Monday, September 29, 2014

☆ Artsy Abode with Carissa Paige [Life Book 2014]

Week 37 - Artsy Abode with Carissa Paige

This was such a fun little lesson. A quick one by Carissa Page + where I used a picture I had of a cool tree house + some beautiful patterned collage pieces.

This felt like a really loose painting, one that all came together perfectly, one where I didn't worry about perspective, realism or whether something looked right or not.

It just flowed beautifully.

And I love how she turned out.

And one day I would like to have a tree house like the one in my painting. One I can escape to from the world!

Have a fab week.
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Friday, September 26, 2014

☆ Dreaming in Colour [Friday Art]

Week 39: September 2014

Ok. I admit it....

I am slightly obsessed with dream catchers.

hmmm.

It may be more than slightly.

This week I was blessed with a day on my own. A day where I had nothing planned, not social events, no should do's, could do's, have to's.

Although I had prep to do for the markets I am at tomorrow. (I am at the Sakura Matsuri festival at the Japanese Gardens in town.) I knew I didn't have to start it then.

And I have been thinking about another dream catcher painting. The last one I did earlier this month was such fun to paint, that I began thinking about a huge painting for above my bed.

A big painting that has a rainbow of colours, that would be bright + soft + have meaning.

I am not a huge fan of traditional canvases, and I love the way the water colour smooshes around the page. The way you can layer colours so beautifully. The way you can never really plan what's going to happen with the painting.

So I know this painting has to be on water colour paper.

But I also want this painting big. HUGE. And I don't have paper that size here. And I couldn't duck out to the art shop (it's two hours away), so I thought I would start smallish (it's 29 x 42 cms) + see where playing would take me.

And I spent the next 8 hours painting.

It was BLISS

Pure and utter bliss.

"Dreaming in Colour"
29 x 42 cm Water colour on paper.
~~For Sale - $180 (unframed) + postage~~ SOLD
Contact me for info.

It's days like these, days where I can be totally connected to my painting + wild with my time + paints that balance me.

Days like these are rare + valuable and I treasure them.

If they were a weekly event they wouldn't be so special, but they shouldn't be so rare.

So what would you do on a day with no should do's, could do's, have to's - I would love to hear how you would spend your day.

By the way you can see this painting framed at the markets tomorrow - have a great weekend.

[LINKING TO PAINT PARTY FRIDAY]

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Monday, September 22, 2014

☆ Exploring Intuition {Life Book 2014]

Life Book Week 36: Exploring Intuition with Tamara Laporte

Painting intuitively sounds relatively easy, but for me it is one of the hardest things to do. I find it difficult to turn off the back ground noise sometimes.

And if the back ground noise has been muted, sometimes I find it hard to create outside my comfort zone.

But this week, I surrounded my self with about seven different mediums that were close to hand.

Tried not to over think my every move...

Used mediums that felt 'right' at the time....

Used colours that spoke to me...

And felt what I needed to feel....

And totally adore what came out.

And p.s. what I wrote is something that I definitely needed reminding of, but something that totally is true for me.

When I am vulnerable I can achieve great things + great things happen to me. When I am closed off, guarded that is when I struggle to connect, to feel beauty + have balance.

And as all Life Book lessons lately, something I have needed to have a reality check about...

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Friday, September 19, 2014

☆ Stars in the Clouds [Friday Art]

I need to take a month off from my life, go to a tropical island, and sip mojitos in my hammock while the barmy breeze kisses my skin, while my personal chef feeds me delicious meals and.....

Ok. Back to my life.

I know when I start having this little fantasy I am tired.

And I know when I dream of this I need to take time off.

But although I am going to take a week off at the end of September, taking off to my tropical island isn't possible. And with a family of five, impractical.

Luckily school breaks for the holidays today + for me at least there is a nice break from the daily hustle an bustle.

Holidays means lazy mornings in out jimjams, no tears during the hair styling, no rushing around for appointments + activities + breakfast that is something other than cold cereal.

Sometimes I just want to hang out on the couch and sleep but I totally know what I am like if I'm not in the studio regularly.

I become a snarky bitch.

The girls + Mr Mac call it the Mama Dragon. (There has to be a painting in there some where!!)

So I dragged my weary self to the studio + started to paint.

'STARS IN THE CLOUDS'
Water colour Journal Page.

I didn't expect much - I was too tired. But I love how this girl turned out - I really love the black/grey tones in the background. And enjoyed the challenge of having only a limited water colour pallet to use.

Funnily enough once I emerged from my hole, I was totally and completely energised again.

So although I can't take the month long holiday on the beach sipping mojitos that is my fantasy, I need to find some other ways of taking tiny little vacay's during my week.

Things like enjoying the warmer weather on my verandah with a great book, or going up to the 'rents house to 'borrow' their spa bath, or taking my camera out and taking photos of all the little things that I can find. Making my own mojitos + swinging in the hammock out the back.

Things that I used to do in another life, (pre kids), but seem to have slipped right down to the bottom of my list of things to do.

Maybe it's time to move them back up the list.

What about you? What do you do to give yourself a boost, or a mini vacay from your week? I would love to hear how your recharge + relax. Please share your stories with us!

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Wednesday, September 17, 2014

☆ 2015 Calendars [LilliBean Designs Spotlight]

If you follow LilliBean Designs on Facebook, you will have seen that the LilliBean Designs 2015 calendar is ready to order

I love the selection of paintings in next years calendar, for the first time I have included a few paintings that were more abstract.

Front Cover

And of course there are many of my big eyed girls gracing the pages too!

Actual calendar pages.

What I adore about this calendar is that there is plenty of space for me to write down all the crap that family Mac have to attend to each week.

