........ Art ~ Writing ~ Life

Keeping an Art Notebook

2012-01-26T20:00:00.000-08:00

For the last several years I have kept Art Notebooks to record techniques, ideas for series, quotes, or projects I want to work on. The latest one measures approximately 8 1/4 by 5 1/2 inches and is a standard hard back bound black book whose cover has been enhanced with molding paste, acryclics, and gold paint.

I collect images that inspire me and often they provoke ideas for paintings or sculptures, as in the one below.

I keep track of concepts that I want to develop and remind myself of colours that make my heart dance...

Notes on supplies that I would like to acquire, an idea for a fold out book. A quote that became a painting... and sold...

Or an outline concept and notes of a mural for a client's property...

It is my constant source of reference and inspiration and long after the work is done, a wonderful memory of what steps it took to reach the finished piece. And it reminds me that inspiration is everywhere, and if I have done it before, I can do it again...

Let it be simple...

2012-01-01T22:06:00.000-08:00

In the remaining few days of December I bid farewell to a challenging year from many perspectives. I was grateful to finally be able to glimpse some of what I had learned throughout. As the end of first day of 2012 approaches I welcome the year ahead with one thought only. Let it be simple.... Instead of tilting at windmills, stepping on giants, challenging the status quo at every opportunity, I return to my own life; as Intuitive, Artist, Writer and Teacher. From here I can focus on who I am and what matters to me and that is enough. Allow for life to be simple.

Because it really is if we let it.

May the year ahead bring you whatever matters to you the most ~

Golden Morning...

2011-12-01T13:55:00.000-08:00

Woke up very early this morning and as the kettle was warming on the woodstove for tea I noticed that some of the tips of the trees were tinged with yellow...

"Look behind you" said Tony, and there the rising sun was bathing everything it could reach in gold.

A cup of tea always makes things better...

2011-11-12T13:00:00.000-08:00

My Irish grandmother, Nana. Hannah by birth, Annie to her friends, she always maintained that a pot of tea was the cure for all things. In my last post I wrote about the recent trauma of having a cold mug of tea dumped unceremoniously over my journal/sketchbook. With the help of my lovely soulmate's sense of positiveness I was able to turn the disaster around. What I'm still trying to come to terms with, is that on top of all this, one of the pieces I was most devastated about, after drying, well, sort of... looked... a lot... well... better!!!

Obviously I don't have the "before" picture, but just let's say there were no smudges on either side of the picture...

We had spent the week camping early October in Goldstream Park (near Victoria) and it did more for my soul than anywhere has in a very long time. I sat by the fire most days sketching and writing or just staring into the flames. For this particular piece I had drawn the trees straight onto the paper with a fountain pen filled with black ink, and then went back in with a watercolour brush filled with water to bleed the lines, which created the effects on the trunks of the trees. While the paper was still wet, I would dip the nib of my fountain pen into the wet spot, which would suck the ink onto the paper, bleeding further as it went.

I would come back to this piece again and again. The leaves of the trees and bushes were painted using my Windsor and Newton watercolour set, and then enhanced with Pitt Brush pens. Staedtler Triplus Fineliners. Gelly Plus 0.4 point pens by Monami Co. Ltd. (brought back to me from Hong Kong by my friend Janie) added details. Silver pens put the finishing touches to the leaves on the bushes. It's one of my favourite pieces in this sketchbook journal because of the memories it brings back of a very meaningful time and place.

And then the mug of tea hit...

Cold herbal tea with almond milk and blackberry honey poured into the pages of my sketchbook journal and through my sketches. On the left hand side of the double spread page it smudged the trunk and the dead tree beside it, bleeding ink and colour out of both sides of the trunk.

On the right hand side it smudged the trunk and softened the smaller trees beside it. The end result was a suggestion of mist, signature of the West Coast of British Columbia... a distant memory of mountains...a will- o'-the-wisp perhaps...

To finish of the piece I glued one of the bits of fungi that I had picked up and dried between the pages of my sketchbook journal. Somehow it seemed to belong now on this page, a wandering spirit of the forest.

My grandmother was right in so many... a cup of tea always does make it better...

Looking like a real artist...

2011-11-10T13:40:00.000-08:00

So in the van today, as we turned a sharp corner, my tea mug (with about 2 inches of cold milky herbal tea with honey in it) tipped right over onto the unbound open edge of my sketchbook/journal, drenching the pages and everything within...

My dear sweet soulmate (the driver of said van) patted me on the (also wet) knee and says: "Now it looks like a real artist's."

Rude words abounded ~ I was devastated. It wasn't his fault at all but you see, I have this thing... I love prisine notebooks. I like them neat. And tidy. And, above all, clean. Not for me the mucky, dog-eared look. Ruffled pages seriously disturb me. Uneven paper edges actually keep me awake at night. I can handles water wrinkes, just. Only as a result of a watercolour sketch. Smudges bother me though. It took me, literally, years before I stopped carrying whiteout in my purse along with my journal to correct my spelling mistakes. Come to think of it, now that they have those whiteout pens I could... But I digress...

Words smeared... Paint ran... Ink spread... Pages stained. There is an unsightly tea stained mark along the bottom edge. My poor sketchbook/journal, proud in its crisp, clean state now lies battered and mottled. Bruised and worn. Like a warrior home from a war that was lost. Dejected.

Which makes me feel sorry for it. Because on some level I know it senses that I may just pick it up later tonight when I go to journal and reject it. Needing, no craving, the safety of a new, clean, and might I add, DRY, place to write and sketch.

Waiting for the ferry on the way home I did do a quick watercolour sketch. I had to. The first rule of thumb when you fall off, is to get right back on. Works for bicycles, horses, and skates too I understand. So hopefully it worked for sketchbooks. I did a quick sketch of the scene, did a watercolour wash, and then began filling in the details with Pitt pens. Absorbed in what I was doing until it felt good to be working in there again.

Am I going to abandon it? As someone who has had abandonment issues with toasters in the past (that's for another post) I don't honestly think it's within me. After all, this journal sketchbook has seen me through an awful lot these last couple of months. I'd have to be a pretty lousy person to discard it just because I forgot to put my very tall and unstable mug of tea somewhere safe in a van that delights in throwing things all over the place just because it can turn on a dime. I did mention the driver who loves same, didn't I?

It's really been there for me. Accepting without crisitism all that I had to say or draw. So I'll see this somewhat unsightly sketchbook journal through to the last page.

Besides... apparently, now, it looks like it belongs to a real artist...

Just call me "Pumpkin"

2011-11-01T08:57:00.000-07:00

Several years ago I broke a tooth on the front right hand side of my mouth. Having lost another tooth further back on the same side several years previously what remained was a HUGE gap, then one tooth, and another HUGE gap, or so it seemed to me. So much for all my talk of “Inner Beauty… and “It’s what’s inside that counts…” and "It's not about looks." Yeah - right!!! It had EVERYTHING to do with looks. I looked like the Wicked Witch of the West!

I was feeling very self-conscious and extremely sorry for myself as I had to wait one whole day for my dentist to rebuild the tooth for me (and he did an amazing job) so woefully milked it for all it was worth that evening, with the man in my life.

We spent a lovely evening eating (me very carefully) and talking (me mumbling a lot) and laughing (me hiding my mouth behind my hand) and at the end of the night he hugged and kissed me, stroked my face and wished me good luck at the dentist’s next day. As he held me in his arms he smiled and said…

(Wait – just to put this into perspective, I grew up in Belgium and it was only when I moved to Canada at the age of twenty five that I first encountered Halloween. So take that into consideration as you read what happened next.)

… So he smiled and said: I’m just going to have to start calling you ‘Pumpkin’ then kissed me again, hugged me tight and said Goodnight.

I smiled all the way back indoors. Aaaaww ~ He really must like me, I thought – he has a nickname for me... How lovely…I smiled as I made my tea. I smiled as I got ready for bed. I even smiled at myself in the mirror.

I smiled as I lay reading my book. I wrote about it in my journal. I smiled as I turned off the light and began to fall asleep…

AND THEN I GOT THE VISUAL!!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN PUMPKIN !

Sketchbook/Journal ~ when you forget to leave a trail of breadcrumbs...

2011-10-26T22:23:00.000-07:00

In my last post: Mucking up a sketchbook so you’re not afraid to ‘muck it up’ I wrote about the transition that has occurred over the last few months with regards to my sketching and journalling.

In July of this year I was facing some health issues and felt a huge need to reconnect with myself on a very deep level. It wasn’t only a reconnection I craved, but the bringing together of different parts of myself that felt as if they had wandered of without leaving a trail of breadcrumbs to find their way back home again.

One morning the need became so intense that I picked up a hardbound sketchbook and began gluing in sketches that I had done over the last little while, sketches that reminded me of the good things in life, places I felt safe, days that were special… and the sense of utter relief that I felt once this was done was overwhelming.

From that day on, my sketchbook/journal (as it became known) has never left my side. I poured my heart into it, my concerns about my health, about my ability to teach again, or continue working, my fears about the future. I also sketched daily, sometimes more than once a day. Sketched, painted, collaged.

