Doing the work...

It can be difficult looking within sometimes.  I remember gaining insights that I was not quite sure what to do with after the fact.  Looking back I know that any knowledge I gained was positive but that took some work.  This image represents that process for me.  Looking deeper at myself had left me feeling vulnerable and exposed however in the end it made me stronger.  I only needed to own all parts of me and stitch myself back up, so to speak.  This process lead to a deeper understanding of who I was and where I had come from; it made me stronger to look deeper into my vulnerabilities I just needed to do the work to accept them and in turn accept myself.

Finished Inspirational Cards

A few of my favourite quotes...

"Leap, and the net will appear."

                           ~J. Cameron

"I dwell in possibility."

                             ~Emily Dickinson

"Shut your eyes and see."

                  ~J. Joyce

"Life is the art of drawing without an eraser."

                          ~J.W. Gardner

"Begin with the end in mind."

                       ~Doug Flinn

Inspired

I've been reading several other Blogs out there since I've got this one up and running.  I'm enjoying navigating through the labyrinth of links and finding little gems to stir up my creative side.  Yesterday I stumbled across a Blog by Jess and found a fantastic project that she had started that asked for her readers to participate in.  It is called the Inspiration Deck Swap.  At first I was disappointed because it appeared as though I had just missed the deadline to participate, but I  contacted her and she told me that she had extended her dates a bit and that I was now on her list.  Yay!  I realized I was so excited to do something with my art supplies again.  I started on the project right away...amidst making lunch for my kids...(hey, you take anytime you can right?) and I must say...this girl was happy to get glue and paint all over her hands.  Now...to find some inspirational quotes or sayings to add to them...do you have a favourite one?

Begin

start, commence, engage
realize, contemplate
go forward
actualize
grow

CREATE

Timeless

I have a small art diary that is filled with images that I have created over the years. I've recently been exploring these pictures again and I enjoy remembering where I was in my life when each one was made. It is much like reading an old diary filled with just words. Something else that I have realized though is the images can be looked back upon and also have significance in my life presently. The pictures are a part of me, yesterday, today and tomorrow; they are timeless.

“If you hear a voice within you say, ‘You cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.” — Vincent van Gogh

Hidden

Turning my attention inwards
the focus is on me.
An energy surrounds myself
and I contemplate change.

Wild Woman

One of my favourite mediums to work in is collage. I have a large tote bin filled with only images and another filled with only words. I enjoy picking out pictures that catch my attention. I try not to question why they stand out, I just go with it and take them out of the bin and make a pile. Once I feel I have enough to work with, I slowly look at them and start arranging them. Here too I try to stay open and not criticize the process or image taking shape. Often I am pleasantly surprised by a finished work that addresses something about me. Sometimes it is just that simple; it is not something I have to go into further, it is just that I am acknowledging a part of me, and that is enough.

Big Fire

A release of energy and emotions. This image was created quickly and with lots of movement but the end result was that of calmness for me. The process of creating the fire is what helped me with my feelings at the time and the end result was a painting that produced the same simple, content state as staring into a campfire.

Inner Child

The images that I've created that seem to stand out the most afterwards are the ones I created very spontaneously. Using paint and big brushes allowed me to not get too caught up in thought about what was materializing on the page. This image became a self-portrait which also depicts my inner child.

Inner Expressions Art Therapy