Art Journaling.

I went through a period recently when I felt very stuck creatively. In fact I wanted to give up altogether. I packed up all my art stuff and all my paintings were wrapped up and placed in the loft of the building six floors up from our flat. I had decided to pursue something else but I was so miserable...I thought I was finally being a 'grown up' but I had actually put to death a huge part of who I am.

So slowly I began to breathe life again into my creative self. I started to art journal again, I organised a few art dates with friends and my joy began to return. It's funny how things happen like that. I had been feeling so lost but by just returning to the small things, the daily things, I began to feel inspired again and I was able to move out of the slump I was in and overcome the creative blocks.

On one art art date, my friend and I had fun practising intuitive painting on large canvases, and on another art date, I made notebooks with another friend. Art dates are so good for the soul. It's so much fun being creative with someone else and being inspired by each other.

Here are a few of my art journalings lately.
My art journal is a place where I process feelings and the things I've been thinking about. It's kind of meditative and playful at the same time.
I have been thinking a lot about being childlike at heart, not cynical but open to life and adventure.
I have also been thinking about permission to shine, and the responsibility I have to be salt and light to the world around me.

Permission and freedom to be myself is a big thing for me. 

Being seen feels scary as my fear is that it can sometimes come with judgement. But it would be such a shame to keep beauty hidden. 

Light is meant to be seen, not hidden. 

We are meant to bring light and flavour to life. I'm learning this more and more.

An art journal can also simply be a place to play and experiment without fear of 'mistakes' or getting things wrong. I had fun playing with texture in these pages..

I hope you enjoyed these little glimpses into my art journal.

Keep shining and being faithful with the little things. 

There is so much freedom to be found there.

Much Love.

xxx

Art lately.

It's been such a while since I last wrote on here...
I've been doing lots of art and I get very introverted when I spend long periods painting and I didn't really feel that I had lots to say, which isn't true because there's always something to say and quite frankly anything shared from the heart is precious, and valuable. I don't know who reads these posts anymore, but I will try to be more consistent with posting on here.

So I've been doing lots of painting. I've been working on a couple of commissioned pieces (which I find really difficult and scary, and the thought of someone awaiting the finished product has the effect of paralysing me and making me feel like I've forgotten how to paint!) But anyway the paintings are almost done. I'm embarrassed to say how long it has taken me, way longer than it should have.
Here are the works in progress:

 They are almost done now, I just need to add a little bit more detail and I'll happily call them finished at last!

As well as the commissioned pieces, I have been working on some large abstract pieces, I'm pleased with them and working large is something that I'm really enjoying.

'Life in a Seed'. Acrylic on Canvas, 100cmx100cm

'Portals'. Acrylics on Canvas, 100cmx100cm.

'Wellspring'. Acrylics on Canvas.

Much love.

xxx

The Girl With a Paper Heart.

Once upon a time, there lived a girl with a paper heart.

She wanted to have a whole heart, a well rounded heart that beat fiery red, and released its fragrance like a very red rose.

Instead, her paper heart felt all papery, and thin, and crumply.

She was overwhelmed with sadness because of the state of her heart, and the sadder she felt, the more crumply her heart became.

Then one day, a little bird sang a tune outside her window. 

It sang delicately and it sang sweetly.

 It was so small and fragile and yet it sang such a beautiful tune, and it soothed her crumply heart.

She realised all of a sudden, that there is much beauty in fragility.

And so she opened her heart.

Out of her paper heart came such beautiful things, they came out because her heart was open.

Out of her heart flew paper butterflies in an array of colours. Dreams that she had long forgotten flew out as butterflies and they made the sky beautiful and light, and pretty.
Wherever they landed, dreams were planted in other hearts which would one day grow and make more butterflies.

Out of her heart poured paper flowers like fragrant offerings to the world around her. People wanted to learn how to make these paper flowers. Friendships were formed and bonds were made which could never be broken.

© Photo by Elle de Burgh.

Out of her heart came stories that were written on papers which held history.
Each paper knew when it was made and the hands that made it.
Notebooks handed down from grandmothers to the daughters and granddaughters that followed in their footsteps.
There were journals which held secrets, and truths, and revelations and promises, whispers that could easily have been forgotten but would now have a voice that carried throughout the ages.

And because her heart was made of paper, she had the names of the ones she loved written on her heart, never to be forgotten.

She didn't know how long she would have a paper heart for, but the more she opened her heart, the less crumply her heart became.

Much love.

xxx

Kezia's Coming of Age Ceremony

Happy New Year dear friends.

It's been a little while since I last wrote on here so I'm playing catch up...I wanted to share a really special day in September of last year where we celebrated my youngest daughter Kezia.

We had a day like that a few years ago for my daughter Daniella, and you can read about it here.

I feel strongly that rites of passage should be acknowledged and celebrated, and in this case we were celebrating Kezia's journey into womanhood. We, as a gathering of women, affirmed her, offered her words of advice and support, and promised to be there for her throughout her journey.

These were the invitations. 

I love peacock feathers, they always speak to me of beauty and royalty.

  Here are some photos of the day.

All photos are courtesy of Elle de Burgh.

This was a painting that I painted for the day. It's not really an accurate representation of Kezia but rather an image of what she might look like when she's a bit older. I wanted to convey a sense of being comfortable in her own skin and I like that there are peacock feathers in her hair.

I chose wings as a theme for the day because of a dream my friend Elle had about Kezia when she was a baby, about her having wings and excelling beyond her years.

For the actual ceremony, all the ladies lit a tealight and placed it in a jar, and then we gathered outside and made a path with our jars, to symbolise that we would be there to light her path throughout her journey. We then gathered under a tree decorated with ribbons and Kezia walked up the path to meet us.

Under the tree, each lady presented kezia with a pair of wings that they had been given beforehand, to write any words of advice, affirmation or scripture, anything they wanted. I felt that it was important for Kezia to have a moment with each lady, to be seen and embraced. It was particularly lovely that the mothers who were there could share this moment with their daughters.

Afterwards  we went back inside and all had a meal together.

There was singing, food, and lots of cake!

It was such a beautiful day and I was overwhelmed with the kindness and generousity of family and friends in showing up to celebrate my girl. 

I am so proud of her, of the girl that she is, and the woman that she is becoming.

Sisters.

Kezia and her grandmother (my Mum).

 

Me and my girl.

Very much love.

xxx