It calmed me. When things got scary I was able to look back and in an instant be transported back to the garden, the beach, the lovely vase of flowers, my lover’s smile…

In it I pasted artwork that spoke to me, poems, quotes… I'd go back long afterwards and add paint to my sketches... it didn't matter how good they were, or weren't, just that I did them. And through it all I wrote, and wrote, balm for the soul, courage for the heart.

I’m on my second sketchbook journal now and have finally achieved what I have always wanted, to have an immediate and seamless record of my days, using two of my great loves, writing and art, to do so.

My health is improving gradually. Many challenges still lie ahead. I feel a lot safer now, and I feel more together (most of the time…) and certainly more complete… and the writing and the art are beginning to spill over into the studio seeking form in essays, blog posts, children stories, a new series of work…

Have courage.
Forge ahead into a blank sketchbook/journal.
Bear witness to your own life.

And know that, when you forget the bag of breadcrumbs, somewhere between your sketchbook/journal’s pages, you’ll always be able to find your way back home again...to your self.

Mucking up a sketchbook so you're not afraid to "muck it up"

2011-08-29T16:23:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've posted due to health issues, which are improving daily now. One of the things that has helped me through this time, is a commitment I made to myself earlier this year to learn how to sketch. Back in March I got terribly excited at the concept of doing 365 drawings this year. But didn't get as far as I wanted to...

I kept trying... and would get so far... and then somehow lose the thread. Until I came up with an idea that has started me of on an adventure that I hope will never end. It's so simple and I heartily recommend it to anyone who is just starting to sketch, having trouble getting back into it or staying the course.

I had an 8 ½ x 11 inch black hardbound sketchbook - any size or type will work - that I had started to use for something completely else but no longer needed. I tore the old pages out and, with some heavy duty glue and some tape, repaired it as best I could. So now I had a “mucked up” sketchbook that I couldn’t… well… muck up, because... well... it already was. (Note: this works particularly well if, like me, you like to think you're a perfectionist...)

Next I tore several pictures at random out of a magazine, and glued them throughout the first twenty or so pages. The only thing these images had in common was that I liked them enough to want to see if I could copy them.

And then I started. I would turn to any page and start sketching from the picture. When I had enough I would start another sketch of the same image, or turn to another page and start sketching the picture I found there. I wasn’t remotely attached to whether my sketches were any good or not, I just kept putting pencil to paper.

Very soon I would get bored with “copying” and turn to some clean pages and just start sketching whatever I wanted, be it something in my line of vision or some image in my head. (Are you picking up on the second bit of clever reverse psychology here?) And this kept happening.

Soon my sketchbook went everywhere with me. I’d go to bed, pick up a book to read and put it down again only to reach for my sketchbook and sketch for a while instead. I’d wake up in the morning and write for a while in my journal, then reach for my sketchbook to draw.

Within a couple of months, sketching has become the focal point of my life in so many ways and indeed has undergone yet another transformation which I’ll post about in the future.

So it’s that simple:

1) Grab a book that has already been interfered with, or “ruined” and patch it up as best you can

2) Pick some pictures from magazines you’d like to draw and glue them one per page (or double spread)

3) Start “copying” the pictures without being attached to the outcome

4) Move into your own sketches when it feels right

5) Repeat steps 2) 3) and 4) as often as possible

Oh yes, and have FUN!

Exploring Unused Supplies

2011-06-22T09:21:00.000-07:00

Reorganising my living room into a light and fluid space for me to work on my illustrations and visual journals A Brand New Art Studio Space was about making a fresh start. Many ideas of how to approach my work in new ways have been coming forth. One of the commitments I made to myself was to really get to know all of my art supplies by paying and experimenting with them to my heart’s content.

I have had a set of watercolour pencils for a very long time. I’m not even sure I know when or how I got them. I do remember giving them a brief try-out years ago without being terribly impressed, but had not got rid of them because I liked the colours and they came packaged complete with this clever stand…

Recently I’ve been flipping through painting or sketching videos on You Tube before going to bed. What a wonderful resource of ideas, inspiration, techniques and how-to’s! Recently one of them by Cathy Johnson showed her using watercolour pencils by stroking the pencil tip with a water filled paintbrush, and laying the paint from it down onto the paper.

I decided to give my pencils a quick try! WOW! I loved the colour that was transferred onto the paper with a couple of brush strokes, and as is often the case, one brush stroke became many. And the same happened with the flower that emerged.

At one point I was a little over enthusiastic in my stroking. The next thing I knew I had splatters all over the paper! Not to be discouraged, I just made lots more! (I have since viewed the You Tube video in its entirety and learned that this is actually an acceptable technique…)

And on into the night it went. I was enchanted by the effect I was getting and the way the colours blended so beautifully. Only two colours were used for the piece. I did use a yellow pencil to scribble in the centre of each flower, and flicked some splattering of yellow into the mix for good measure.

Ebhard Faber MONGOL Watercolouring -
Carmine, Yellow and Light Green
(the words: "vintage" and "very old" were applied to them
when I looked them up on the internet...)

Do you have any supplies in your studio that you’ve not fully explored? Why not look them up on You Tube and see what happens when you find another way to use them.

A beautiful start to my new studio space.

What a joyous start to summer!

A Place for Everything

2011-06-21T18:25:00.000-07:00

... and for everything a place ~

With all the re-organisation taking place in my space, this was a timely reminder.

Wish you were here

2011-06-17T11:09:00.000-07:00

"A friendship can weather most things

and thrive in thin soil;

but it needs a little mulch of letters

and phone calls

and small, silly presents every so often -

just to save it from drying out completely."

-Pam Brown

My friend Janie lives a ferry ride and about two hours drive away so we don’t get to see each other that often. We email voraciously back and forth and talk quite a bit on the phone. We both love to write however, and we love getting letters, so we decided to start sending postcards to each other through the mail.

I’ve recently found some great postcards to send her. One is in the form of a puzzle. You write a note on the back of the postcard, break the pieces apart and then mail them to the receiver, who then has to reassemble the puzzle to see what the picture is, and what is written on the back. I have to confess to a childish delight when I decided to take a photo of the puzzle card for this post, and had to reassemble the puzzle in order to do so!

Another card simply yelled her name across the store at me. No it wasn’t a talking postcard, it just was one designed for her. A woman who loves nature, is very artistic, loves writing, and food…not necessarily in that order

The last card is one that I found stuck between the stove and the cabinet of a house my partner was renting for a client. Definitely the worse for wear. And yet, inspite and maybe because of its battered state, it retains a certain charm. (I actually made a copy of it before sending it off to her…)

Being a “found” postcard it seems only natural to write part of the message in the form of a “found” poem. I’d better get to it before she reads this post…

Try it, there is nothing more magical than finding a real piece of mail in the postbox.

A brand new art studio space...

2011-06-15T14:01:00.000-07:00

In case you haven't read the previous post "Re-arrangers Remorse" http://byshena.blogspot.com/2011/06/re-arrangers-remorse.html not more than a week ago I was bemoaning the fact that my upstairs loft studio was simply not working for me anymore right now. Too crammed, claustrophobic, not the right storage or proper light were just some of the problems I felt I was encountering. I asked my partner, Tony, what he thought. Why don't you get rid of the living area and create a space to work there instead? was his solution. So we got rid of everything and started afresh. Here's how it looks so far...

A shelving unit that has seen many incarnations serves to hold a selection of art supplies, sketchbooks, art books and works in progress...

Tony gave me a rusted old Singer Treadle machine stand (that still works!) for the base of my table, and a piece of curved square glass as the top... I absolutely love it!

I'm still looking for a little trolley to put all my pens and paints on but for now they are all at hand at the back of the table, with plenty of room left to work...

Here's the new work space ~ my office/computer/writing space to the left and the art/illustration/visual journalling space to the right. The stairs lead up to the upstairs studio loft...

Now I can move effortless back and forth between my kitchen area, my computer, my writing, my dining area, my painting and where I see my clients.

I couldn't be happier...

Re-arrangers Remorse...

2011-06-15T12:46:00.000-07:00

For a Taurus, any change is threatening. We are Earth signs and our homes are our sanctuary. The last week has seen an upheavel in my living space which, I am delighted to say. I'm... well... delighted with! I'll be posting photos later on today. But here's just a bit of the thought process that I underwent in the first 18 hours from the time the idea was first brought forth until the deed was done...

" I can't work upstairs in my loft studio anymore. It's too crowded. There's no space. I'm totally claustrophobic..." (emotional meltdown proceeds in front of ever-patient partner) " I don't know what to do. If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them right about now..."

Ever-patient partner, Tony, recommends dispensing with living area and making it into nice bright airy work space...

" Wow! Yes, that's a great idea! I'd love to have my workspace on the same floor as everything else. It makes so much more sense... "

Positive discussion ensues as to what are the alternatives for living space use. Successful decisions reached...

" Yes let's get rid of it all tomorrow... "

Later on...

" No, you know what? I should try to make the effort to sell it all over the next few days... " (estimated value of all furniture incl old TV - $ 20.00 but the seeds of panic are sprouting)

That same evening I tell my girlfriend all about it: " I can't tell you how excited I am about this..."

Time for bed... sleep...

