Just this weekend, I was gifted a weekend to myself.  Hubby headed off to a blokes weekend in the country and I had the house to myself. As our little fluffy mate passed away over three months ago, there was no one relying on me or waiting for me.  I was as free as a bird to do as I pleased. 
The monthly paint-out had been postponed due to inclement weather.  This had been my only commitment over the weekend.

After heading out for some extra art supplies I headed back to my studio with the heater blasting and started on a project I had not had time to do for months.  The panels I had purchased had sat there on my shelving teasing me every time I went into the art shed. They would look at me and I at them, wishing I had the time to take them off the shelf, unwrap them and then cover them with creamy delicious acrylic paint. I started slowly on my idea using paper and working on my idea for the eight panels. Suddenly two hours had slipped by as I worked on a small 20cm x 20cm piece.  I was happy with the outcome.

Finally, the next day I set up in the garden room with panels, paint, water, brushes, palettes and paper towels, I was ready. I could now start on my project giving it my full attention.  Throughout the process, I mixed an array of colours, used a variety of mark-making tools and skimmed books for the right words to jump out at me for the collage.  It was exhilarating, to say the least.  I didn't stop for a coffee or a break, I was so focused and in my zone.  After many hours, I was finished, it was time to sit back and let them dry so they could be varnished. 

The gift of a weekend to enjoy creating was invigorating, peaceful and filled with what I love to do. I think you need one of these weekends once and a while. 

How would you spend the gift of a weekend to yourself?  Leave your comment below. 
 
Featured artwork: Unscaled Peaks and Uncharted Waters

At the time of writing, this morning was the monthly paint out on a cold, windy and drizzly morning.  It would have been oh, so easy to snuggle up in bed and not venture out into the Melbourne Autumn weather. Yet, eight of us rugged up, packed up art supplies and made our way to the park and gathered under the rotunda.  We all came with varying degrees of art kits, chairs, cushions and layers. For some it was the first time to paint en plein air, for others, it was a familiar way to spend a Saturday. 
We were all there for the enjoyment of spending some time to indulge in our love of creating, being outdoors and most importantly connecting with like-minded creatives.  The monthly paint out sessions is not about who makes the prettiest work, the best kit or has the best skills, it is about the enjoyment of connection, and the people, it is about painting and creating too.  I believe the biggest benefit of the monthly paint out is putting ourselves in the priority seat. 
It's great to take two hours once a month on a weekend to say hey everyone “I’m not available on this morning, this is my morning of meeting up and doing what I enjoy.”   The pleasure that is derived from being in the fresh air, chatting with familiar friendly faces and losing yourself on the page of the sketchbook is so fulfilling.  Sharing ideas, tips, and stories and finding out more about each other is building a new group of people to enjoy.
As we pack up and finish our hot drinks, the chatter reaches a crescendo of last-minute info and well wishes until the next time we meet. We all head off back to our various tasks for the day, helping each other to take our bits and bobs to the car, and then off we go.  And that is what meeting monthly and painting outdoors is all about, painting, people and priorities.
 
Do you want to join us?  It’s free and everyone is welcome.  Visit here to register for the next one.

"The stories of our mind, become the stories of our lives."  I'll never forget this saying; from the CEO of a company, I was involved with a few years back.  What we feed ourselves comes out in our skin, hair, nails and our figure. Yes, let me tell you, I have a sweet tooth and know if I give in to the chocolate cravings, the scales find out very quickly.


So too is what we feed our brain.  You know, the little nasty conversations we have with ourselves. Those snippets of useless information such as, I'm not good enough, no one will like this, I have no talent, I'm a fraud, I'm useless at this. Toxic conversations we have with ourselves.  We would never talk to our best friend, family member or neighbour this way, yet we allow ourselves to participate in this one-way hurtful conversation. 


What if we turned the conversation on ourselves and spoke as though we were speaking to our nearest and dearest, replacing admonishment with praise?  Hurt for joy, negative for positive, sadness for happiness?  Imagine how we would feel about what we do in life.


It doesn't matter if we're talking about creating art, gardening, writing or any matter of hobbies or tasks.  Being kind to others starts with being kind to ourselves.  
Next time you are about to have a nasty conversation with yourself, take a breath and replace the negative chitty-chatter with a healthy dose of positivity and praise.  You know you can change your story, it might just change your life.  

Do you have positive conversations with yourself?  How do you stop negative self talk? Let us know in the comments below.

As much as I would love to have hours and hours to sit and paint, the reality is, it just doesn't happen very often.
Like many of us, to be able to paint for several hours in one go is a luxury and one that doesn't happen as often as I would like.

With running art classes and an impending house renovation calling for attention, I manage to carve some time into my week to play in the sketchbook and lately creating mini landscapes. 

These landscapes are half an A4 size paper,or some are 20cm x 20cm.  The paper has a luxurious feel as it is 100% cotton watercolour paper and is a pleasure to work on.  Allowing myself an hour or so to work on a landscape or finish one off means I am still able to create for my art business. Most importantly, I continue to keep that creative muscle working.   

The joy of time carved out of a busy schedule helps to calm my mind, taking time to forget about what is happening around me, my to do list or anything else that pops up.  

Growing up, I had no idea my grandmother my dad's side was an artist.  It wasn't until recent years I found out she worked with charcoals and watercolour.  I now sit and wonder if this was her stress release from her busy life of being a nurse, mother and living on a poultry farm.

Besides the escapism, the joy of honing my skills with watercolour and gouache on small works. 

You can see some of my current mini landscapes created during these times. 

​Please feel free to leave a comment below. 
 
