I love you today because....You took a brave step

I love you today because

You took a brave step

Making changes isn't always easy.  I am sure if we could see what lay ahead of time there are many things that we just wouldn't have attempted, but we took one step at a time and the outcome more than made up for it.  

You might be amazed at the things you could achieve if you took that brave step and went for it!

Show some love

Think of one thing that you have always wanted to do an write down 5 reasons why you should go for it.

Share some love

You can't tell a persons story by looking at them, what they have been through an the steps that they have made.  Be that person who encourages someone else today.

To find out why 'I love you today' February Series click on the image below

Gratitude's and Celebrations - Week 31 - This was meant to be

Gratitude's and Celebration

The saying, 'if you fail to plan, you plan to fail' reminds us that what ever we choose to do today will have an outcome whether we like it or not.  In seeking to make changes we can sometimes forget that it takes time that step by step each and every day.

If you did nothing you would still get change - days pass, you age, the kids get older, but your input in all this requires that you make a choices.  You had a choice yesterday, you have a choice today and you have a choice tomorrow.  

Sometimes change requires us to be in the moment, to deal with where we are and let things be - requiring no action from us but patience. What will you decide to do?

I celebrate where I am at the moment, that I am able to make choices for my future, grateful for the journey that I have been on and insights gained.

What have you done so far with the day that you have, How can you just 'be' in the moment today? I would love to hear from you and share what you will be doing. As this week draws to a close have a blessed weekend! If you want to see how I made the journal (click here) Blessings!

I love you today because....You didn't give up

I Love you today because...

You didn't give up!

We ALL have at least one thing that took us close to the edge and we thought we couldn't go any further, but didn't give up, we pulled ourselves up, took another step and we kept on stepping, and when we looked back we were surprised that we not only got through we were able to breath again.

Pen and Ink portrait

Show some love

Take a look back and stop for a moment to remind yourself how far you have come today.

Share some love

We could all do with some encouragement.  Find a way to encourage someone today

To find out why 'I love you today' February Series click on the image below

I Love you today because...Authenticity

I Love you today because.....

You are Authentic!

If you can't be real to yourself then who can you be real to?  Be the real deal, letting your yes be yes and your no be no.

You know what you really want and what it takes to get there, you are supportive and will help others while you strive to succeed in your own pursuits.  There is nothing fake or insincere, you are authentic.

Pen and Ink portrait

Show some love

Think about what one area of your life that could do with some clarity.

Share some love

The next person you see, whether you know them or not, give them a compliment and light up their day

To find out why 'I love you today' February Series click on the image below

I love you today because - Your Smile

I Love you today because......

You have a lovely smile

Your smile is infectious, warm and caring, you bring the sun out and make people feel at ease.  Your smile is a giving one and despite what you might go through you always have a smile for someone else making them feel at ease.

Self portrait image for the day:

I love you today because - you have a lovely smile - Pen and Ink

Show some love

The next time you look in the mirror, take some time to really look at yourself and smile!

Share some love

Make a point today to smile at the next person you meet, and brighten up their day!

To find out why 'I love you today' February Series click on the image below

I love you today because....Unique

I love you today because.......

You are Unique

Yes, you are unique, there is only one of you, perfectly fashioned and formed. You are created for a purpose, you are not a copy and there will not be another like you.  Be aware of your gifts, talents and abilities and step up and out.

Self portrait Image for the day...

I love you today because you are unique!

Show some love....

What one thing do you think sets you apart that you could make more of?

Share some love....

Think about one thing that a close friend or relative has that sets them apart and makes them special and let them know about it.

To find out why 'I love you today' February Series click on the image below

I am also taking part in the 29 Faces Challenge for February, check out my mixed media site to see the additional images that will be posted.

I love you today because.....

I thought I would start February off with a challenge a way to make some small changes on a daily basis and one that you are welcome to join in with.   Valentines day is a couple of weeks away, and traditionally this is the month to show those that you love how much you love them. 

As we grow and share I thought we could also do with a reminder to care for ourselves and to treat ourselves with kindness remembering that before you can love someone else you need to be able to love yourself.  For me I will be just making simple statements that can sit and encourage me in those tough times as a reminder that I am still a work in progress. 