Wakes up at 3.00 a.m. " OH no, I can't possibly do this, where will we sit and relax, and what if Tony doesn't like it, and ... " (It was Tony's suggestions that we watch movies sitting on the bed, we spend most of our time sitting talking at the table after supper, and we also have two wonderful rocking chairs...)

" No! I'm not going to do it... I'll hate it. I'll have got rid of all the furniture, then what will I do... "

Gets up, makes tea and calms down a bit...

" OK - I can do this. It will give me a chance to get everywhere clean and tidy and organised... that will be really great..."

Panic sets in again at the thought of what all that tidying and organising will entail...

"No! It's no good. I can't do this. I'm definitely not going to do it... "

Sleep... finally

Awakens to Tony making tea in the morning: " I know I said I was going to wait and sell it but I really want it gone. I want it gone now..."

Removal of stuff begins immeditely. Tony knows me better than to give me more time to think. I go upstairs to the loft studio to get boxes to put stuff in...

" I love this loft studio. I love being up here. It's not so bad at all..." Luckily this was not said aloud...
And yes, it is the same loft studio referred to in the beginning of the post...

Everything removed and now on back of truck...

" Oh thank goodness, I can breathe! I love this. I can get under the stairs totally cleaned out, and clean the blinds and I can finally get some work done... "

Parting comment to Tony, who had far better things to do at 9:00 am on his way to work and climb trees:
" This is great. I can get working down here and in my spare time clean out the upstairs loft studio and then I can move back up there if I want the living room area back later... "

To his credit, he kept smiling...

Painting Prompt... by Nature

2011-06-13T15:05:00.000-07:00

I've been busy the last week, reorganising my home to accommodate a second art studio space for illustration and visual journalling work. It involved some serious upheaval. Being a Taurus, movement of any kind is traumatic to say the least. Not to mention the second guessing that was going on inside me with regards to effectively eliminating my living room space!

Until the following morning...

I awoke at the crack of dawn, and after putting the kettle on I began to open up the blinds in my home. As I reached the new studio space, the light shining through the windows created a pattern, from the leaves of my indoor plant, on some paper I had left out the night before. It was as if nature was saying: Okay, we've made a start, now you make yours!!!

Whales in the garden

2011-06-06T09:08:00.000-07:00

These pictures were taken early Spring outside one of the Parks and Recs buildings in Nanaimo, BC. It wouldn't be too hard to fashion a metal frame, even out of chicken wire or deer fencing, spray it black, and fill it with earth. Then it's just a matter of planting mosses, hens and chicks and low growing thyme...

Journals ~ Where Dreams are Made

2011-06-01T10:07:00.000-07:00

Recently I came across a book called “Beyond the Words” by Bonni Goldberg. Later, I remembered that one of my most favourite books on writing “Room to Write” was by the same author. I pulled it off the shelf and noticed that I had marked many pages with little flags with initials written on them. And then I remembered. Some fifteen years ago I belonged to a writers group in Calgary, Alberta. We began as a group of two, Carla and I. In fact it was on one of our many writing forays that both Carla and I bought the same copy of the book. But that story is for another time.

Eventually we grew to a group of four: Lorna, Robin, Carla and I. In different ways each one was very dear to me. Together we formed a formidable group of loving support for each other.

Christmas was nearing and I wanted to do something special for each of these women. I hit upon the idea of making a writing book for them. I took a regular notebook and began to pull pictures from magazines, putting them into piles with images, words or phrases that represented the stories that each person was working on. I collaged the covers of the notebook and then proceeded to search for quotes that would speak directly to each of us about our writing, our fears, our hopes and our dreams. I wrote these quotes at random in each person’s notebook. Hence the little flags, and the initials in “Room to Write,” these had been the quotes that I used. The Writing Books were received with the utmost delight and put to good use in the coming year.

All four of us are scattered now to different corners of Canada and the States, and busy in our own lives, we seldom connect anymore. We have each of us pursued our writing careers in different ways and become successful in our own right. I cannot speak for the other three, but if I am the writer I am today it is certainly in great part due to the unconditional support that I received from those three women in those early heady days of becoming a writer. I’d like to think that they think the same. And I’d like to believe that the notebooks I made us all those years ago, with images painstakingly chosen and quotes lovingly selected, somehow helped a little along the way.

HOW TO MAKE A JOURNAL FOR A FRIEND

1) Find a nice notebook with either lined or blank paper depending on its final use.

2) Grab a pile of magazines, and with your friend’s interest and personality in mind, start pulling whatever appeals to you, images, words, phrases. Don’t over think this – let your connection with your friend guide you

3) Once you have a nice selection to chose from, start cutting or tearing the images or words that appealed to you and begin gluing them down on the front cover of the notebook. Again, don’t over think this, or it will have a contrived effect. Do the same with the back cover.

4) Let the images overlap, combine words and images, or make sentences or poems out of words and phrases.

5) Once you're done, cover the journal with clear plastic film that adheres to the page to keep it clean.

6) If you have any images or words that remain, consider gluing them into the inside of the notebook on random pages. Try not to over do this.

7) Search for quotes that particularly touch your heart and really pertain to your friend and his or her interests. Doing a search on the net with the words “quote and the person’s area of interest e.g. art, writing, sculpture.” Write out the quotes with coloured pens, or print them out in a nice font, and insert them at random throughout the notebook.

7) Most of all don’t over do it.

After all, you do want to leave them some room to write!

Sand Scribes

2011-05-30T10:00:00.000-07:00

One of the many joys of walking the beach at the end of the day is seeing the messages that have been left there in the sand. On particular day I was delighted to meet a little lad who had just arrived at the beach and, after much deliberation, pounced upon a particular piece of driftwood. “A perfect writing stick” he declared. Who was I to argue?

A little ways along the beach someone had drawn two hearts and written the word “ME” in the centre.

And further on an image resembling the petroglyphs for which Gabriola is known for, this one’s story to be washed away on the incoming tide.

Later still I came across another figure; the kind only children can draw.

I just only wish I could read “dog.”

But I can tell from the writing they were having fun!

Mayworks Poetry Festival 2011

2011-05-27T09:00:00.000-07:00

What better way to spend last Saturday afternoon than with a bunch of people who love words! The second half of Nanaimo's first ever Mayworks Poetry Festival of Working Class Culture was held at the Nanaimo Museum. I was interviewed by one of two featured poets, who proceeded to write a short poem about me on the spot. What fun! We were then invited to read these poemsat the open mike, along with any others we had written on the subject of "work."

I hadn't brought anything with me, but caught up in the moment (and I might add, at the very last moment) I decided to read out an unedited poem I had written earlier that week, while waiting for the ferry, after giving a talk on "Trusting your own Intuition." I had taken a walk along the quay and witnessed the glorious full moon rise over the harbour. I wrote about the moon and how it reflected what I felt about my life and my work.

Some of the poems were poignant, some funny, many thought-provoking. Wendy Morton, the poet who had interviewed me, is part of a project teaching native students to learn how to write poetry, interview their elders and then write a poem about them. David Fraser, another poet, wrote beautifully about the working man, and woman ~ and their stories lingered with you long after the day was over.

A man who had attended the first part of the festival was so inspired that he went home and rewrote one poem several times, then came back to the second half of the festival and participated in the open mike. In turn, he truly inspired many of us, reading his poem with his fingers touching the sheets of paper on which he had written the poem in braille.

A wonderfully rich and inspiring day of words ~

Drawing Lab for Mixed-Media Artists by Carla Sonheim

2011-05-25T12:00:00.000-07:00

Once in a while, if you're very, very lucky, you come across a book that within the first page or two you know, unequivocally, that it will change your life, the quality of your work, and the way you see the world around you.

One such book came through my mailbox recently. I made a mug of tea, curled up in bed for an afternoon's nap, opened the book, and read the first couple of pages. And fell instantly in love with the way the information was being presented to me. This book speaks to me in a way that no drawing, painting, writing or any other creative arts book has ever done before.

Carla Sonheim’s “Drawing Lab for Mixed-Media Artists – 52 creative exercises to make drawing fun!” is pure joy! As a matter of fact I had been considering signing up for her latest on-line workshop called “The Art of Silliness” but felt that I could be duplicating effort. After reading the first “Lab unit” in her book I immediately signed up because I wanted to immerse myself in whatever this author/artist has to share with me! http://carlasonheim.wordpress.com/2011/03/31/silly-4-registration-is-open/

I mean to say, how can you not learn, and have sheer fun doing so, from someone whose first instruction tells you to “Gather your materials and get into bed… you can either sit up with your paper propped on a pillow, or lie on your stomach with the paper on the mattress.”

I’ll tell you how much this book spoke to me – I closed it up, reached for my netbook and immediately started writing this post, even though I had two other books on creativity that came with the same order still to look at!!!

Don’t be put off by the seriousness of the title, head for your local bookstore, check it out online, at least go to the author’s blog http://carlasonheim.com/ – you’ll be so very, very glad that you did…

Woody Hummingbird

2011-05-23T10:00:00.000-07:00

A recent visit to our hummingbird feeder was a little oversized. In all likelihood a young Downy Woodpecker, it sucked up the nectar as if there was no tomorrow. And kept coming back for more...

But he got me thinking. Whoever said birds of a feather have to flock together?