    

I can sit and while away hours lost in paint, brush and thoughts. Often, I get lost in the art, conjuring up stories or scenarios that fit with a scene. Take the piece pictured to the left.  I imagined myself on this secluded beach, nestled in the rocks with a book, the sun glistening on my skin and the gentle lap of the ocean coming up to the shoreline. I transport myself to that place, if only for the time I am creating, even though it may be raining and windy outside. 

Some people create art for their pleasure, a form of relaxing, rejuvenation of the mind and soul and a pleasure entirely for themselves.  There is no intention for the completed artwork, only for the moment.

Hobbyist's create for the joy of a hobby that keeps them active, connected and enjoying their pursuits. Often,joining a group with likeminded creatives.

There is also the part time or full time artist who creates art for not only the joy but for the purpose of selling their works. Some are creating for the purpose of their work to be hung in a gallery or museum.

Ask yourself, am I creating this piece for:
it to be in a museum?
it to be in a gallery?
to be sold?
to hang on my wall at home?
me to have no expectation?
me to enjoy the time relaxing, having fun and forgetting what is going on in my life?
 
There is no right or wrong to any of the reasons we create art. When I am in the studio or out an about creating, I don't have anyone in mind, I don't create with the intention to put the piece up for sale.  I create for the joy, the experieince and the sheer enjoyment and pleasure of creating.  I personally think, for me, it takes the pressue off, it allows you the freedom to explore, break the rules, have fun, create without expectation.  If someone loves what I have created enough to purchase it, take it to their home and enjoy it, that is all I can ask for beyond my pleasure.    

Are you a creator or an admirer?  Leave your comments below.

I remember years ago, I used to go to the hairdressers to get my hair streaked.  Sitting in front of the mirror with the cap on, hair pulled through tiny holes sticking out everywhere, it was an ugly sight. (i'm giving my age away!)
As I sat there waiting for the colour to develop I would put up with it knowing that when the cap came off, my colour would be vibrant and my hair would feel great.  Of course, there were many steps to getting my hair from looking like I had put my finger in an electric socket to coiffed and ready to take on the world with my new hairdo.  Can you relate?

So often in art classes, I hear from the room many times, OMG, this is ugly, followed by a big sigh.  Sometimes, I am asked for some more substrate to start again.  The fact is nothing is beautiful during a process.  Building a home, you start with an empty block, building on it and developing it over years to get it where it is today.  Baking a cake or cooking your favourite dish, you wouldn't eat part of it during the process, it would taste awful without all the ingredients put through the process.

The same is true when creating art.  It is a process, artwork has many layers to it.  Building on it, lovingly adding a brush mark here, a pen stroke there, mixing colours, adding subtracting, highlighting, toning down, mark making, pulling back.  All of the different components make up the work.  All artwork as with everything that has a process goes through an ugly stage. 

We wouldn't get up from the hairdresser chair and with the cap on and say "hey, this is ugly, I'm giving up on getting my hair done." or "Stop building my house, I wanted a landscape garden with a path to walk up to the front door, even though it's not there yet."  Get my drift? 

Art work is the same, it takes time, patience, perseverance, vision and faith.  Not every artwork will work out how you thought, it could work out even better.  If you give up, or walk away and not go back to it you will never know and you will never learn. 

I find if I am stuck and not sure what to do, I walk away for a little while and come back, looking at it with new eyes, a new perspective. I work through what I need to do to take it from the ugly stage to developing it further.  You never know you might just make your most perfect masterpiece if you work through the ugly stage. 

Does your artwork go through an ugly stage?  How do you overcome it?  Share your ideas and leave your comment below.  

I once knew a lady who spent so much time talking about how little time she had that she never actually got anything done.  We all have the same mount of time in our day 1440 minutes to be precise.   It is how we choose to use those minutes which makes a difference. 

Personally, I am a paper diary gal, I write everything in it and schedule time for particular tasks. Yes, I schedule medical appointments, classes I run, business tasks, cleaning the house and also studio or painting time. I also have non-negotiable times which often my painting or studio time falls into that category.  Non-negotiable means it must be something super important for me to schedule over that time.

If your hobby of art is important to you, you will schedule in time to spend pursuing it.  It may be as little as  30 or 40  minutes a day. The first step is giving ourselves permission to take the time to enjoy our hobby,  I don't know about you, as I was growing up the fun stuff could only be done when the work was finished.  Our brains have been programmed to allow ourselves pleasurable pursuits after the work, chores and responsibilities have been completed. Guess what?  They never end, they never are completed so we don't end up enjoying our hobby, art, painting, knitting or any other hobby.

Think about the last time you "indulged" in your hobby or a pleasurable pursuit. How did it make you feel? Did you feel calmer, less stressed and revitalised?  If like me, the answer is yes, this is the time to grab that diary, planner, phone and schedule in the time to enjoy your hobby.  You are no good to anyone else or yourself if you are frazzled, stressed or feeling down.  

Making our art or hobby a priority is helping ourselves to a better, less stressed and more rounded life.

Leave a comment below on how you prioritise your time to pursue your hobby or what you plan to do now.  I would love to see your ideas. 
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Artists that find inspiration in nature have a never ending opportunity to bring the outside in.  Nature has a certain way that it casts a magic spell over us. A walk in nature, you can hear the rustle of leaves, the lapping of the ocean or a sunrise or sunset filled with vibrant hues.

As the urban sprawl continues and medium to high density living increases, there is less and less opportunity to experience nature regularly.  Art is a way to bridge the gap between the great outdoors and the limited space indoors. 
Mother Nature offers endless inspiration from mountain peeks, rivers and beaches to the tiniest of petals on intricate flowers and everything in between. 

Art can be a conduit to the connection between nature and indoors, creating a certain ambiance melded with your own personal decorative elements.  

Imagine waking to a beautiful bouquet of flowers on your side table with water you never have to change, or a sunset that never sets on your wall.  You can have it all with art in your home.