it's a bird... it's a plane... WTF is it?

hello everyone!

Last night's painting session

on large poster size paper/bristol board.

Sometimes, i feel like using a larger format,

but i don't really know what i'll be painting

and i never want to waste large canvas

in case it ends up looking like crap.

So i use poster paper. :-)

i started out with finger painting...

again... my fingers

by this stage, i picked up the brush

birds in the forest...
but i hated the left side.
The orange, yellow, greenish part
that looks like there's a tree on fire.

So i decided to add white & texture.
I used a plastic hair curler thing -
one of the many tools i buy at the dollar store
specifically for art textures.

i also use sponges, 
or whatever else i have in the house at the time.

 filled in some spaces with turquoise, black, white...

a close up of the bird...

this was taken this morning,
in natural light.

and look! i added some red.

Making art is a lot about daring to get away 
from our comfort zone, isn't it?

We're tempted to stay
where it's familiar
where we know exactly which color to use,
or which shape to draw.
There's nothing wrong with doing this,
but if you stick with doing this too long,
I believe the art becomes stagnant.
Predictable.
Safe.

It's good to feel scared when making art.
It's good to not always like what you see.
It's good to give ourselves permission to make bad art.
To use unfamiliar colors.
To make a mess.

It's in the MAKING that the magic occurs.

I read a story somewhere about a woman
who was asked by her psychologist to draw something really bad...
to make him a really crappy drawing.

She froze, starring at the blank piece of paper in front of her,
afraid that her drawing wouldn't be bad enough.
(need i tell you that she was a perfectionist?)

So if you want to create something,
but you're afraid it won't measure up...
give yourself permission to suck.
Give yourself permission to make it really bad.

But make it anyway.
You'll be happy you did.

Your heart will be happy too.
xox

a place in my heart for Syd Barrett and horny drawings

hello peeps!

Had a great evening of drawing last night,

and painting

and even watched a movie.

This is micron pen and watercolor on paper...

she is not impressed...

and he's just a little horned up... ;-)

(i love the quote.)

 (acrylic on canvas)
After a few little drawings, i decided to paint.

I have a soft spot in my heart for Syd Barrett

the founding member of the band, Pink Floyd.

It was 40 years ago this week

that they recorded "Dark Side of the Moon",

one of the best selling albums of all time.

I posted about Syd here

if you want to know a bit more about him.

I purposely used sick looking colors for his face.

After i added this green background, 

it just didn't feel done.

It didn't feel right to me.

It all looked too perfect.

Too unlike Syd.

So i added these pink paint drippings
and i liked it much more.

(i was gonna add purple and then remembered PINK FLOYD)... :-)

Sometimes, we get to a certain place with our art,

and we don't always dare to do certain things.

We should dare more.

What's the worst that can happen?

In the end,

it's not about whether someone else likes it or not.

It's about how you feel about that person,

that place,

that thing.

It's about your own perception.

Picasso used to say that he didn't paint the tree itself,

but rather, he painted how he saw the tree.

This is how I see Syd Barrett.

I love this portrait now

because I feel it is more representative of him.

And who knows? Maybe Syd would love it too.

xox

(a video of the song that Pink Floyd wrote for Syd Barrett)...

a published book from a broken heart...

hi everyone.

(translation of book title: The stars at dawn)

I'll share some art later tonight, but for now,
I want to share this.

This book was written by a beautiful young woman of 17 years old.
The story of her father's battle with cancer -
one that he sadly lost three years ago,
when she was only 14, and her brother was 16.

More than anything, it's a story of courage and love.

Once in a while,
someone or something comes along and we are forever changed.

A separation

an illness

an accident

the death of a loved one.

Deep pain.

Deeper than many of us can imagine.

During such times, it's hard to make sense
of the world as it is.
It's hard to understand that life goes on...
with or without us.

It's also hard to believe
that through such anguish,
through such darkness,
eventually,
light finds a way in.

There is a Leonard Cohen song with these lyrics:

"there is a crack in everything,
that's how the light gets in".

