Art is a Gift you Deserve to Give Yourself

I love this painting because it reminds me how creativity was natural as playing when I was a child.  Somewhere along the way when comparison and judgment stepped in, I told myself I was no good and put away my artistic dreams.  

This painting was my affirmation that I am loved, I am heard, I am seen, I am safe, and I am Artist!  

I have used art for therapy and inspiration, and to work things through, and as a way to do satire and humor as well.  

  

Art to feed my soul and comfort my heart:

Art to remind me about the magical and whimsical moments of life:

I can't imagine my life without art anymore.  You can see that one image is worth 10,000 words because it is holds so much feeling, and is open to interpretation which can be different for each person who views it.  Every painting tells a story and I like to combine writing or poems with the painting which brings new dimensions in and connects the left and right side of the brain which results in greater creativity.

It also allows you to access parts of yourself you wouldn't meet otherwise.  It is going within and bringing image back out with you.  Images that are unique to you that allow your soul to communicate with you.

Just play with some doodling even with pencil and paper until you can get some crayons or colored pencils, or colored Sharpies, watercolors, brushes, whatever.  Just start somewhere and leave the judgment outside and give it something to do, like pull weeds while you play.

I'm going to check back with you ... I'm off to do some chores so I can get back to my easel and work on my creative life ... it offsets all the other things you have to do in life ... it's a reward!!  Have fun and play like you remember how.

You may have noticed my long absence from my blog and I apologize because I had told myself I would write at least once a week and between painting, finishing up classes, starting new classes, creating a website, and endless details ... I let my blog slide.

The excitement this week is that my art teacher Shiloh Sophia McCloud is in New York this week and addressed the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women on March 4, 2013.  She presented a slideshow that featured 42 artists from Color of Woman Method and we each had three of our paintings included.  It was so exciting to see our art go out into the world to help show the healing power of art.

You can just make out an image from the slideshow on the wall behind her.  We are all so inspired by this amazing woman who has touched our lives so deeply.  I started painting about two years ago and had no art background at all.

Art has really changed my life on so many levels.  I miss my dining room because it has become my studio and is so full of my art supplies, canvases, paints, brushes, watercolor paper, and I have run out of room on my walls for my art so many are sitting on the floor stacked against each other.  I need to get my art out into the world because I have a small house and it is full of women on canvas.  My husband loves being surrounded with all the women though so that's really good news.

Anyway I am feeling so super charged and excited about the potential for this work, Color of Woman Method, to reach out to women and girls and allow them to discover the healing potential of creating art.   My head is swimming with ideas and I'm trying to decide if I want to start teaching classes or if I want to create video online classes or just paint and write.  It has been a bit overwhelming trying to learn all the technical aspects but I have learned a lot in the process.  So I will keep you posted and in the process keep myself posted ... writing helps you find out what's going on with you in your life.

 This is Sophie Rose and I just love her.  So here's to healing the world with image and love.

 So much more to come ... so much to share and play with.