☆ What's Through Your Window? [inspiration avenue]

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This weeks inspiration avenue prompt, was to look through the window + share what you see...

If I were to take this literally, I would show you a picture of grey clouds, hills hidden by mist and a fence lined with wisteria, ornamental grape vine, ivy + jasmine that is in desperate need of a trim.

So this week, I decided to be a bit abstract again.

Snow ward Bound

I love painting girls (obviously!) but what I am always drawn to + what I absolutely love to paint, is their eyes.

And usually it's there, that the painting becomes... well, I guess it comes alive. Sometimes I will start with the eyes and then the painting unfolds from there. 

They say the eyes are the windows to your soul, and maybe what ever I am feeling, comes through my paintings eyes. (It shouldn't, but it surprises me they are always different.)

So if you looked through the windows of this paintings eyes, I wonder what you would see....

Have a great weekend.

         

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☆ Bird Song [inspiration avenue prompt]

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Have you had a chance to enter into this months Christmassy GIVE AWAY or perhaps thought about joining me in my very first Christmas Tag Swap? Both are open to absolutely every one + I would love it if you would check them out.

Bird Song

Do you remember to count your blessings on a daily basis?

I don't. Sometimes, my day is just overwhelming. Maybe my family make demands on me that I don't feel like giving into, maybe my health is ailing, maybe I am tired, maybe I am just sad.

Then something happens. A tragedy, a sadness, a natural disaster, a breakdown, and I sit there and say to my self - I am so lucky. I am blessed.

I have had a week like this. And again I am reminded that I am blessed. But I wonder why it takes such events for me to count my blessings?

So instead of waiting for the next event, I am going to count my blessings on a daily basis. (But I think I will need a simple + tangible way to do this!)

And while I am so, so blessed to have a happy + healthy family, and a strong marriage, and supportive + understanding friends, one of the things I am so so thankful for is a desire to create, an imagination that is unlimited, and circumstances that allow me to indulge in my passion on a daily basis. And you guys. If it wasn't for the amazing comments and support that you all send my way, I think I would be in a very different place right now.

So this week for Inspiration Avenue, I felt strongly that my painting should be a more abstract representation of my blessings, rather than something more concrete.

Have you thought about how you are blessed lately? Do you have a tangible or simple way of reflecting on this on a daily basis? I would love to hear your thoughts.

       

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☆ Imagination [illustration friday]

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Have you entered into this months give away yet? 

Entries close tomorrow - so pop over here to enter (it'll take you five minutes!)

"There is no 

Life I know

To compare with pure

Imagination"

- Willy Wonka

Have you ever had a day when the world that you've created in your imagination is a much better alternative to real life?

And okay, yes, this may be where loved ones become slightly concerned about my mental health - but haven't you ever had one of those days?

I used to have a lot of them.

I used to have days where I would fantasise about my life being something other than what it was.

Once I spent an entire week fantasising about other careers, an alternative life, being something that I wasn't.

But then I realised that living in this fantasy wasn't making me any happier. It was making things worse, and in realising this, I knew that in order to become a happier person, a happier partner, and a happier employee I needed to make a change.

A big change as it turned out.

With in a year, Mr Mac and I had saved up enough money, sold most of our belongings, quit our jobs and had two passports and two round the world plane tickets in our possession, to leave for our mature age gap year.

An inside, deep in my heart I knew that this was the right path for me, for us. I knew that it would lead us to a happier, a richer life.

And it has.

So while occasionally visiting my imagination was (and still is) something that is very necessary to my very existence, taking up residence in my fantasy world, is a huge big warning to me that something is not right.

What does your imaginary life look like? And is it trying to tell you something?

P.S. Have you entered into this months give away yet?  Entries close tomorrow - so pop over here to enter (it'll take you five minutes!)

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☆ What's behind your Door? [inspiration avenue]

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I need your help to decide the theme of Septembers give away. 

I will only take a few seconds to have your say. Just click here

Thank you!

Behind the secret door.

When Mr Mac was a pimply teen, he was lucky enough to live in Rome. Which meant that on our 'mature age gap year' tour, I was the lucky one and had an insiders guide to off the tourist track Rome.

I loved meandering through the back alleys, scoffing down gelato for lunch (on our budget it was gelato or salami + bread - guess which I chose!) I found beauty in the smallest things, a door handle, a sewer cover, I would marvel that the buildings in Rome were centuries, (centuries!) older than Australia's oldest city.