After all isn't this simply a matter of marching to the beat of your own drum...

Or following your bliss?

In search of the ultimate sketchbook

2011-05-20T10:18:00.000-07:00

I have this thing about notebooks and sketchbooks - a neurosis some might call it. I prefer to think of it as a process by which I eventually arrive at a decision. It's that need to choose exactly the right sketchbook or notebook for exactly the right project. And to ensure that the notebook or sketchbook in question is used to the fullest capacity that is its due. As in: this is a particularly nice note/sketchbook and so should be dedicated to particularly nice (read: important) work. This can cause quite a dilemna each time I purchase a new note/sketch book (and I puchase a lot of them...) and unfathomable amounts of time are lost in the perpetual debate of what to use it for. Which could, I am well aware, be used for... well... writing... or sketching.

On a day trip to Victoria recently I picked up a simply delicious little sketchbook called "Flexi-Sketch" that came in several sizes and what was really more important, utterly delicious colours! With a soft cover with French folds, the Flexi-Sketch lays flat while open and accepts all kinds of media. There are 120 sheets plus 30 bonus sheets of acid-free 75 lb paper with a soft tooth. How can you not love a sketchbook called "Twilight" or "Celery"

Affectionately called "Pumpkin" (but it's official name is "Mandarin") this 6 x 6 inch sketchbook became my new best friend and after far too much thought and deliberation, was finally allocated to become a cache for my stones, pen and ink sketches and full moon poems. It went everywhere with me. My special note/sketchbook.

As luck would have it, two weeks later I had another chance to head down to Victoria, and once again my favourite art store, Opus Framing and Art Supplies, was my first stop. And there I purchased the next size up: "Butternut" is 8 x 8 inches - Now this was definitely had to be my very special sketchbook. What higher purpose would this be dedicated to? The hand wringing and intense questioning began.

Then came the epiphany from the unlikeliness of places. I attended a local trust committee meeting and from a distance noticed that the local planner sat making prolific notes in the coolest of notebooks. Having to know which one she was using I emailed her later, and lo and behold it was the same Flexi-Sketch Butternut I'd just bought the week before!

I was somewhat stunned to discover that these beautiful, luscious books were being used for something as, at least in my opinion (with sincere apologies to any planners out there) mundane and well... boring as notetaking at local planning meetings. Then it began to occur to me that maybe I was the one that needed to make a bit of an attitude adjustment. In her email the planner had said that she sat through so many meetings that at least it brightened her day to be writing down notes in such a beautiful funky looking sketchbook.

I decided here and then it was time to take these albeit wonderful note/sketchbooks off the pedestal I had put them on. And use them in the way they totally deserved, which was to be loved and.... thoroughly used. My Butternut has since become my "exercise" book where I deposit all the sketches of new techniques I'm exploring, creativity exercises I'm doing, ideas to develop, storyboards for my new book - there is no limit to what goes in there.

I'm sketching and writing and jotting down notes in both of these great books with no second thoughts.

And I'm loving it!

Writing (on) Stones

2011-05-18T10:00:00.000-07:00

I recently came across a website which sparked a whole new adventure for me. The site talked about poetry and the practice of writing stones.

What a wonderful idea! Writing poems on stones! And before you know it I’m picturing myself beachcombing this summer finding flat round black stones, returning home and writing simple poems I have created in the winter months, upon them.

Midnight

blue raven

witness to the mystery

surrounding us

each day

I could use gold or silver metallic or Sharpie felt pens, and spray them with a protective layer of varnish.

Sunlight

gently layers the earth

warming souls

after cold hard rain

I could write little poems for the people in my life that matter so much to me, and give them as gifts.

Windspan

white flash

black slash

against cobalt sky

gone from sight

an indelible mark

remains

in our heart

And I could write about this lovely island I call home and the sacredness of the land and nature and I could get a stall at the Farmers Market this summer and I could call them “Writing on Stone” after the park in Southern Alberta I never managed to find time to visit in all the years I lived there.

And of course these same poems would make wonderful greeting cards I could illustrate, and… this is just a tiny glimpse of how my mind works…

I have the tendency to speed read which means I often misinterpret instructions.

So imagine my surprise when I began to read the information correctly and discovered that “A small stone is a short piece of writing that precisely captures a fully-engaged moment. The process of finding small stones is as important as the finished product – searching for them will encourage you to keep your eyes (and ears, nose, mouth, fingers, feelings and mind) open. Writing them regularly will help you to connect with the world, & to love it a teensy bit more than you do now..." http://www.fionarobyn.com/

Stones is a wonderful form of writing, very imaginative and freeing. I’m so glad I came across this site and discovered the sheer joy of Stones - I’ve been writing them ever since.

You’ll have to excuse me now… I have to go to the beach to look for more stones…

Finding your muse

2011-05-16T10:00:00.000-07:00

Recently I was re-reading a most insightful book by Jan Phillips called “Marry your Muse.” One of the many gentle suggestions that she makes is finding some object that would personify your muse and dedicating a space in your work area to her.

As often would have it, I went for a walk on the beach later on that day and found this most wonderful piece of driftwood. I knew immediately who she was!

It never creases to amaze me what nature creates as she goes about her day to day business, and how whatever we need simply turns up when we are open and ready for it.

Nhety the netbook

2011-05-13T13:33:00.000-07:00

Fondly called “Nhety” my Sony Netbook is, right now, my most prized possession. It’s ridiculously cute, packs more power than both myself and my partner’s computers together, weighs less than my regular purse on any given day, and is by far the best purchase I have made in recent years for my work.

Years ago I was hired for a project that required travelling back and forth doing extensive research. After much deliberation I purchased a laptop which served me beautifully over the next several years as I wrote and published my own, and others, work.

I discovered quickly how much better I wrote on a laptop. I was more focussed. I also wrote better fiction and poetry. Put me in front of a keyboard and the poetry flowed, with very little editing required. Leave me to pen and paper and suddenly I am journalling. My poetry, the rhyming verse of my youth.

What a joy to discover that on this netbook the same thing is happening again. All of a sudden I can’t stop writing and by default, am finding new ideas and concepts to write about.

I have a little notebook where all my writing topics, ideas for blog posts, and class outlines converge and it fits perfectly in the side pocket of my satchel. I have this funky little stick thing that allows me to transfer my files back and forth onto my main computer. And the best thing? I find myself writing sitting up in bed, at cafes, in the line-up for the ferry.

Can’t wait until it’s warm enough to head to the beach…

Knowing how to paint...

2011-05-02T14:51:00.000-07:00

"One of the biggest problems in painting, is knowing how to paint"

Gino Hollander

Artist

Chocolate Season

2011-04-25T23:59:00.000-07:00

While I don't have the tendancy to do anything art related to commemorate any specific occasion, today I just happened to pull together a few items for the sheer fun of it, and put them together in my latest sketchbook.

It all began with a chocolate wrapper that I got off the chocolates I got for Tony a while ago, and the little label my friend Paul had tied on to the little Easter egg he gave us with teeny tiny bunny gingerbread cookies and tiny chocolate eggs inside.

GREETINGS from the EASTER RIBBIT

The strip off the top of my iced tea bottle came next, and the ribbon that tied the label onto the little egg was then added. Three jigsaw pieces had been loitering on my desk since I found them in the bottom of a box of art supplies a friend gave me recently. In peeling off most of the cardboard which backed the pieces, I discovered a whole new collage potential.

A few weeks ago I experimented with "found" poems, this time using newspaper articles. The poem reads as such:

Chocolate Season

iconic

sensuous luxury

true believers

exquisitely expressed

spiritual reasoning

'food of the Gods.'

As is often the case, what began as something simple became a social commentary on the confusion that is often created when a festival designated for a specific purpose is overtaken by materialism and consumerism.

Whatever the significance of this holiday weekend holds for you, may it have been a good one ~

Building a business or a life

2011-04-22T18:00:00.000-07:00

"It doesn't take any longer to build a business [or a life] that fits just-right

than to cobble together one that pinches and pulls at you.

Both take a tremendous amount of time and energy.

That's the way it is.

The only question is whether you'll spend that energy trying

to turn yourself into something you aren't or

figuring out how to use your strengths

to do what needs to be done."

Molly Gordon

Over the last few weeks I have been doing a lot of reconsidering in both my business and my life in general, and within the last few days have made some distinct moves to make some changes. Today I received this quote in my email box and once again, it was as if someone, somewhere was taking notice and sending some encouragement my way. Maybe this will touch you in turn ~

Enchanting "Micmacs"

2011-04-20T23:26:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you come across a movie that is, quite simply, superb. "Micmacs" is a wonderfully rich piece of work that will delight and enchant you. The attention to detail is second to none and the subtleties too many to absorb in one sitting.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2588476441/

I am lucky enough to speak French fluently and so was able to follow the movie in its original version and thoroughly enjoy the play on words and the poetic use of what is already a beautifully poetic language. I did notice that the English sub-titles were really good.

The director's interview recounts how at the age of 8 he would create puppet shows, and charge his parents to watch! He would also take the View Master spirals, cut out all the pictures and repaste them in completely different order, writing a script to accompany them.

