Mini Art Show!
a mini art show in the studio!
+ trusting your wings
hello there my creative friend!
I hope that these days you are finding the time to enjoy little (or big) moments of creativity in your life. Today I thought I'd take out all the paintings I have completed lately, and make a little display in the studio, like a mini art show!
I have to tell you, seeing them all side by side just fills my heart with joy and excitement. It feels so good to see the fruit of your labor, and realize that despite everything that has been going on these past months (lots of noise & dust in the house with carpenters, painters etc.), I’ve managed to stay productive. Even when at one point, we had to use the studio as our dining room / family room!
So that’s eight paintings for now. I still need to make quite a few more for my live show in September here in France, but right now, I’m really happy with this little body of work.
every painting is a journey
When you see them all finished like that, it's easy to forget the journey they've been through. But the truth is that almost all of them have gone through some "awkward teenage phase", "stuck phase" etc. Every time, it's taken patience, trust, and sometimes a good deal of courage to push through and give them another chance. I'm so glad I did because eventually, they all came out of their chrysalis.
“Your legs will get heavy and tired. Then comes a moment of feeling the wings you’ve grown, lifting.”
The largest one in particular, called "Trust your Wings", has been through quite a journey: not weeks, not months, but years in the making! There's even a whole other painting underneath, which didn't really feel like "me". I ended up covering most of it up with paint and collage, and I giggle when I imagine what x-rays would reveal!
After these new layers, I really liked it in its unfinished state, and didn't feel like moving forward just yet. So I started using it as a backdrop for my classes' videos, and ended up doing so for several years. If you signed up for any of my most recent classes, you've probably seen it (right behind me in the photo below!).
But when I reorganized my studio last month (see the whole studio makeover HERE and HERE), I finally felt like it was time to fully bring it to life, and let it spread its wings (literally). I've had so much fun with it these past two weeks. At some point, I turned it upside down, and above all, I allowed myself to indulge in everything that I love: roses, jewel-like colors, a butterfly, uplifting words… Just pure, pure joy. So much so that I've already started another painting makeover! Another challenge for sure, but in a good way.
“Your wings already exist. All you have to do is fly.”
“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”
paintings are blooming all over the studio!
A few weeks ago, I shared a first little “shabby” bouquet (see more pics on the blog here) and I loved the process so much that it will become one of the lessons in my new class Flower Flow (filming finally starts next week, yay!). I wanted to retrace my steps, to help me plan the lesson, so I created a second one. I just can’t wait to share this process with you and make plenty more of these sweet little paintings!
If you’d like to get a heads-up when registration opens, you can put your name on the waiting list for Flower Flow is here:
In another project of the class, we will also play with finger painting over collage to create airy, flowy flowers over a bold, colorful and textured background, just like in my “Trust your Wings” butterfly painting:
dreamscapes
And last but not least, a whole series of whimsical collage landscapes, called “Where Dreams Await”. There are four small ones, plus a larger one. I got stuck quite a few times with these! Partly because I challenged myself to film the whole process and share it with you. Not just yet though, as there are hours and hours of footage to edit, but hopefully in a few months when I have less on my plate (or is it on my palette?).
Until then, here is a peek at some of the stages they’ve been through:
trust your wings
If there's one little bit of artsy wisdom I'd like to share with you today, it's this: you might be a complete beginner, or you might have been painting for waaay longer than me, but no matter where you are on this journey, remember that you've got wings. A beautiful set that are completely unique to YOU. And if you trust them, especially when things get tough, they will take you through all the not-so-fun times, all the way to the other side, where the magic happens. And it is so worth it.
As for me, I'm off to paint and get ready (finally!!) to start filming Flower Flow on Monday! The kids are going back to school, and all the noisy drywall-sanding-painting business in our living room is over at last, so I'm looking forward to some quiet, productive weeks ahead.
Please tell me it in a comment below!
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Until then, I wish you an inspired day!