what you make it.  Every day we have to grab hold and treat each minute as if it were our last.  There are many who didn't get to see today and our thoughts and prayers go out to the Sandy Hook Elementary School community.  

As we look back on our lives those things that bring a smile are those shared memories that we get to experience with others, the differences that we can make in each others lives.  You have an important story to tell and should value it.  As you reflect on your week ahead treat yourself like the treasure you are... Blessings, Amanda

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Living is a form of not being sure, not knowing what next or how. The moment you knowhow, you begin to die a little. The artist never entirely knows. We guess. We may be wrong, but we take leap after leap in the dark.  ...Agnes de Mille

  "(Nothing can) separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:39

Gratitudes - The Garden

Garden

I have worked on my garden for 15 years and it has some beautiful established plants and those that need nurturing - reflecting the delicateness of life - give a plant care and it thrives.

What are you grateful for this week?

52 Weeks of Colour - Happiness

Reflection
What do you want more of in your life, make plans to receive.

Quote
A birthday is your own personal new year, your private mark in time between the past and future, your own farewell to yesterday and welcome to tomorrow. ...Hadin Marshal

Scripture
"You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you." John 15:16