Find a quiet evening, turn off the phone and settle down to linger for a while watching a true work of art. And let yourself be inspired all over again.

AND THE WINNER IS...

2011-02-19T18:40:00.000-08:00

I'm delighted to announce the winner of the set of four "SoulSpeak" greeting cards in my blog giveaway for the One World One Heart 2011 is:

Sandra and Dave of

Thistle Cove Farm

CONGRATULATIONS!

Thank you everyone who participated ~ it was a thoroughly lovely time all round.

One World One Heart 2011

2011-01-31T23:14:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my blog ~ I am delighted to participate for the first time in One World One Heart - what a wonderful, inspiring and generous concept on behalf of the organiser!

My name is Shena Meadowcroft and I am an Intuitive, Writer, Artist and Teacher. I live on the wonderful island of Gabriola, off Vancouver Island, on the west coast of British Columbia, Canada.

My days are spent counseling, consulting or creating; either through my writing or my art, which takes on many forms as the ideas unfold. That’s when I’m not meandering along the shore line or in the forest where I find my inspiration and restore my soul ~

My whole focus is to work with people to provide them with a safe place to remember and discover more of who they are. So much of that can be done through journaling, writing, art and sharing our own truth. I love what I do and feel truly blessed to be able to inspire others to do the same.

My prize for the giveaway is a set of four “Soulspeak” greeting cards, and the winning name will be drawn on February 17th. Please leave a comment if you would like to be entered into the draw, and your email address so I can contact you should you win. GOOD LUCK!

Thank you so much for spending some time with me in my world ~
May you have a beautiful day ~

Sowing the "seeds" for a New Year

2011-01-01T21:12:00.000-08:00

I started reading, again, the other day, a wonderful book on writing, art… and life called “Soul between the Lines” by Dorothy Randall Gray ~ full of magical ideas and suggestions that you can play with or explore in an organized manner or on a haphazard basis. One of my favorite ideas that she talks about is the concept of collecting “seeds.”

One of Dorothy Randall Gray’s main uses for “seeds” is to read back your work to others, or yourself and collect the “seeds” in your writing ~ those words or phrases that capture your heart and speak to your soul. Another way is to gather “seeds” from random conversations, visual images or personal experience. Then take the "seeds" and let them be the start of a whole new crop of ideas. From these “seeds” a poem, an essay, a painting, a fibre piece, a sculpture can grow forth.

Tonight in a simple, sweet movie that was not necessarily meaningful in any other way I discovered such a “seed” which captured my imagination, and knew that if I choose, a whole new way of thinking could grow from this. The “seed” was a one liner, a birthday wish to a 21 year old: “Let life come to you.”

That is my wish for myself this year, and I share this wish with those of you who pause, upon hearing these simple words, see their potential, and decide to embrace it too. I'm going to gather "seeds," sow them as far and as wide as I can, and let myself grow...

HAPPY NEW YEAR ~ AND LET LIFE COME TO YOU.

UnOILed ~ UnspOILed! The UnOILed Coast Quilt Project

2010-08-17T22:31:00.000-07:00

It has been several months since my last post entitled: "What is the yearning behind the work that you do?" It comes as no surprise that having actually done the exercises (What me? No, I just teach that stuff...) my life has unfolded in yet another wonderful, magical way.

In June of this year I began working exclusively with what I wanted to do, manifesting what I wrote about in my last post. As life will do I was offered (through a series of twists and turns) an opportunity to get involved as the spokesperson for the Positive Energy Quilters UnspOILed Coast Quilt Project.

Today I found myself featured in a national newspaper article on a group determined to fund-raise to fight for the "No Tankers" campaign here in British Columbia. The article link appears below:

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Protest+quilts+contribute+spill+discussion/3405930/story.html

Be careful what you wish for ~ the magic is that it happens!

What is the yearning behind the work that you do?

2010-03-04T17:03:00.000-08:00

Books come into our lives for a reason. Often they stay on the shelf patiently for weeks, months or even years, and then call to us urgently, just about the time we are ready to embrace the information within. One such book hailed me recently: Marry your Muse – Making a Lasting Commitment to your Creativity by Jan Phillips.

I couldn't put it down, devouring the insights and suggestions within like the starving artist I aspire not to be. One particular piece of advice wouldn't go away:

IDENTIFY THE YEARNING BEHIND YOUR WORK

AND SEE THAT IT TOUCHES EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO

With this firmly embedded in my heart, I took a look at my work from a different another angle:

What is it that I never, ever tire of ?

Three things emerged instantaneously:
# 1 Writing in my Journal
I love journaling, its powers of self-discover, truth seeking and healing. I promote it, teach it, use it in my counseling practice, and an writing a book about it. I'd like to design them.

# 2 Working as an Intuitive
This is essentially who I am. I do intuitive sessions, write about intuition, teach how to develop it. My greeting cards and mixed media art strongly reflect that part of me.

# 3 Researching and Writing
I thrive on research. It's what drives me, and the writing is a by product of the research. Even as a youngster I had binders full of information I had gleaned from books or magazines gaining the reputation of "if you wanted to find out about something, ask Shena!"

Lately, I've become more involved in social activism. How would this fit with all of the above? I am persistent in the pursuit of facts, undistorted by the opinions or manipulations of others. It has become increasingly important for me to find out the truth, encouraging others to do the same, and then acting upon it.

So what's the common denominator?

The essence of Journalling is about finding oneself. My whole message as an Intuitive is to support people in remembering who they are and finding themselves again. Research is basically about finding out about things and with that comes knowledge that I bring to my Writing. Finding out the truth and standing up for what I believe in? That would be Social Activism.

So what is the yearning behind what I do? Finding oneself, finding one's truth, remembering who we are, being solid in that knowledge, and acting from that place of knowing. No surprise I start every journaling workshop off with the statement: "Know thyself."

What is the yearning behind your work? What is it that you never tire of? Ask yourself these questions. See what comes up for you… you'll be glad that you did!

Feast for the Soul

2010-03-01T16:42:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday Tony roused me out of bed and into the van for a trip up Vancouver Island to a beautiful spot where we spent three hours meandering though what can only be described as a sheer delight to the senses. I'd been feeling a bit uninspired recently, okay... a LOT uninspired and, as always seems the case, he unfailingly picked the best medicine for me. Known to the locals as "Wacky Woods" the name belittles the true essence of the place. The owner of the property, several years ago, began creating his own outdoor sancuary, expressing himself in utterly unique ways both visually and verbally. A sign greets you at the beginning of the path:In the spirit of friendship let there be laughter and sharing of pleasures

The magic unfolds as you walk deeper into the woods and discover untold delights and sculptures that are thought provoking, evoke deep emotion, or simply make you smile.

Old cedars hold books with messages for the mind and the soul...

Faces from another time watch how we allow things to unfold this time around...
And on that cold Sunday afternoon the warm rays of bright sunshine floodlit certain pieces to absolute perfection.
This man and nature had worked together to create a symbiotic relationship with each other. Some of the book openings had grown over and been reclaimed by the cedar. Some of the trees had fallen or blown over and the roots became part of the landscape. Exactly as it was always meant to be.

The most amazing thing was there was no sign to show it was there, no entrance fee, no gate that closed at a certain time, nowhere to leave a comment. Just the beauty of man and nature together... at their best. We didn't want to leave this place, and I think a part of both of us remains there, safe in the knowing that man can get it right, sometimes.

What a difference a day makes

2010-02-08T14:54:00.000-08:00

A nasty chest infection kept me home for several few weeks this winter. One of the side benefits of having to stay in bed was that I got to watch the sunset over the bay each evening out of my window.

Here are photographs taken three nights in a row at the same time each night. It reminded me of the importance as an artist and a writer to notice the subtle changes that nature and life are showing us every single moment of every single day. To take note of the differences, and to remember that although it may be the same view, same day... the overall picture is always changing.

Art Play Journals

2010-02-08T13:41:00.000-08:00

I journal daily. I also have my art journal which is a visual/written record of my art journey. I have my work journal which contains everything work related, but I wanted to start another kind of journal – where I could… just… well… play!

I started with a spiral bound sketchbook page, some pictures from a magazine which I glued down as background and then scratched to create a distressed look, then painted over with watercolours. I decided to rub gold shoe polish randomly over the page…

Next I transferred paint from the first page to a second one using scrunched up tissue paper, then painted the suggestion of a flower with nail polish (mental note: do more with nail polish!)…

Below is the painted page on which I tested the effect of painting with mushed up tissue paper before doing the whole page above. I then glued on a picture from a magazine which will later on be painted over and then who knows what else…

I realized by the third page that the paper I was working on was way too thin so I found a nice big bound sketchbook that would accept light washes and glued the painted pages into it, cutting off the excess strips, which promptly became the basis of a woven piece. I adhered torn air mail writing paper, then laid an overwash with watered-down gold acrylic (rules? what rules?)…

Here's the back of the above page from another angle, lots of potential for another time…

Meanwhile I painted yet another page with the excess paint from the woven piece above. I smooshed some circles in watercolour crayons, painted over some more, this time blending the crayoned circles, crayoned some more, painted and blended yet again, then used interference paints to go over all of the circles…

Each time I had excess paint or medium I mushed it onto another sheet of paper, even the paper towel I used to rub one medium onto one page got torn up and collaged onto another. In short, I had a blast!