It is very easy to take ourselves for granted, and we have to have a back pack full of encouraging words and statements that you can draw upon every now and then.  What words of encouragement can you give yourself as a reminder?

Another thing that I will be doing during the week is a daily sketch using marker pens, I wanted to experiment a bit more with the following style, and do some self portraits - I have only ever done 2 self portraits in all my time as an artist.  

Image done in Gwenn Seemel Style - Soul Food

Doing quick self portraits allows us the time to really see ourselves, looking at the imperfections that we all have and being alright with them.  While doing Soul Food  course we had a session from Gwenn Seemel, and I really like the style of using marker pens, to make the marks and not worry about rubbing out and being committed to the marks you make.  

Each day I will be spending between 15 - 20 minutes doing a sketch and will post it later during the day, it will be an exercise in observation, each one might not be complete, but I want to be consistent and show up and spend the time. You can see the images that I did as part of the Soul Food class on my Mixed Media Art site.

So if you are up for it join me Monday through to Friday during the month of February and remind yourself why 'you love you' today and every other day, and maybe even try creating a few self portraits as well! Stay Blessed!

Gratitude's and Celebrations - Week 30 - This is a great day! .......and Memories of Home

I missed the Memories of Home post on Wednesday and decided to do it anyway for this week especially because it is about being in tranquil environments or creating one in your space.  Mum has been in her flat now for nearly 40 years, all the neighbours kids that used to live there are all grown up, including myself having now been replaced with a new generation that play football in defiance of the 'no ball games sign'.  I am not sure what they were thinking when they put it up being the only space to play out in, there was never anyone to to enforce it when we were young and me and my brother would race round on our scooters, or play ball with the other kids.

Memories of Home - Tranquillity

Having experienced my first home at different points of my life growing up and now as mums carer I find that there is an unusual peace in her home which I am not sure I can solely attribute to the flat or what I have done myself, but a combination of making the environment suit the purposes and meet whatever the current needs are at the time.

I remember looking around at some things as a child and feeling how tall everything seemed, competing with my brother to check who was actually getting taller by measuring ourselves on the door frame.  He became much taller than me in the end with his 6f 2in frame, covered over are the lines on the frame.  This is my weekend with my mum and I am looking forward to spending time with her, while she is not as mobile and her understanding has diminished some what, she can still enjoy being creative and I am going to work on a mini memory box with her.

I had one of these boxes that contained a storage bag and thought I could recycle it has some potential and could be turned into a memory/assemblage box that could either be hung up or free standing, and would be a great way to capture something!.  I will let you know how it turns out in the recycled projects next week.

Gratitude's and Celebration

I am grateful and celebrate the 90 years my mum as lived, that she is able to see her grand-kids and continues to hold on to her precious life, not giving up but taking each day as it comes.  We are blessed more than we can know and I continue to look at the small things that come my way as a reminder.

Gratitude's Journal in progress

Completed page

This is a great day! 

What have you done so far with the day that you have, what can you do differently to make it even more special? I would love to hear from you and share what you will be doing. As this week draws to a close have a blessed weekend! If you want to see how I made the journal (click here) Blessings!

Little Birdy - More play with characters

As we find ourselves nearing the end of the month I find myself deep in reflection, not only by the changes I wanted to make tailing off from 2013, but what I have managed to achieve this month.  I have been working steadily on the courses and I am also working on a collage one which I will share next week.

 My birds are part of a session on Soul Food with Zorana called Fluttering in Bronze

 Whilst I do like birds I never really gave them much thought within my work, but the more and more I worked on these I realised that they all spoke to me in some way that I could relate back to my role as an artist and symbolized aspects of my journey without this being my sole purpose.

Flying High in the Sky

 Flying high was about me wanting to go further within my work, I love trying new things and embracing experiences.  Sometimes stepping into the unknown is scary, but once your into it you find your way.  It does take a while to get to grips with new techniques, but you have to persevere and you can often be pleasantly surprised by the results.

Homely

Homely represents that part of me that loves the security of the home environment but a reminder that the world continues to move whether you do or not.  In this one I added an image which happens to be my brother who passed, and is a good reminder about relationships and taking action as on the day the photograph was taken we had taken all the kids to the park and had a really lovely day.