Writing this book was Renée's crack.

This young woman made sense of her world
by writing about it,
by giving herself the space to grieve,
by giving her father a voice,
and honouring him in the most loving way,
with gentle, honest words on a page.

She is donating all the proceeds
to the cancer society,
to help find a cure.

And the reason i am sharing this story?

Because it is proof, once again,
that WORDS MATTER
and they also heal.

Sharing matters.

She chose writing
as a way to express her pain
and her story will not only change her,
but it will touch others.

It will inspire people to look at their own lives differently,
and be more grateful for what they have,
rather than what (or who) they don't have.

Stories like these
promote love
in a world often filled with hatred and loss.

This young lady is giving her father
the highest honour
and showing him the greatest love,
by spreading her wings
and showing him that she can fly.

We all have something to learn
from such stories of courage.

Wishing you all a day
filled with gratitude.
xox

flower child...

Courage doesn’t always roar.

Sometimes courage is the quiet voice

at the end of the day saying,

“I will try again tomorrow”.

- Mary Anne Radmacher

Courage comes in all shapes and sizes,

doesn't it?

For some, getting out of bed in the morning

feels like an act of courage.

For others who face debilitating obstacles

 on a daily basis,

and who do so with a peaceful heart,

a strong determination

and without resentment -

courage is simply a way of being

in the world.

Their way of being.

Surely, they have dark days or moments,

but they choose to move ahead

and face the day as if it were their last.

I believe certain circumstances

give birth to courage.

My own mother has become

far more courageous 

through her journey with cancer.

We all know people who have faced

unsurmountable situations

and have surmounted them

with tremendous courage.

One of my favorite books is Viktor Frankl's

Man's search for meaning.

If you want to learn about courage,

read this book.

Sometimes, courage means

wearing flowers in your hair

when what you really want to do

is throw in the towel.

It's not about being in denial,

it's about choosing to create

 your own circumstances

whenever and however

you can.

I had fun doing this one last night...

Acrylic, collage, and oil pastels on paper.

I believe being an artist

takes courage.

Yes, I do. 

Sharing art takes courage.

Like being naked in front of a crowd.

Well, ok, some of us may be 

totally ok with this... ;-)

Go out and practice courage today.

Apply for that job.

Quit that job.

Tell someone how you really feel.

Take that walk.

Take that nap.

Express gratitude.

Move to the ocean.

Make a decision.

Volunteer.

Paint that masterpiece.

Wear flowers in your hair.

xoxo

little houses, pépére, and stuff

I've had a few people send me emails lately,

telling me they've had problems leaving comments on my blog.

I've checked my settings & everything looks ok

but who knows...

For those of you who are able to leave comments,

i read them with a smile on my face & tuck them 

safely in my heart. :-)

So here are my little houses...

watercolour & white pen on paper.

I've felt a little stuck in the mud lately.

Maybe i need a trip to Bali, or Australia, or France? 

;-)

I find myself reading my little quotes

more often than usual these days...

needing the extra boost.

This is one of my favorites...

A quote by Steve Jobs and a print by an artist i love

from the Boston area, Mae Chevrette.

Check her out here.

I think it's important to feel inspired in our work spaces.

I try to surround myself with a few things 

that inspire me - this being one of them.

My grandfather made this years ago,

carved in one piece of wood,

and he was so proud of the fact

that he didn't cut or glue anything together.

Like many others of his generation

he had very little education.

He couldn't read or write,

but he worked hard his entire life

and provided for his family - 13 children.

I have memories of my grandmother

sitting at the kitchen table with him

trying to teach him to read.

He spent any spare time he had in his basement,

carving wood. 

He had carved an entire little village down there,

with horse drawn carriages and houses and churches

and fences and roads...

When he died years ago,

I inherited this.

More precious to me than gold

because it reminds me of who he was, at heart.

An artist.

Have a great weekend everyone!!

Do at least one thing that you love.

Celebrate the fact that you are an artist.

The world needs more of us.

:-)