So now I have the foundation of five pages to continue playing on and I am completely taken with using an Art Play Journal to explore, experiment and above all… play.

Haiti

2010-01-19T15:18:00.000-08:00

In my work I often meet people whose beliefs or the situation they find themselves in, are in direct conflict with my own beliefs. My job is to "get my ego the heck out of here" and work intuitively to receive guidance and information that will help them make the right choices for themselves.

On a personal level however, I have strong opinions and a very strong belief system which I tend to keep to myself unless asked, or provoked. It was the latter that caused me to write this post.

There is a relatively new age way of thinking which appears to have grown in popularity over the last decade; in that we each of us chose our own lives prior to birth.

My intuitive hackles have always risen quite unspiritually whenever I have been confronted with this particular concept, especially as it is generally pronounced in a very condescending way, directed at another party who is in the midst of some major challenges.

First and foremost I'd really like to know: Who said?
Who said that this is the way things are?

If we are completely and totally honest we will admit that absolutely nothing that is the basis of any belief system or religion on this earth can be 100% proven. That is not to say that it may not be true. And that is not to say that we don't have the right to believe it. But we have no irrefutable proof. To callously proclaim this kind of dogma to someone who was traumatically sexually abused as a child for example, is at the very least utterly irresponsible and at the most, downright cruel.

This week I heard this same dogma applied to the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. I cannot begin to express my horror at the inhumanity of anyone who can calmly sit back at this time and pronounce "oh well, they chose to come into that life."

I can't wrap my head around that way of thinking. From where I'm standing, all this serves to do is make the person devoid of responsibility to feel anything, respond in any way, or heaven forbid, help another human being. Which is ironic based on the fact that this dogma stems from us taking responsibility for what happens to us in our lives. Their life? Their choice? Not ours to interfere with? Now isn't that just handy? This dogma isn't about responsibility. It's a total cop-out!!!

I don't have any answers. I don't remotely profess to know how this whole thing we call life works. I am lucky enough to be able to work intuitively for others when they ask me to and get guidance and information for them that is always supportive and encouraging. What I do know is that I have never, ever received any information that involved guilt and judgment.

I don't believe that I came into this world being meanly tricked by being forced to chose ghastly experiences for myself. That's pretty sick if you really think about it! I do believe that whoever or whatever created me did so with unconditional love. And I often can't help but wonder what part of the word "unconditional" is it that we still have so much trouble believing?

What happened to humanity? What happened to compassion? What happened to simply acknowledging a person's, a nation's pain? What happened to just giving a damn?

An earthquake hit Haiti. Thousands have been killed. Thousands more are without food or water, and little or no aid a week after the fact, despite what the mass media will have us believe.

Light a candle tonight to show that these people matter. Because they do. They didn't chose what happened to them. But something did. An unfathomable tragedy of epic proportions which is still unfolding. And each and every one of us can take responsibility. Can do something.

We can, at the very, very least, care.

Return of the Light

2009-12-21T20:16:00.001-08:00

I felt devastated this last week following the events of the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. I witnessed humanity facing its darkest hour in history, where billions of people begged for their lives or hope for any kind of future, and having their pleas fall on the deaf ears of many of our world's leaders. What heartened me though was that most of us listened, we really listened, and we heard. And I know we will do whatever it takes.

So this year more that ever I felt the need to celebrate the winter solstice. A few days earlier I brought in from the cold the cedar root that the beautiful man I share my life with unearthed from the beach for me as a house-warming gift. In the warmth the root opened up and took on its role as protector of hearth and home. In the late afternoon I hung lights, my little "soul catchers", stars, hearts, and a few of my favorite things.
I filled the room with candles in tapers, floating in a bowl, groupings here and there. As the sky darkened, we shared in the lighting of the candles and put on the tree lights to celebrate the return of the light.
My home is mostly windows and skylights and we were surrounded by light and repeating reflections. Instead of closing the blinds we left them open, letting the light shine for all to see and enjoy.
In ancient times, people celebrated this time of year to honour their belief that winter would pass and that the light would eventually return. For many people, that hope was all they had to get them through the darkest of days.

In these dark times let us all keep lighting candles of hope. Let us commit to doing whatever we can in our own lives and our communities, make our leaders listen to us, so that we can save this Earth and ALL of it's inhabitants, so that eventually the light will return.

Wishing you all a Happy Solstice ~

In Praise of Unfinished Projects

2009-12-07T20:28:00.000-08:00

"Why can't you finish one thing before you start another?" was right up there with "Why can't you just pick one thing and do it right?" when I was growing up. I ignored both pieces of advice. Adults, well-meaning friends, teachers, all insisted that this was the only way to actually get anything accomplished. The result of which I'm sure only made me more determined to find my own way.

I have amazing focus when I want. When I find something that interests me I throw myself in the deep end, consumed for weeks, months or even years until I am completely saturated. I just have more than one obsession on the go at any given time – sort of like the books I read… Learning rather than completion matters more to me.

"Once you have understood that it's the work that counts, and not the reward, you'll be happy" a teacher wrote in my journal when I was ten. Considering that I disagreed with exams on principle, I can only imagine how I embraced this sacrilegious concept!

I LOVE Unfinished Projects! There, I've said it. I mean, how else can you get that sense of finishing a whole bunch of stuff in one go? Fifteen years ago I ran a "Sock of the Month Club" and knitted up one sock for every month of the year ahead as class samples. Every year or so I would complete the "other" sock and have a whole new pair! This winter I may just finish the very last one, a heavy mustard sock that will mark the end of an era. I can't remotely relate to the fact that I should have finished this 15 years ago. I'm just ecstatic at how great they are going to look with my new purple sweater… if I get them finished, that is…. And as for the red pair I started two years ago, wait till I wear them with the stunning red Roots boots my friend found for me at the thrift store last winter!

Whenever I have an art show coming up, I simply turn to my crate of Unfinished Projects and within a week I can have several new "finished" pieces without any of the "burning the candle at both ends" syndrome.

My recent West Coast Reflections series grew from a host of unfinished watercolours.

Then there are all those collages that would never have come into being if it were not for the unfinished wannabe's loitering around the studio.

One of my most important pieces of art has grown from an "unfinished project" of several years back, and has launched a whole new series earmarked for a groundbreaking solo show next summer.

So come on, join the revolution, DON'T finish that project – you'll be amazed at what happens if you dare!

Knitting content

2009-11-20T21:38:00.000-08:00

The last few days here on Gabriola the rain has been bucketing down - hardly suprising considering we live in a rain forest - but we've been spoilt this year. Since early Spring we've had magnificent weather. So all this rain is taking a little getting used to... again.

For me, it's been the perfect opportunity to spend more time indoors, snug and warm with candles lit, pots of homemade soup simmering on the stove, baking in the oven, hot chocolate and... my knitting!

I've been a knitter on and off most of my life, oft times neurotic, sometimes sporadic but it is something I've always come back to. It's one of those things I begin to look forward to as Summer comes to a close. My thoughts turn to unfinished projects from the previous year, and new yarns or patterns I have somehow accummulated since. As the Fall colours begin to show, I pull out my knitting basket and plan my projects. By the time the leaves have fallen and my body begins to slow down for the winter months, my fingers start to itch to have something to do in the evenings.

And this year I realised that knitting is a barometer for how I am weathering. I only knit when I am relaxed and my life is in balance. When I finally pick up the bamboo needles and feel the yarn running through my fingers as I begin to knit through another winter, I know that I am, quite simply, content.

So that's what I have been up to...

2009-11-16T16:43:00.000-08:00

On the previous post I inserted information about launching a line of SoulSpeak greeting cards as a gift set - so now you know what those lines of cards were all about in my previous studio photos!
Busy working on more sets of SoulSpeak cards~ I'm happy to say I can't work fast enough! How very luck I am to be looking forward to each new day to work some more at what I love ~

SoulSpeak Cards

2009-11-16T16:16:00.000-08:00

Gentle, supportive and inspirational insights come to me while working as an Intuitive. I create SoulSpeak greeting cards from recycled, discarded, or handmade scraps of paper to reflect my interpretation of the meaning of the words.

This set of four original designs are printed on cards stick, individually hand enhanced with painting, collage and embossing, so that each card becomes an original in its own right.

The cards are left blank inside for you to add your own personal message... or simply sign the cards and let the words speak for you. SoulSpeak cards are designed to be kept and cherished, framed individually, or as a set of insights to reflect upon or live by.

Once we have held in our hearts

what we know to be our truth

it is impossible to let go

of who we are

In the mirror of lmy mind

I catch a glimpse

of who I choose

to become

We could all see

what's within

if we let go long enough to become it

Who you are

is what you know in your heart

to be true

Details
5" x 7" (approx. 12.5 x 18 cm)
Printed on white heavy weight card stock
Blank inside
Whilte mailing envelope
Packaged in individual cellophane sleeve
Suitable for framing

Payment and Shipping Information

Cdn $ 25.00/per set of four includes shipping and handling to Canada and the U.S. Overseas orders will include an additional shipping charge. Please inquire.