Looking Back

Looking back sees the bird from the tree looking down and you can see the daily life going on as well as the other birds in the distance.  Something I would love to be able to do one day is to be able to work from anywhere in the world, preferably hot with a beach close by.  As we age it seems as if the world has become a smaller place, technology means that we can communicate much better than we did before from anywhere in the world and there are so many opportunities available to have a better quality of life 9 hours in a plane in any direction from my currently location!

Tomorrow I will share not only the Gratitude's and Celebrations and the Memories of Home posts but some of the exciting things that I will be working on next month and it would be great to have you join me.  If you are taking Soul Food, leave a message and let me know how you are getting on, if not check out and be inspired! 

Story Book - The Owl and the Pussycat

The idea of the story book was shared with us by Lisa Patencio as part of the Soul Food lessons and is something that I think that I will definitely be doing again.  

I started mine off with some recycled card and added stamps, and paint to it.  I then decided to add random splodges, and this is where the magic happens.  Out of the splodge you create your characters and you end up with a mini story.  

Our theme was the owl and the pussy cat and this is the story line I came up with.,,,

Pete the Pussycat started life as a splodge!

Pete the Pussycat decides to pay Orville the Owl a visit, It a Friday night and he remembers that Orville the Owl had a party to go to at Bobby Beaver's house

Owl says that they have to go by boat and follow the directions that are on the invitation he is clutching in his hands.  They take Orvilles boat the 'Sea Farer' and head off!

 When they arrive on the island Orville is a bit lost, so Pete takes a look and manages to work out how to get to Bobby Beaver's house.

 X marked the spot to Bobby the Beaver's house, they were glad that they arrived safely and were able to meet up with the rest of his friends and party till the sun went down!

As you can see with a bit of paint here and there you can create some really lovely stories.  While it came out of playing with some scrap paper and card you could go on to develop a great story out of the characters that you create.

Why don't you give it a try, take a look in your supplies and experiment.  Do let me know how you get on and leave a comment and let me know what you think.  Blessings!

Realityarts - Video of selection of Mixed Media Art work

Click on the image or click HERE to be taken to the video of some of my work, hope you enjoy, blessings for the weekend.

Gratitude's and Celebration - Week 29 - You are precious..

You are Precious

When you think of something being precious, you think of something being valuable, we have to remind ourselves that our lives have a purpose.  Whether you believe it or not there is more to your life than the life that you are currently living.   There is more that you can learn, more that you can see, there is a world out there waiting for you to visit.  

When you look at your surroundings the place that you live are there any undiscovered places that you haven't been yet?  Often people who visit on holiday see more of the country than those who live there. I often make a promise to myself that I will get out more after coming back from holiday, go out every day and really take everything in.  But I guess because we have it around us all the time we can take it for granted.

Page before completion

How precious is your life?  Since my brother passed I have seen my own life in a very different way.  Each day is special because you don't know if it will be your last, but rather than worrying about it you have to live it to the full, making sure that you use all the gifts, talents and abilities that you have.

Reminding myself that life is precious helps you to focus on the things that are important, the relationships you have with family and friends.  It was Roberts birthday yesterday he would have been 46 years old, I celebrate the life he had, the love he shared and the legacy and memories that he has left behind, and I am grateful to have known and been loved by him. 

I am also taking the time to remind you that you are precious, take some time to think about all the things that you have yet to do, those things that you promised yourself you would do tomorrow or next week, but most of all spend time thinking about the gifts that you have to share with others.

What opportunities are coming your way that could make a difference to your outlook on your life? I would love to hear from you and share what action you will be taking. As this week draws to a close have a blessed weekend! If you want to see how I made the journal (click here) Blessings!

Peace - Memories of Home

Welcome to Memories of Home, if you would like to find out more information about the series, Click here

Being in a supportive environment is important to our growth as individuals, not everyone has had that opportunity and as adults we try and create an environment that will nurture and bless our children and indeed ourselves.

Peace

Mixed Media House - Peace

Every now and again, I find myself still up at 2 or 3am in the morning, in the comfort of my studio, my 9x6 foot compact space that is all mine.  I have usually got carried away on a project and lost track of time unaware how late it has got.  Everyone else is asleep snuggled in the comfort of their beds, dreaming dreams of promises, adventures and suspense.  They stir as they drift in and out of their dream, a murmur or laugh as dream state interacts with real time.  I check in on them and duvets tell the tale half on the bed the other half on the floor as they twirled in their sleep.

