Welcome- to my world

(when you pull into the front of out long driveway you see this sign I just made-

langauges included Amarchic, Chinese, German, French, Hawaiian)

Welcome to my world!

Boys reading in trees

my sweet girl growing up way too fast...

full of spirit and these sweet smiles

and watching spring  SPRING before our eyes.

I love this magnolia in my neighbors yard.  Every year I feel like it is deserving of special attention.

The buds are even beautiful after the petals fall off.... must paint these

Welcome to my world...or at least a part of that world.

notice how I didn't include the virtual construction zone in my front yard, the lack of potty training, cat box or general disorganization .    

Welcome to some of the best parts of my world!

retreated...

where in the world have I been?

I retreated...both literally and figuratively to a yoga retreat

retreated from life for a week

to a desert oasis at Prana del Mar (in the Baja desert of Mexico an hour outside of Cabo).

retreated to yoga.   

2 times a day.  vinyasa flow and restorative yin practices.  I felt my pratice strengthen.  There were growing pains as well as moments of realization.  My first tripod headstand since my back surgery was an emotional message that "yes, you are growing stronger...you are healing".  

retreated to friendship....

my bestie from high school, Margo Kellison, lead and inspired this yoga retreat and created this amazing environment that nurtured the body and soul.    

A week with my friend= priceless.

There were new friendships and connections made with 20 amazing yogis, my new friends.

retreated to a restful nights....many nights in bed by 9pm and naturally waking to the sunrise 

retreated to nurtrition.

organic, whole foods and more fiber than my body has ever seen.   So much so that at many points I didn't even feel hungry.  Learning that I can be fully satiated without carbs, processed foods.   And a week without dairy, which I now see clearly isn't my friend.

retreated to the ocean.

Its vastness and beauty in our view during sun salutations.  

Its sounds all around us.  
Its beauty ever present.

Its humbling reminder of how small we are.

How it calls us to its edge...our edge.

retreated to the sun....

waking to the sun rise over the mountains, soaking in its rays during the day

setting each night, as if it just drops off into the Pacific.

What a sight to behold.

retreated to serenity.....   

days of restortation and giving my body everything it needed.  my practice became stronger.  my back was able to stretch and strengthen.  my soul was able to relax and rejuvenate.

grateful. grateful....oh, so grateful.  retreated.

morphing....

morphing....this painting and I are both morphing.

I am so enjoying this intuitive painting process....and documenting the evolution of a painting!  

It is so amazing how the images emerge that I have to share.

   

This the second painting I am working on for 

the Blooming True e-course  with Flora Bowley.

Flora's process of intuitive painting is feeling so wonderful.

so freeing.

so inspired!

Here is the very beginning starting with my warm colored layer...

Then coming in with cool colors and markings.

I am always drawn to the fiddlehead shape.

more layers and adding black contrast....really starting to morph here.

morphing with layers of white contrast and imagery.

Now we are in the "ugly teenager" phase as Flora calls it.

painting layers and looking for shapes emerging.

Starting to come out of the chaotic teen years.

Decided to change orientation and see new shapes emerge...morph, morph, morph

more layers, simplifing certain areas to create focal points.

here is where it morphed today....in full bloom!

Can you tell I am so in love!? 

This is just the start

I feel like I am changing/morphing as an artist forever

bold bravery...

Today I had to be bold and brave.  Not only because I had 3 out of 4 kids home sick today, but because of

Flora Bowley's Blooming True e-course !!

This is right where I am suppose to be...and I love it!!!

It is my first e-course and I didn't know how much I would be able to soak up.  All of my art "studies" began 6 years ago this month (Jack was a baby nursing during my lessons) and have been with my mentor, Deborah Meyer, whom I owe opening my heart and mind up to my creativity.  Giving me the courage to explore.  If it weren't for her and everything she has taught me and supported me, I would not be here now as an artist.

 In the past when I start a painting I have often worked strictly from a photo reference, or used a photo transfer and painted in what I see now was a "somewhat intuitive" manner.   Like many artists, I would often fight with the painting to achieve what I had imagined in my mind, and not always successfully.

Instead of doing what I normally do, I really took Flora's advice and BRAVELY went into the discomfort.  This is a great technique in therapy as well.  You know you are hitting on a hot topic when it becomes particularily uncomfortable to discuss, now I am understanding this is absolutely the case in intuitive painting as well.   

I had ABSOLUTELY no idea where this painting was going...that is uncomfortable for me in and of itself.  

This is where I started today.

And I had one of my side-kicks along to explore with paint.   

Walk into the discomfort!  be brave!   When you get that nervous feeling as you are about to make a change in a painting....do it- go for it - don't hold yourself back!  I felt inspired by the peacock (see last post)  and indulged in the shapes....then felt "bleeding heart"....totally me.

Kept going...moving into the uncomfortable spots.   Kept turning the orientation of the painting not knowing which end is up.  Letting it emerge.

Today as I painted I was looking for what was working and looked away from what wasn't.  I came in with new images and markings.  I let myself indulge in my favorite colors.  It was simply wonderful.  

It morphed and morphed and morphed again.  (my lighting isn't great in this shot...gotta work on that)

It was when I started to completely let go that it really started to emerge.   

I am incredibly excited by the outcome thus far, but more than anything this process is so natural to me.

I am one happy art-filled lady.   I don't feel like this piece is complete, but I am excited about the process and where it is going.  Still not sure which end is up!
Sounds like life.

Imagine just exploring, being free, being bold, being brave with paint.  

If I practice and can do it here, perhaps I can do it anywhere!!