So I will be ordering calendars the first week of October, which means they will be here in plenty of time for Christmas and the start of 2015.

I am keeping the calendars at the 2014 price of $20 each + postage. And this year, if you order three or more, I am offering a 10% discount off your total order.

And as I will be only ordering a limited number of extra calendars, if you want one for a Christmas

gift or for yourself, you can guarantee yourself one, by emailing me here.

I love hearing from you all, so if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email me and ask!!

Monday, September 15, 2014

☆ The Art of Play [Life Book 2014]

This was a really enlightening + enjoyable lesson which explored the art of play in painting.

Something I can struggle with at times. Something that I have a hard time doing applying this to other areas of my life.

Play can sometimes feel like a chore. So it was a nice change to actually just play.

So I journaled about what play meant to me, and then scrunched up the paper. After a couple of layers of paint + stencils + collage I then cracked open the stamp making kit I bought last year + have been meaning to crack open for ages.

Stars are a symbol that frequently pops up in my art. And they remind me that my play as a child would often take me to the moon and back, there were no limits in my play.

And I totally love how my play ended - these two little girls, going to play

Just like me and my sister.

Just like Bean + Bug + Beastie...

With our busy lives, we are often so serious, we have bills, mortgages, commitments. It is hard to let play into any aspect of our lives. So I'm challenging you to play a bit this week - and check in and let me know how you went.

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Friday, September 12, 2014

☆ Dreaming Softly [Friday Art]

I have been slightly obsessed with dream catchers all my life.

If you have been reading here for a while, you know that I am a vivid dreamer. My dreams are often intense, bright, consuming things. I often wake up with what I call Dream Hangover.

So since I was little I have always had a dream catcher above my bed.

I couldn't say 100% that I don't have bad dreams. But I no longer have the dark, stalkerish dreams that I used to have.

My kids are vivid dreamers too. Often we'll hear them cry out, talk or even sing in their dreams. (And that last one was the funniest thing I have ever seen!!)

So I invested in dream catchers for them too.

Just in case.

So I have been thinking a lot about them lately. I have some cool tutorials pinned that I would like to do one day, and create my own personal dream catcher. And they often pop up in my paintings like here + here.

But in the meantime this one will do.

'DREAMING SOFTLY'

I love how this turned out. At one stage there was so much water on the page that the paint from the page previous seeped through. And even though I was horrified at the time, I actually love how it worked out in the end.

I wish you good dreams this weekend!

[LINKING TO PAINT PARTY FRIDAY]
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Wednesday, September 10, 2014

☆ A story about Bean + everyday Bravery. [LIFE LESSONS]

I wanted to share a story with you about Bean and her every day bravery and how much of a reminder it was for me to be brave every day.

Today I watched as my baby girl grew up before my eyes. I knew it would happen, but I didn't realise it would happen so soon.

Bean is a dancer. She always has been and since she was two she has never once said to me "Mama I don't want to dance any more." Not once. She just loves it.

So now we are moving into a more serious side of dancing and there are exams involved. Mr Mac + I talked about it a bit - is this the right thing to do? We talked it over with Bean - did she understand what it meant? But in the end we decided she would do the exam.

This morning was exam day. I asked her before she walked into the studio, how she was feeling + she said great! She turned around and said to me "Remember Mama, the two rules of dancing? Smile big + have fun."

Yup she just quoted me back to me.

I left her their waiting to go in, no nerves no worries + she rocked it.

But after the exam we then walked into the dentist to have them look at this tooth of hers, that has been stubbornly hanging in. Her second tooth has grown behind it + this disgustingly manky tooth has refused to leave.

So she jumps in the chair + sits there. (I loathe the dentist + I start feeling icky)

Sits there + has a needle to numb the gum (I am feeling queasy now)

Sits there while they pull the tooth with pliers (I had to turn away here.)

Sits there while they give her this ugly rotten tooth is a plastic baggy. (Oh it is just disgusting!)

And then says to me - can I go back to school now? (Me? I would be in a foetal position in the corner sobbing!)

She has grown up before my eyes.

Today she reminds me that it is the everyday acts of bravery that really count.

It is turning up to an exam to have fun.

It is sitting in the dentists chair, mouth wide having a tooth yanked

It is wanting to go back to school even though her mouth is sore. (I convinced her that an afternoon at home would be better!)

Bravery is showing up and just doing what you have to do + moving on.

But sometimes I find it hard to show up. Sometimes I find it hard to move on. And sometimes I put off doing something until it is almost too late or the problem is debilitating.

What about you? Do you find ways to be brave every day? Do you show up + move on. Or do you struggle with it?

For the rest of this month, I will at the end of each day write down three ways I was brave on that day. To remind myself that I am brave + do brave things every day.

What about you? Are you in?
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Monday, September 8, 2014

☆ Turning a positive into a negative [Life Book 2014]

Week 32 - Turning a Negative into a Positive with Micki Wilde

This was such a timely lesson - sometimes I swear that my life in totally in tune with the roll out of Life Book lessons. When there is something I need to learn, or something I need to address, or something I am unsure of, the Life Book lesson of the week seems to be the one I need to address the issue...

Or maybe they are like reading my horoscope in the Sunday paper - I take what I desperately need this week!?!

So the lesson I did this week was from Micki Wilde + I started with a page of blahs. Things that were going wrong, things that I didn't like about the day. And then I chose very bright colours, some bubble wrap stamping + a new chevron stencil and made the back ground.

This is the final page and once I finished I realised that covering up the blahs, I could concentrate on the day being a great day + by the end of the day I realised it was.

An arty equivalent of Morning Pages I guess!

So do you dump the blahs from your head to some where else? I would love to hear what you guys do...

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