And I often wondered what was behind the many huge doors that we walked past,  and what secrets they were hiding.

And then one day we walk past an open door, and I was stunned.

I never imagined that those doors could hide the beauty that was in that courtyard. 

There was a central fountain, lush greenery surrounding the sandstone walls and the staircase that went to the apartments upstairs. Hidden in amongst the greenery were wrought iron benches, and amazing mosaics covered the floor.

Behind me this little old italian woman murmured, 'bella eh?' as she walked past into the courtyard with her shopping.

Once I had seen behind the first open door, I began to see open doors everywhere. Each was a surprise waiting to explore, some were lavishly designed, some were dated and tired, but they all had their own beauty.

I would fantasise as I walked past, that I was living in one of those apartments, with my a coffee or wine, and I would be sitting in the tranquil courtyard, ignoring the city sounds, as I spent a few stolen moments day dreaming.

If you had a door that opened onto anywhere, what would be behind it?

Don't forget I need your help to decide the theme of Septembers give away. I will only take a few seconds to lend a hand. Just click here.

Thanks x

[Linking to Inspiration Avenue]
[It's my first time Linking to Paint Party Friday]

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☆ Comfort [an inspiration avenue prompt]

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Comfort
AVAILABLE FOR SALE HERE

If you could be anywhere where would you be?

For this weeks inspiration avenue prompt I was at a bit of a loss.

I would be some where warmer, I would be back on the Isle of Raasay in Scotland, I would be having a coffee on the ski slopes, I would be sleeping in, having breakfast in bed, reading an awesome book that you just can't put down with out interruption.

But after I twanged my back, had a very sick Bean, and a Bug who decided to be her cheeky best, all I needed was to be given a comforting hug by someone and be told I was a good mama. 

(A big glass of wine would have been a close second, but it is another four months before I can have that!)

So this painting reminds me of that feeling of comfort and security that a hug from your loved ones can give.

So right at this very moment, right now, where do you want to be? I would love you to share.

'Comfort' is available for sale through LilliBean Designs on Etsy. Click on the link for more details.

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☆ A Zentangled Inspiration Avenue

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Follow Where Your Heart Leads You.

I love doodling, and zentangling.

I love the freedom that I have when I am in the tangle zone.

Nothing seems to switch of the irritating inner bitch than a good tangle.

I just zone out

I often think I should do a quick five minute tangle first thing every morning cause nothing would clear my head more effectively than this.

Kinda like the way Julia Cameron's Morning pages do.

Anyway this is where my tangle took me this morning. A visual reminder to follow my heart. And that it wont lead me wrong.

Such a fun challenge this week at Inspiration Avenue. You should pop over to check out the other tangles.

Also please don't forget to enter this months GIVEAWAY. There are only two day left to enter. Just click here to enter 

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☆ Wander Lust [inspiration avenue]

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Wander Lust
For Sale Here

This weeks inspiration avenue prompt, Pink, was great fun. I love how my pink haired angel ended up. I wonder where she is wanting to be, where she needs to go?

Have a great weekend.

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☆ Angel with Swirly wings [inspiration avenue]

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Angel With Swirling Wings
Original Mixed Media Acrylic Painting (8.3 x 5.8 in)
ORIGINAL FOR SALE HERE
Prints available here
 

This weeks inspiration avenue prompt had me stumped for a while. Swirl, a simple concept, but on that refused to form an image for me.

After lots of thinking, sketching and playing, I ended up with my swirly winged angel.

A great challenge this week, I loved that it made me work hard for the painting too.

Have a great week.

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☆ Where do Mermaids Stand? [inspiration avenue]

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Mermaid Peek-A-Boo
AVAILABLE FOR SALE HERE
 8.3 x 5.8" (210 x 148 mm)

Every Wednesday Bean, Bug and I venture out and go to our local play group.

It's a great group, friendly people, with a wide variety of backgrounds, so it is always interesting, if not sometimes controversial. I am never bored.

One Wednesday, they were telling the kids the story of  Noah's Arc, and how everything and everyone except the people and animals on this arc were flooded. 

All the kids were nodding, were totally involved, and then my Bean pipes up. 