The night still, the sounds of the house more prominent, the sounds of the early birds and their comings and goings, the occasional car passes by, headlights catching the lone foxes screeching to a mate in the dark, finding the path to the garden over hedges and carefully placed wheelie bins.  The outdoor cats return from their night time quests through cat flaps with their mouse kill gift carefully placed on mats for their owners and bowls of food and water prepared, they find themselves on window ledges gazing out of windows closed the warmth of radiators and wait for sunrise.

I move from one project to the next, not aware of being tired, fired up with creativity and play.  It brings back memories of childhood with a room of my own to spread my wings, pop- star posters on the wall, record player and mirrors reflection, dreaming dreams of growing up and having a place of my own, not a care to be found.

Those times are so peaceful; I can get lost in my creativity and feel as if I have all the time in the world.  As my bed calls I bring my creative play to a close the birds chattering increases and I snuggle myself down under the covers and loose myself in my dreams to sleep.  

What area of your home do you find most peaceful, how will you take time to encourage yourself to take time out if only for 10 minutes.  I hope you continue to join me on my journey over the weeks, as I share my mixed media houses and look back to the memories of home. I look forward to hearing about some some of your own memories. Blessings and peace to you!

Material Mondays - Sewing, Weaving, Crochet

Thought I would share one of the projects I have worked on from Soul Food.  My current one is from the session led by Jeanette House.  Whilst it is not fabric it uses sewing and crochet.

Night

Sunrise - first stage weaving

I took two separate pieces of water colour paper and applied different mediums and then cut holes in one and used the other to weave in-between the sections.

After it was weaved I added some shapes which turned out to be two ladies, and then the rest flowed, with the stitching I wanted to show the horizon line and then added some other elements.

I made some mini crocheted flowers and then got carried away with the details for the hair and the rest followed.

I really enjoyed working with the different elements and then adding the sewing and making the mini flowers, and at some point I hope to work on some larger pieces.  

What I am trying to take from each is an element of the technique that I can use to inform my own work, and also just to be able to play -

If you get a chance why don't you check out the course, do share what you are getting up to, have you used paper and materials in this way, what have you come up with.  Blessings for now!

Gratitude's and Celebrations - Week 28 - The doors are opening....

The doors are opening, are you ready to walk through?

The page before completion

One of my promises to myself for 2014 was that I would learn as much as I could and increase my knowledge and skill base. I have started the year doing that and I am in the middle of a few courses that are already stretching me and getting me out of my comfort zone.

Paying close attention means that I have to take my time, be persistent as things won't happen on their own, to see things through to the end while maybe not being in familiar territory, a different way of doing things, different outlook, but with one step in front of the other. 

I am going into the second week of Life Book and Soul Food and just finished a week of Explorations in Collage. Each of the courses have their own challenges, In Life Book and Soul Food we have been working with a number of creatives who are sharing their techniques. The main thing for me is to take what I need from each and see how it can inform the work that I do. I have been doing things I haven't done in a while, not realising how much I enjoyed them, and with Experiments in Collage III, I am coming into contact with a range of artists that I really admire and working with collage in a different way.  I will share some of the work tomorrow.

Gratitude's and Celebrations Journal - The doors are opening

One thing that I am mindful about is making sure that when distraction and feelings of 'what am I really doing' strike, especially in those times where you need to get past a barrier of thinking, is to have some strategies in place that will put me back on track and re-motivated. Having a page where I can say what I celebrate and am grateful for is a great reminder that often pushes me forward. I know that those thoughts will come as I learn more techniques and try and grow and develop even further.

I celebrate the lives of those fellow artists and creatives that are on the courses with me and look forward to new relationships, interactions and collaborations. I will walk through the doors knowing that I have worked hard, and been persistent to get to where I want to go and I am grateful for the ability to be able to take part in the variety of courses and to really take the time to grow as an artist.

What opportunities are coming your way that could possibly make a difference to your outlook on your work? I would love to hear from you and share what action you will be taking. As this week draws to a close have a blessed weekend! If you want to see how I made the journal (click here) Blessings!