Prayer Flags

Mandala

I've been making Prayer Flags on Calico.  I've used acrylic paint, fabric markers, textas and glitter glue.  So much fun to be had!

These are two from one of my Art Journaling classes held recently.  The first flag a mandala to reflect my authentic self.

Nutrition

The second flag represents nutrition.  It will support me on my journey to who knows where!

I will roll out more prayer flags as they are created.  Stay tuned!









Flashback!

I found this artwork lurking in my pictures folder from way back when!  I love looking back at my blog and seeing how much I've changed in some ways, but in other ways stayed the same!

I'm enjoying listening to a combination of 'Zen' music and Baroque music at the moment.  Baroque has 60-70 beats per minute, very good for a combination of relaxation and mental stimulation.  It helps me to study well for my college course. (Art Therapy) And I am just loving all of it, did I mention this? LOL! 

Spring has been peeking out from behind bleak winter skies here today in Sydney, Australia where  it was relatively warm and sunny.  Just lovely!  Hope you're enjoying your change of season too!

Big Fish

Big Fish

 

 

 

Big Fish - sometimes the fish really is a big one!  I'm loving journaling right now! Lots of things happening and I've been going back in time, gathering little pieces of art from way back when and adding them (pasting them) into my current journal.  I love that these old bits of art are being given the honour that they deserve at last!

 

Art Therapy - where do I begin?  Loving it!  That is all!

Hope you are loving your life too!  Dive in and see what happens!



August Notes

Mandala - Art Therapy Course Day One

I've begun my Transpersonal Art Therapy Course and I'm loving it!  This Mandala was laid out at the centre of the classroom to greet us on our first day!  Beautiful!

Chinese Jade flourishing

Life is travelling along very nicely and I'm managing to weave the course in with work and everything else without too much trouble.  Weather is still coldish, though we've had a few really warm days thrown into the mix to keep us on our toes!

My Studio

My Studio is still a magical cave for me and I love being there to journal, study or to potter around in.  Happy August to you!

Winter 2014

Kalanchoe

Being Winter, there are not a lot of flowering plants in our garden to share with you.  However this Kalanchoe is a vibrant plant in any season.  It's like a desert rose!  Beautiful!

Guzmania

This bromeliad or Guzmania is also a beautiful plant year round and it loves our sunroom!



The "Chill Chair"

This is the "chill chair" in my sunroom.  Slightly worn in places, though extremely comfortable!  I've enjoyed a whole sunny morning here today, reading new books that arrived in my mailbox this week - Daring Greatly by Brene` Brown and Paint Mojo by Tracy Verdugo. Both fantastic and recommended!

More books are on their way, this time text books for a new course I am doing - Art Therapy!  Yes, a change of course and of college!  Another new chapter awaits!

Growth Mandala

Mandala

Mandala is a Sanskrit word, meaning circle.  It represents wholeness and is described as  "a cosmic diagram that reminds us of our relation to the infinite, the world that extends both beyond and within our bodies".

A Mandala is an integrated structure, organised around a unifying centre.

This simple mandala of mine is all about growth.  I am growing right now and this makes me happy!


"Happiness is neither virtue nor pleasure nor this thing nor that but simply growth, We are happy when we are growing."

William Butler Yeats

 

More Flowers

Zygocactus

More flowers!  My cyclamen didn't last unfortunately and so I have replaced them with pink Zygocactus.  Love these plants!  Much hardier than cyclamen, though just as pleasing to have around! Hope these babies make it through the winter!

I haven't posted a youtube video for a long time, but this one I absolutely love!  The front man to this Australian band (The Masters Apprentices - circa 1960) died recently and his music has always touched me.  Hope you love it too!

May

Mothers Day Flowers

Magnificent May!  Warm sunny days, then cool, sometimes rainy nights.  Life is offering up plenty of exciting changes for me an I've been busy doing home projects, like painting veranda furniture a beautiful warm terracotta.  Good to see something old being given a new lease on life!

This chair and stool that live in my studio were also transformed.  I couldn't resist bright colours for this room!