My beautiful, imaginative Bean says, "Except for the mermaids 'R'. The mermaids would have been ok, because they live in the water don't they."

R replies after looking startled, well of course Bean, the mermaids would have been just fine.

So where do mermaids stand? Right at the front of the queue according to my Beasties! Check out Inspiration Avenue this week for some amazing mermaids.

Don't forget to enter this months GIVEAWAY. Click here to enter there are only two more days to enter.

Have a great week

 

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☆ Art with Heart [inspiration avenue]

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Art with Heart.

I think you can always tell when you have created something that has engaged your heart.

I think you always know when you have created something that hasn't engaged your heart.

When a painting doesn't  feel right, when it seems flat, I know that my heart isn't in it. I know that I've just gone through the motions. I know that I will never look at that painting again with out a lingering sense of sadness.

For this weeks inspiration avenue prompt Hettienne wrote such a beautiful piece about creating with heart, and living open hearted. I couldn't  have said it better myself.

And although my submission this week is not completely finished (due to my Beans highly contageous tummy bug) it started out with great heart involved. And one day I will finish her off. (Maybe when my tummy has finished turning itself inside out!)

Have a great week

P.S Don't forget to enter this months GIVEAWAY. Click here to enter

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☆ Hands [inspiration avenue]

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This weeks inspiration avenue prompt was all about hands.

And when you think about it, hands are vitally important to everything we do. Everything. (well except riding a bicycle hands free). I can't imagine how I would cope with out one of mine, let alone both and yet people do all the time. I often wonder how would I create if I had no hands? How would the creativity express itself then?

Many years ago, I was lamenting my lack of ability in drawing realistic figures, and my mother bought home a book that changed my life. Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, by Betty Edwards gave me the ability to tune out the inner critic while I was drawing (although I still had to deal with it outside of that time)

And I never have finished the whole book, but I was able to learn what I needed from it, that I could reproduce from life, not just from a picture and that perspective wasn't this huge big elephant in the room, but pretty easy once you had a few trips and tricks.

Over the years I have picked up the book and restarted the exercises when I needed to to kick start my creativity.

These hands are from one of my favourite exercises in the book, sketching what ever is in the grid, okay it's slightly more than that, but you get the picture .

Any way these are my interpretation of this weeks prompt.

P. S. Happy Mothers Day every one, I hope you were spoilt rotten by or where the spoilers of the mums in your life.

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☆ Which Child Are You? [inspiration avenue]

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This weeks inspiration avenue prompt was a fun one. Based around the famous nursery rhyme which is supposed to tell the future depending on which day you were born. And sometimes I think there is something to the rhymes fortune telling abilities.

Monday's child is fair of face

Tuesday's child is full of grace,

Wednesday's child is full of woe,

Thursday's child has far to go,

Friday's child is loving and giving,

Saturday's child works hard for a living,

But the child who is born on the Sabbath Day

Is bonny and blithe and good and gay

So I obviously I am Thursday's child - and sometimes I do feel like I have miles to go.

Just for fun, and because I am the curious sort, I also check Mr Mac's and confirmed Beans days. I could remember which day Bug was born, but I wasn't 100% that I remembered Beans. (Fortunately I was right!)

So Mr Mac is a Thursday child too, which makes sense cause he is always on the go and Bean, she is a Wednesday child (and holy hell, she was full of woe today, starting from when she woke up crying, sigh!). Bug is a Friday child, and loves cuddles and snuggles.

So which child are you? Are you full of grace? Or you one of the blessed Sunday children, who seemed to bonus traits?

Have a great weekend.

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☆ Inspired by Words [inspiration avenue challenge]

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This weeks Inspiration Avenue Prompt was inspired by National Poetry Month. And we were challenged to be inspired by words, poems, lyrics, quotes or novels.  

I have a huge collection of words, and poems and quotes, and descriptions from novels, that I have saved to be inspired by when the time is right.

But this week, my Bean has graduated to a bunk bed (built by the fabulous Mr Mac) which she decided she wanted to be a mermaid bed (Due mainly to my obsession with pinterest and the 10 or so pins I have of bunk beds for princesses!)

So Mr Mac built the bed and cut out the railing pattern and I painted it. Such an awesome project to work on, but it left no time for my Inspiration Avenue prompt. 