TO ORDER

Email me at byshena@shaw.ca the number of sets you want, your mailing address, and your choice of payment:

Paypal: Use the button on this site or I will invoice you through paypal directly
Cdn Money Order: I will invoice you directly

Please note:
Both the words and images are the original work of Shena Meadowcroft and subject to copyright protection. Thank you for respecting that neither my words or images can be reproduced, saved, altered or used in any way.

On being perfect...

2009-11-09T21:11:00.000-08:00

For years I've fought the urge to have everything "perfect" before starting anything, and while I have won most of the battles, most of the time, against that particular monster, occasionally it rears its ugly head just to see if it still has a chance.

And so it's been the last little while. Admittedly after months of packing, unpacking, moving, settling, then moving again, I was getting a little jaded, and with it being a particularly busy summer with shows and sales I hadn't been able to get my house unpacked and a lot of things out of storage. I can only operate in a state of chaos for so long and then I draw the line, and it is usually at that point that the perfection monster sees his chance and grabs it.

I had spent the last month focussing entirely on getting my house and then my studio "in order" and the time invested has certainly paid of. But I was aware that I was running out of things to "organise" and sort. Today when I woke up the plan (again) was to tame the studio once and for all! I went to the loft, moving stuff up the stairs as I went, and spent about an hour sorting and tidying. Suddenly I realised that even though there was still a lot to do I was well past that point where you know it's only a matter of time till it all pulls together. And that what I really wanted to do in this space that I had worked so hard to create was... create!

So I spent a wonderful afternoon up in my new studio working. And what a day it was... The sun was breaking through the rain clouds, glistening on the water the studio overlooks, "Prayer for Peace" was playing softly on the CD player, a mug of yarrow tea waited nearby. In no time I found myself in the wonderful meditative space that seems to find me whenever I take up my brush or needle. I chose to begin by touching up by hand a set of four greeting cards in my line of "SoulSpeak" cards, each one slightly different, no two ever the same. The messages written on them will touch each recipient in different ways.

Was my house perfect? Not by a long shot! Is my studio exactly as I want it yet? Not in many ways. I don't have the right storage yet for everything, there is too much stuff on the floor and, well... still too much "stuff." Yet it felt great being up there in my tiny loft, sun streaming in through the windows, paintbrush in hand, the lines of cards growing without me even noticing, glancing probably way too often out the window, supper cooking in the kitchen below. As the shadows lengthened, I put the tops on the paint pots, planned my work for tomorrow and went for a walk along the beach in the setting sun, returning home to spend an evening with my love.

So the house isn't perfect yet, nor the studio, but you know what? Today was...

Creating the Space in order for our Needs to be met

2009-10-01T20:56:00.000-07:00

Since moving I seem to be dragging my feet setting up my studio space. I still have things in storage, and I find it hard to sort when everything is not in one area. I have also gone from having two huge studios and one gallery space a year ago to.... now... well...a rather small loft!

Don't get me wrong ~ I love my loft! It's all wood and skylights with one whole end wall being glass. Did I mention it overlooked the ocean?

I tend to think I have to get my space "perfect" before I actually do anything in it, so three months into the new home I'm still not really doing anything. Granted I did move twice in one month (don't ask!) set up home, found new furniture, participated in five art shows, grew a garden and that's since June, not to mention helping out on several landscaping projects.

But no studio...

I've done quite a bit of the layout, and got rid of a lot of things I no longer need, organised some of what remains, and most important of all can actually walk across the floor most days without incurring personal injury. And always... always I've keep journalling....

But no studio....

Yesterday in total frustration I finally bought a bag specifically for my large sketchbook and pouch of favorite pens - at least I'd have a portable studio!

Today I was thinking about something I taught in a class years ago: that self-discovery is usually about learning to figuratively create the space in order for our needs to be met. In a "duuh" moment (I just teach this stuff!!!) I decided to not only take that literally, but to turn it around. That maybe it was about defining my needs in order to create the space.

So grabbing my journal I wrote down the issue:

What are my needs?

I need somewhere to WRITE (I have that in my writing area downstairs)

I need somewhere to PAINT

I need somewhere to DESIGN

I need somewhere to CREATE

I need somewhere to PLAY

Even faster I jotted down:

1) LIGHT (good source of natural light and excellent lighting)

2) LARGE WORK SURFACE

3) ALL TOOLS AT HAND

4) TIDYNESS

5) SPACE TO BREATHE

6) BEAUTIFUL SURROUNDINGS (the totes had to go!)

I'm scribbling hard by this time... I then made two lists, one, what I needed at hand and the other, what I could store elsewhere:

(At hand)

Art Supplies... Collage Supplies... Sewing Machine & Supplies... Art Books... Sketch Books...

Music (!) CD Player/Radio and CD's... Inspirational pieces (bird's nests, stones, driftwood, other artist friends work...)

(Elsewhere)

Mats... Frames... Fabric/Patterns... Extra Note/Sketchbooks... Embroidery Threads... Beads... Accessories

There's a lot more to add to the list, trust me... but I was suddenly VERY clear on what I needed to do to have the space to create!

I felt totally liberated and can't wait to get right in there and put into practice what I had realised in writing. The fact that my friend and I are planning a huge garage sale Thanksgiving weekend suddenly makes it easy to let go of more stuff...

Now here's the truly magical part of all of this.... remember the portable studio? the bag with the sketchbook? Feeling very pleased with what I had worked out, I took it out and doodled a bit, played with my pens and loving the feel of the line as it sweeps across the page chasing my hand. Then without really thinking about it I began sketching for a new line of greeting cards I have been thinking of doing for several months now. I sketched some designs for some birdhouses I want to make for the winter. And from there came up with the idea for a mural that I have been commissioned to do: concept, outline, design, the lot!

WOW! Did it ever feel good to be in that creating space again!

And for my needs to be met...

You can never go back...

2009-09-23T21:02:00.000-07:00

When I lived in Calgary, Alberta (what seems like a lifetime ago - nine years) one of my most favorite things to do was to throw the dog in the car after supper, stop at a lake on the way so he could run and swim, and drive an hour or so to Banff in the Rockies.I would park myself and my journal at the counter at the front of Evelyn's Coffee Bar on the main drag and treat myself to a large Latte and a huge slab of their very best carrot cake!

I flew back to Calgary earlier this summer, and drove through the Rockies to Cranbrook to do work as an Intuitive for the weekend. We took the southern route there, and came back through Banff. It was late Sunday evening and I wondered if Evelyn's was even still there. To my delight it was, to my chagrin it was just closing, but relief quickly followed as I was referred to the original shop down the street, who still had... carrot cake made with the original recipe... and it was as good as I remembered it.

As much as I loved it when I lived there, Calgary holds no meaning for me anymore. I had a hard time recognizing the places I used to know like the back of my hand, and although it was great to see old friends, the city itself was a stranger.

Myself ~ Shelley ~ Sandie

I knew when I moved out further west to Vancouver Island it was absolutely the right choice for me and have never once regretted it. This trip reinforced that for me.

Calgary - where I once lived

Gabriola - where I call home now

It's true, you can never go back ... except for carrot cake!

New Home ~ New Work

2009-07-22T17:02:00.000-07:00

After a somewhat interesting few months of looking for somewhere to live, finding a great place, and moving temporarily for one month until the new place was available, I'm finally home. I gave myself the month of July to unwind, unpack and settle in, and although I'm not completely there on all three accounts, I am... finally... home. Or as final as a lease in a rental accommodation can get you. And what a beautiful place to call home.

As I sit outside in my little courtyard I see the world anew and try to pick up the threads of where I left off a few months back. Now where was I again? And as I try to remember I realise that that was then, and this is now, and it's not about trying to go back to where I was, because I'm simply not there anymore. I'm here now. And it's not about going back to pick up the threads, it's about making a brand new start... in my new home, in my new way of living my days, and in my new form of work. Starting from here... anew.

Art Journal

2009-03-30T16:57:00.000-07:00

Journalling has been my lifeline for over eighteen years. It is still my constant, and I can never imagine, or want it, any other way. It’s how I see the world, sort myself and things out, plan, scheme, schedule, dream, explore thoughts and feelings and yes, still moan quite a bit…
What I discovered some eight years ago, upon moving to Vancouver Island, was that I wanted something more. Words, always my security, and what I return to time and time again, were no longer always enough in some instances. Whether it was because I had started working seriously on my art and wanted to record my progress, or whether I began to connect on a more visual basis I don’t know, but I wanted something more than my steadfast journal.

I found a beautiful 10” x 10” spiral bound scrapbook and began to tentatively explore within the safety of its pages. Mention of my first art exhibit and sale, acceptance into a local juried show, my invitation to a prestigious event at some local botanical gardens… Sporadically I would paint something or collage a piece to be included in the pages, and postcards of others’ shows or work would find themselves pasted alongside everything else.

Last Fall, I moved into a tiny space and as a result had to go through piles and piles of “pieces” I’d saved over the years, as well as far too many half-filled sketchbooks, the contents of which mostly were not likely to ever be allowed to see the light of day again. But some were not half- bad, and I realised that I didn’t have to keep these sketchbooks intact. I could take them apart, burn the pieces I really didn’t care for, and paste the ones I liked into my art scrapbook. Once the move was behind me I spent several enjoyable evenings doing just that.