Studio Furniture

And finally I will leave you with a journal page.  I still journal most days and consider it an important part of my life.  You never know what will turn up on the page!

Journal Page

I hope all your May days are happy ones!

Windy Sunday

Autumn Cyclamens

Such a windy autumn day today!  The trees are swaying down low in the blue skies that go on forever and my wind chimes are going crazy!  Not cool enough for a scarf and coat yet though!

These cyclamens in purple pots I chose for their beautiful colours.  They should see us nicely through the winter, since they are a cool, mountain dwelling plant.

Impatiens

These pink impatiens I planted in a large ceramic bowl in my front garden.  They blend well with the purple tiboucina already growing there and should flower for a couple more months before winter begins in earnest.

The sun is shining, ambient music is playing and I am enjoying my Sunday.  Hope yours is a relaxing one too!

Self Portrait in Charcoal

Self Portrait

This was the result of a self portrait exercise we did last week at Uni. 

We were asked to tear out four pages from a book that had special meaning to our lecturer.  We all baulked at doing this!  Mine was a story about Mohammed Ali.  We then glued the pages to our art paper in any way we chose and proceeded to make a self portrait in charcoal, using a small mirror.  I decided to include the studio windows I could see behind me and also a grove of trees.

Afterwards, we were asked to choose a word from one of the pages that reflected how we were feeling on the day.  I chose love.  It was in capital letters on the page so I couldn't go past it! And what's not to love about making art?

Checking In

Drawing Materials

Thought I should check in and see how the blog is doing, it's been a while!

I am into week four of my University Course and all is well.  I am thoroughly enjoying the lectures and tutorials and all the other bits of Uni life.  Busy as can be and the weeks are flying past quickly!

I've been making lots of art for my drawing class and we are given lots of lee-way on how to interpret things and how to develop concepts.  Soon I will be in a printmaking class, so we'll see what happens there!  Learning about Modernism and Modernity too!

Still working at the shoe store in between, so life is full!

Hope all is well with you too!

Magnolia Triptych

Magnolia Triptych underway in my Studio

I am midway through a two week holiday, arranged to witness my niece Eliza marrying her sweetheart on Valentine's Day and for a short stint in Canberra to see a map exhibition called "Terra Incognita" at the National Library.  The wedding was sensational and it was great to see friends and family, some visiting from afar.  The map exhibit was amazing too and we bought the book to enjoy at our leisure.

Home at last now, with time to get started on a painting for a lady I work with.  Magnolias hold special meaning for her and this one is a Western Australian Magnolia Grandiflora.  Thus we needed a big painting!  The problem was:  how to fit substrates for such a big painting in my small car?  The solution?  Create a triptych with three smaller panels!  Genius!

Progress

Today I enrolled in a Fine Arts degree course.  My Timetable is now organised, my life set in stone for the next twelve months.  I've also enrolled in a workshop aiding those who have not studied for a while (me).  I'm looking forward to study tips and don't hesitate to take advantage of student help in whatever shape it takes.

I enrolled alongside those with multi-coloured hair, bicycle helmets and nose rings.  I feel very ordinary amongst them all, however I know with certainty that my art sets me apart!

The University is set amongst native gardens and is a pleasure to be in.  I have found a library and student hub.  More discoveries to be made I am sure!  Looking forward to my first semester!

Becoming a Student

Saratoga View

This year I will begin life as a part-time University student, having been offered a place in a Fine Arts Degree program.  Exciting days ahead, enrolling, organizing a timetable and consequently my life around it all.

I decided that this was what I wanted to do back in June last year and submitted my portfolio for assessment in November.  Here we are in January and now I'm on my way!

This month has also been a busy one for me in the Shoe Store.  It's 'Back to School' here in Australia and thousands of school children have been coming in to be fitted for their school shoes (compulsory sturdy, black leather shoes).  Exhausting!  I'm even dreaming about shoes in my sleep!

However, we have a holiday coming up, with plenty of time to relax at home, attend to pre-autumn garden chores and prepare myself for the year ahead.  Hopefully taking in some peaceful views like the one above!