give your art

a poetic touch

Hello there! I'm loving the feeling in the air today: after several very hot weeks, it finally feels like the beginning of autumn over here in France: there's a new crispness to the air, and this morning for the first time, after walking my daughter to the bus stop, all I wanted was a hot cup of tea and an extra jumper!

I love the coziness of autumn so much, and I already look forward to many blissful hours outside gardening, with my hands in the dirt, planting things that will stay dormant for now, until they magically bloom in a few months! The light has changed too, it's all golden and gorgeous. Autumn always finds an echo deep within my soul, it is such an inspiring, poetic season…

Speaking of which, how about taking a moment to look around and notice all the poetic beauty in your life? In nature, in your everyday life, your home, your relationships? And how about playing with words a little, to invite inspiration?

I love the serendipity of "found" poetry and stories, just grabbing a book page or a magazine and letting words come together in unexpected ways, then weaving them into my art. That's what we're going to do together in "Poetic Secrets", my free lesson for the Life Book 2022 Taster Sessions! I so look forward to it and I do hope you will join me!

Sneak peek… this is the page you will see me create in the class:

Gatherer of Words

In anticipation of this creative time together, what if you started collecting some inspiring words? My too main sources for cut-out words are book pages and magazines. You might be able to get them for free at your local library!

> BOOK PAGES

In my art I like to use books that are meaningful to me, so I buy cheap, second-hand copies of my favorite books just for creative play. I find that children's literature is an especially great source of poetic, magical themes and words. And if don't like the idea of cutting into a book, you can always make a photocopy of a few pages that you like.

> Magazines

Magazines are great for larger words with interesting fonts and colors, especially in titles and ads. My favorites are home and garden magazines, for instance Country Living, and also Simple Things or Bella Grace. They all have a different vibe, so it's important to use what you're naturally drawn too, and that you might already have!

Let your stories unfold

Very often, these "found" words become a starting point for more writing: thoughts or a story that long to come to life, not only in my art journal, but also in my paintings! Actually I used to journal on the canvas waaay before I even started my first art journal. Now that I think of it, from my very first painting! Do you do that too?

At my current art show, when you're standing in the room with paintings all around, it's striking to see how much writing there is in my art! I love handwriting as mark-making: it evokes energy and movement. And when the layers blend and overlap, it feels like stories are living just below the surface, revealing a word here and there. I like them to always be uplifting, soothing and inspiring, so that even if you can't read them, they contribute to the positive energy that I want to bring into the world through my work.

And I love cut-out words as a meaningful, graphic element. The painting below, called “Artist Wings", is full of uplifting messages, even on the sides! I created it as part of my online class Flower Flow, and it’s currently being exhibited at my current show.

To enjoy all the art that's part of the show head over to my previous blog post, and if you see something that speaks to your soul, we're happy to ship worldwide:

Here are some MORE examples of the way I incorporate words in my art journal:

Writing is so therapeutic, and another beautiful way to infuse meaning and feelings into a piece of art. The way I do it, it doesn't have to be “pretty” or even readable at all, but it's there, a spontaneous expression, in the moment. And it becomes part of the layers and the story that unfolds.

Gathering cut-out words and playing with them is such a fun and relaxing activity, so grab your favorite cuppa, a magazine and a pair of scissors, and look for words that inspire you! You might be surprised how many you will find...

And remember, this is never about creating something perfect. It doesn’t have to completely make sense, or be grammatically impeccable. It’s about letting words come to you, in a way that simply feels “you”. Just have fun, and I hope to see you in the Free Life Book Taster Sessions!

Leave a comment for me!