But it still wasn’t satisfying enough. Mostly because it was images and very few words.
And I cannot live without words.
Around this time I found some 8” x 8” hardbound lightly-lined journals on sale for 50% off. I bought all three. I then came across a blog where the artist shared her collection of 'Everyday Travel Journals' in which she kept a written and visual record of her life. Something about the way she used her journals changed my entire way of looking at things. All it took was an idea to run with, and run with it I did!

I began to combine images, sketches, and words to my heart’s content. I discovered that the paper in the journal I was using could also take watercolours, and I now have a record of my art journey on an on-going basis. I may not work in it every day, or every week for that matter, but treat myself every now and again to a couple of evenings every few weeks “catching up.” I’m enjoying the process so much I will eventually go back through my journals over the last eight years and harvest the phrases and paragraphs that pertain to the images that populate my original art scrapbook.
From now on I am giving equal space in my Art Journal to both my writing and my art, which is, after all, how it was always meant to be…

Journalling to My Self - Part I

2009-03-28T22:42:00.000-07:00

"This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man."
William Shakespeare

To thine own self be true. If only it were that easy. Most of us ... after many years of questionable upbringing, sibling rivalry, an education system that seemed bent on knocking the stuffing out, and a society where everything, even the pain we suffer, is measured ... are still striving for a perfection that seems forever just beyond our reach.
So we talk to our friends and we buy self help books (occasionally reading them,) go to workshops, see a therapist, do some counselling, visit psychics and commune with whoever we pick for our higher power, desperately trying to be better, to grow, to become healthy, balanced, grounded or whatever the term is at any given moment. I can admit to all of the above, and a lot more besides, over the years. Approaching that magical age of 40 I got to thinking. I create... We all create. I won't get into the intimate details, but as either man or woman we have the ability to create a child - and it don't get much more creative than that! And whether I build a bookcase, write a book, set the table, prepare supper, I create the best bookcase, manuscript, dinner table, meal, that I can.
I was created... (and I'm going to keep this so non-denominational, it's not true) ... Whoever, Whatever, However ... I was created. Somehow I don't think that He, She, It said: "I know, I think I'll make a really lousy Shena today!" I believe that what was said was: "I think I'll make the best possible Shena that I can."
Meanwhile here I was trying to be better, improve, change, grow, ground myself, you name it. Wasn't that like someone bringing me over a nice dish for supper that they had created, and I blithely add spices, whip up a sauce, or sautee it in brandy ... without even tasting it first?
How insulting! It occurred to me that maybe all I really had to do was to stop trying so hard to be perfect and just be who I was created to be ~ my self.
Which is where this all began, being true to my self ...

Journalling to My Self - Part II

2009-03-28T22:40:00.000-07:00

Now in no way am I demeaning therapy, friends, counselling, psychics, books, workshops or anything else that we can try. All of the above have helped me enormously and besides, I actually now do most of the above, for myself and with others.
But the single most thing that has been with me day in, day out, in sickness and in health, in sorrow and joy, in quiet moments and in celebration, in the depths of despair and the heights of the awesomeness of life, is my journal. You see, there's a special relationship between me and my journal that has yet to be found elsewhere. Think about it: a journal doesn't disagree with you, doesn't argue back, doesn't criticize, is always there, and best of all, LISTENS. It’s a safe place to scream, to be silly, vent, explore feelings and beliefs that I might not just yet feel comfortable sharing with others. Mine goes EVERYWHERE with me. I am totally indiscriminate about what I put in it. My days, my thoughts, great quotes that inspire me, recipes, photos, the fortune cookie message from last night's dinner that was unbelievably meaningful. Notes on a book I'm working through, a class I am taking. Cards, I keep copies of letters I have written to other people. Stuff I don't know where to put but don't want to part with. I have no rules. I buy sturdy, ring bound, inexpensive notebooks with a pocket inside the front cover, and decorate it, making it mine. I make sure I have an abundant supply of pens I like to write with, one permanently clasped inside the rings. I do have some really beautiful journals that I have purchased in a weak moment (they were on sale) and a couple that friends have given me, but I am afraid they lay abandoned on my bookcase. It's really hard to make a mistake in a lovely book, it's even harder to be nasty and I absolutely cannot, for the life of me, swear on ivory colored paper. I just can't. And I'm not saying you have to swear, but sometimes writing an entire page of the rudest word you can think of is very cathartic. Doesn't happen on ivory paper, trust me.

Journalling to My Self - Part III

2009-03-28T22:17:00.000-07:00

I have no special time to write, no particular topics, and especially no set amount a day. This is my best friend remember. Unconditional love on both sides. And because I get to be really who I am, it becomes a joy to visit, a treat to pick up and write a little, and yes, a huge comfort at three o'clock in the morning when I feel very, very alone and the dog is snoring soundly in my ear. My journal is my friend, my confidante. I have always been able to see things more clearly when I am writing them down. It calms me, and helps me to feel all the things that I'm trying not to feel. I don't seem to be able to fool myself when I write. It helps me see myself differently. My journal is my reflection, a mirror to the inner part of me. When I look back over the pages at a later time I can relive the good, positive feelings I had about myself, I can actually see the changes that are coming about, and sometimes, just sometimes, I catch a glimpse of the wonderful person within.

Why journalling? Because however honest I like to think I am, to a certain extent I can still B.S. my way through, or out, of most things. Especially when it involves my own stuff. When I write, it's really, really hard to lie. And when I do, I know full well what I'm doing. And word by word, journal by journal, I find that I am becoming more true ... to my self.
©2000 Shena Meadowcroft

Daily "Magic"

2009-03-22T22:37:00.000-07:00

One of the comments on my last post about daily sketching (thank you!) read: "What a wonderful way to look at life too." It reminded me of "Magic," a wonderfully daft black lab that was my best friend for 14 years . For eight of those years we would take the same walk every day, day in-day out, more often than not around the same time.

Occasionally I'd drive to another part of town for a change, but the walk that we took was down by Nosehill Creek (parallel to the highway) which ran right into the Bow River almost at the centre of the city of Calgary. Each day: same walk. We'd start at the same place, we'd walk the creek, and sometimes along the river by the zoo, but always the same. The seasons changed and so did the ground cover, but not much else. Same walk, different day.

Yet that dog threw himself with such anticipation and complete wild abandon into that walk. Everything was new, everything was exciting, and every tiny part of the walk was greeted with complete and utter amazement, as if he was seeing it for the very first time. And I knew that if ever I could wake up each day with that same attitude, my life would be rich beyond anything I could imagine.

Recently my van was out of commission and I had to walk a long way in rotten weather. I was tired and grumpy and for some reason thought of "Magic." So I decided to pick up off the ground one of every type of foliage that I could find with the commitment to paint them in my Art Journal later that day. And as I discovered each new piece, that I had seen every day of my four years on Gabriola, I began to really enjoy the walk. Painting the pieces that evening I realised that I had, for that day at least, seen the same, same old, as brand new and exciting.

Room with a View - Daily Sketching and Writing

2009-03-09T17:21:00.000-07:00

Last Christmas, I read about a woman who saved up for a “pleine air” painting holiday in France only to discover, once she arrived, that it was the worst time of year weather-wise; rain and wind prevailing most days, putting a complete damper on her outdoor plans. Undaunted, she decided to sketch and paint the scene from her window every day. She enjoyed the process so much that she returned to the same place the following year, at the same time, and went on to complete a vast number of sketches and paintings of the same scene.

Right now I live in a tiny spot with an incredible view. Totally inspired by her story, I began a series of sketches which have taught me so much more about seeing and sketching, than any amount of travel or variety could in the same period of time. Free to interpret the same view daily, in the warmth and comfort of my own home, regardless of the weather (and there has been weather, trust me!) I get to experiment and make mistakes because, after all, I can do the same view all over again tomorrow!

The exercise has become a way for me to explore new ways of using old materials, play with concepts I’ve been meaning to for a long while, or try out techniques as I read about them – after all it’s only a 6 x 9 sketch… besides, there's always another one to do…

Have I done one every day? Nope. Am I enjoying doing them? Absolutely.

I do intend to continue with the idea in the next place I move to.

Because every time I sketch the same view I learn something different about my art, and myself.

Now I wonder what would happen if on the facing page I use the day’s view as a setting off point for a piece of writing?

Design for Life

2009-03-02T22:41:00.000-08:00

Ballet, Fashion Design, Knitting, Basketry, Time Management, Strategic Planning, Self-Discovery, Intuitive Development, Research, Writing, Art…… these are only some of the workshops that I have taught across Canada and the United States over the years.

I only have one rule.

It works whether you are designing a garment, choreographing a routine, knitting a sweater, weaving a basket, planning your daytimer, writing a novel, or painting a masterpiece…

It’s my only rule, but it’s a golden one.

It goes something like this…

If whatever you are doing doesn’t turn out like the teacher’s sample... or the picture in the book... or what you yourself have in mind...

NEVER, EVER, EVER ADMIT THAT YOU DIDN’T DESIGN IT EXACTLY LIKE THAT IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!

Works for life too.