But then I thought about it, and I remember when I was studying for my HSC (all those many years ago now) we studied the poet John Donne. I loved his work, even though I never really understood it, and I needed the cliff notes to decipher his poems. (I can still quote the first stanza of his 'Flea' poem)

Anyway, I remembered a line from one of his songs

"Teach me to hear mermaids singing"


And it has always struck me. I am learning to hear the mermaids sing. It has taken a long time, but I can hear them now!

So in keeping with this weeks theme, I would love to hear what words, song, novel, poem or quote has inspired you lately?



P.S Don't forget to enter April's GIVEAWAY. Click here to enter. Tuesday is the final day for entries.

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☆ Foliage [inspiration avenue]

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Every day when I go out for my walk I end up coming home with some thing in my pocket.

Some times it a pebble, often it's feathers, and just lately with the onset of autumn it has been leaves.

Everyday I look at these leaves and I see patterns, I see wings and feathers and hearts.

I have been collecting the ones that spark some inspiration and storing them in a box, to do something with.... one day.

And thanks to Jenn's prompt over at inspiration avenue I finally had a chance to use one of the multitude of leaves I have collected.

Just one I know, but now I know how effective they look, you will probably see them popping up in my work more often.

 An awesome prompt this week.

P.S Don't forget to enter April's GIVEAWAY. Click here to enter 

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☆ Frida [inspiration avenue]

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I must admit that before this weeks challenge at inspiration avenue I didn't know very much at all about Frida Kahlo

In fact I knew about five things

☆  She was a Mexican painter,

☆ She is the subject of many artists paintings in the blogging world + ATC exchanges,


☆ She painted lots of self portraits,


☆ She was portrayed by Selma Hayek in a movie based on her life (a movie that has been on my must watch list for a couple of years now),

☆ She had a very dominant eye brows (much more impressive than Brooke Shields!)

So this weeks challenge gave me an opportunity to read more about Frida Kahlo and her life. And isn't she, and her art fascinating? I am totally inspired by her and her story.

The quote is one of hers and it totally summed up the way I was feeling the day I painted this. Now I just need to dust of my wings!

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☆ Storm Warning [inspiration avenue]

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An appropriate prompt for Inspiration Avenue today.

Maggie chose Stormy Weather for our prompt this week. And here today the weather has moved through all four seasons in one day.

A hot sunny morning, a cloudy cool lunch, a stormy and rainy arvo and an evening where the heater need to be turned on.

Not unusual weather for autumn, but a stark reminder that winter is just around the corner. (I can't wait - winter is my favourite season after autumn.)

Have a great week.

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☆ Dolls [inspiration avenue]

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Did you have a favourite doll growing up? One that you took every where, slept with, or dressed and undressed 10 times a day?

I wasn't really a doll child. I had the odd dolls of course, but I was more a stuffed toy kinda gal. I had my Tiffee and my very ratty panda!

I was the kind of girl who wanted a pound puppy rather than a cabbage patch doll. (Is it just me or are they slightly freaky?)

My sister, on the other hand, was a doll girl, with her 'Snuggles', a sweet smelling baby with her blonde hair matted and tangled. Her Snuggles was her constant companion.

You may ask why the reminiscing? And why dolls? Well, this week the Inspiration Avenue prompt was doll.

A very cool prompt with huge ideas, but this week I found I struggled with the actual painting.

I struggle with liking this image I came up with, part of me thinks - 'cute!' the other half of me thinks - 'meh'. There is something about this image that confounds me...

Anyway, today I was working on another painting and I noticed that these girls were very doll like in their baldness! So before I added hair I took a photo.

Maybe dolls in progress?

If you have a moment pop on over to the inspiration avenue website to check out the entries.

Have a great week

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☆ Primavera [inspiration avenue]

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The Three Graces
Acrylic Mixed Media
16 x 11" cold pressed watercolour paper.
©2012 Kirstin McCulloch

Botticelli's painting Primavera was this weeks Inspiration Avenue challenge. And what a challenge!

Of the nine figures in Botticelli's painting, three of them are the 'Graces'. They are the goddesses of Charm, Beauty and Creativity.

I didn't need to read any more, (although of course I did!), because I knew what I wanted to paint this week. I wanted to put my spin on the Three Graces.

So here they are, goddess of charm, creativity and beauty.

         

Thanks to Lisa, for this weeks challenge.

  

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