Cultivating the Soul

I caught up briefly with a friend on Sunday who I rarely get to see these days. In the short 10 minutes we chatted she managed to send quite a few wise words and thoughts my way. I can only pray I have half as wise, peaceful and calming an effect on people as she has on me!

 

I shared my guilt at making time for this creative thing I've rediscovered since the challenge in May - the seed of this blog. She shared 2 things: firstly, that the work I produce will be of benefit to others, whether I ever know it, and will work towards future friendships, projects, opportunities etc.

 

Secondly, that these few hours I (guiltily) grab over 3 days each week are a time to cultivate what I am doing. That word 'cultivate' stuck with me. It hit me smack between the eyes, actually! Look up cultivate in the dictionary and phrases like 'prepare for use', 'fertilise', 'maintain' define it. I absolutely believe we need our souls cultivated - regularly - but I'm very bad at doing it. We all have a use, we all need to self-maintain (like putting our oxygen mask on first before helping others) and the focus of what we are aiming at, striving for, being, really being, often gets lost.

 

My word for 2014 was 'Enough'. I wanted to learn the meaning of enough in all areas of my life. That was personal to me. It helped a lot to ponder and meditate on that word all year.

 

Now for 2015 I think I will choose 'cultivate'.

 

I choose to cultivate my creativity. I choose to cultivate my soul.

 

 

Christmas was crazy time, of course. But I am grasping moments to inspire me, moments that bring peace, or love, or smiles.

 

Ribbons in our hair

 

 

Washi tape - LOVE it! Never use it, just collect it to look at. Fact.

 

Obsessively looking at the work of illustrators I admire:
(Source: Tyrannosaurus Drip by Julia Donaldson, Image by David Roberts)

 

Collecting beautiful things that may look like mess but are really fantastic inspirational patterns:

 

 

Using my beautiful new watercolour brushes and getting to know my paints:

 

Actually drawing. No excuses. Just practice, practice, practice.

 

 

I need to cultivate. 2014 was bumpy for many reasons.

Find a word and try it too - thanks for reading! x

 

The demands of a 6-year-old

My daughter has never been particularly demanding in terms of 'stuff' she wants. But when a teacher is leaving, and it's Christmastime, and she just happens to be in 'Owls' Class, I think I can stretch to a short production-line of little sketches.

 

Five of her teachers received this little guy on their Christmas card this year, individually hand drawn by me. Cass was very pleased. Phew! (And I was relieved it was only five!)

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone!

 

Practicing people

Sorry for the long absence! I tried another blog set-up but I missed this one.

So I'm back, with a history of messy.

Messy is good. It's part of getting there - so I keep telling myself!!

 

 

Among a million other things, I've been practicing people.

Rooted Together

Back from hurtling down the M2 to Canterbury to deliver this:

 

 

Phew! Made it!
This piece is called ‘Rooted Together’ and is watercolour with freehand machine embroidery overlaid.

I was even able to sneak a peek at the other pieces that will be displayed - some gorgeous stuff, can’t wait to go back in the next few weeks!

It will be on show from Saturday at The Beaney (The Visitor Centre and Gallery at the top of the High Street) for their Seller’s Exhibition until January 18th.

I did it! My first fair!

I did it. I really actually properly did it. I presented my work to the public, and nobody laughed in my face. I managed to frame 13 original pieces so they looked ok [not perfect], and sold enough cards and prints to cover my costs and make a profit! And the BIGGEST wow was that I sold an ORIGINAL - the Swan - to a lovely lady who said she was going to give it as a gift to her daughter who lives in ‘Swan Cottage’ and has a black and white theme. Perfect.

I didn’t care whether I would sell anything or not once 6pm came round on Friday. I just grinned with pride that I had managed to push myself and get it all packaged, hung, priced and presented.

Phew!

Now what…?

I’ll keep you posted x

Back from the printers...

Framing my originals and packing up cards for Saturday at the Bespoke Fair - doesn’t everything look so lovely surrounded by a nice white border? *Sigh*…

 

 

My piece got accepted!

So excited! I can’t believe it! The piece with two trees - Rooted Together - got accepted for the exhibition at the Beaney, Canterbury - woop woop!!

Scrummy...

Y'know when you just know you're getting somewhere?

And something inside you says 'uh-huh, yep, scrummy...'.

Here's a little section of this week's work.

 

*Watercolour and freehand machine embroidery 

Exhibition Entry for The Beaney, Canterbury

Just sent these two pieces off for the Winter Sellers’ Exhibition at The Beaney in Canterbury. This is a HUGE step for me - to even believe that my work could stand among other artists’ work is too scary and unbelievable. But my confidence is growing and I have nothing to lose.

http://www.canterbury.co.uk/Beaney/whats_on/Canterbury-The-Beaney-House-of-Art-Knowledge/details/?dms=3&venue=3036870&feature=1301

Winter

I've been working on the theme of Winter.

My house is freezing today, hands covered in paint.

 

*Watercolours, spray paint, machine embroidery.  

Your own style...

Something from nothing

Watercolour is so hard to work with, and the best advice I've received so far in working with it is to let the paints do their own thing, not to mess with them too much. So as I was experimenting the other night I decided to do the whole process backwards.

I wetted the paper, splodged watercolours and Indian inks onto the paper randomly, let it dry and worked with the shapes created. I know, it's a bit left-field, most likely been done before, but I'm pleasantly surprised with the results!

Here are a few before and afters, and some smaller little pieces: 

 

 

Just doodling

Lots of doodles going on... pattern, repetition.
Not sure where I'm going with all this.

In other news I seem to be prolifically producing Greetings Card ideas. 

The freedom to fail, prolifically

Summer has been full of beauty.

In among the squabbles and the exhausted bits, we've crammed a lot in...

 

 And while we were away I got my watercolour Tombows out every night, and wallowed in the freedom to fail in my experimenting.

It was bliss.

 

 

And now I have reached a point, a pinnacle, a place I knew I'd been scrabbling to,

the reason sketch-booking really does work...

 

Yet this is just another beginning...
Onwards!

Lines on Paper

Bought myself an Aqua Brush/Pen today (yes, grown-ups can have them too!) This'll be really handy on holiday, and in lazy moments when the whole water/brush/glass/tap thing is too much effort.  

Both done with Tombow Dual Brush no 559

 

I've been playing with lines like this for a while, playing with the balance of order and chaos, looking at the negative space. It's the start of something. And it's good to just be playing and enjoying that at the moment. x