It's already a month!  Since I last blogged, I can't believe it, all that facebooking makes you feel like you're doing more. I don't know why I often find myself feeling guilty over using facebook... it actually keeps me in touch with some dear friends who are overseas, but I have to admit... it keeps me very busy doing not much as well!

Facebook also keeps me up to date with news... sadly today I learned of the death of a wonderful man, Steve Jobs, I own an iMac and iPhone and iPod... one of the cutest and most apt things I saw today was the word iSad.  I am grateful for the passion and dedication Steve gifted the world  in his lifetime, what an inspiration!  RIP Steve Jobs.

Right now, I'm working on 4 little canvas's... they were bound for Italy to be included in a very exciting group exhibition, but with things being as they are it became a little upstream for me to go that way, (I hope to sometime in the future though). I've taken inspiration from the very popular book/movie 'Eat, Pray, Love' .... it was an easy little thought ramble that brought that about once I started thinking about Italy, and food and fun... .. so I added in another making my subjects for the four; eat, pray, play, love.  I'll be submitting them into the Amberley Art Show in Melbourne next month.
They're not all complete ... but here is a sneak preview of them sketched up :

I love using one of my iphone apps to take quick pics of my paintings, the nifty effects they have give them all kinds of new looks. This is how the scooter one turned out.  I think I'll call it : "The wind in our hair"  (Inspiration = play)

I'll let you know when the others are finished.... I'm thinking they will make an excellent little card collection... so once they're photographed I can feature them on my red bubble page.  That way, you can order cards of your favourites.

Oh... that's another thing that happened this month, a substantial order via my redbubble account, and two paintings ('Skippity Hop' and 'Tea & Butterfly Cakes') sold from Tiffany Jones Fine Art Gallery... it's given me a lovely boost.  

bye for now,
Denise xo

I had the pleasure of receiving an email (the night before heading off on my little Bali Adventure) from a lovely lady who saw one of my paintings featured in a magazine article... on display in a store window.  She set about finding out more.  The story goes . . .

Back in 2008 I donated a painting to a Breast Cancer Research fund raising event in Mooloolaba, Qld, Australia... little did I know that an admirer of my work won the auction by phone from Singapore.  So my painting set off on its own journey across the sea to it's new home... then in March of this year that very home was featured in expatliving.sg/online-magazine I had no idea of this until I received an enquiry from the lovely lady who passed by the picture in a store in Singapore.  I emailed the magazine and they have generously provided the pdf of the article so I may feature it on my website.  What an amazing gift to me to see the circle of love that came around due to my giving of this painting.  
You can see the article here. 

Warm fuzzy wishes,
Denise xo

Hi there, 
With the help of random.org I drew the winners of my prints today.

"Spring" goes to Anita
"Champagne O'clock" goes to Xanthe.

Thanks for the lovely comments along with many of your entries I so enjoyed hearing from you, and how some of you follow me on facebook or my blog and I didn't even know til now.

I've just come back from a WONDERful 10 days in Bali... so once I've got a little photo or video finished about that I'll let you know.

love Denise x

copied from SIMPLE ABUNDANCE by Sarah Ban Breathnach
... without permission... I hope you don't mind Sarah I had to share this gem found on Aug 11 page. xo
www.simpleabundance.com
Whatsoever you can do or dream you can, begin it; Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.
                                                                                                                     - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Today you realise how blessed you are. In secret you nurture the nascent dream - the Work entrusted to you for safekeeping - in the sancturary of your soul. In quiet moments you overflow with the excitement at the golden possibilities that stretch endlessly before you. Because happiness is the most difficult emotion to bear alone, you confide your dream to your partner, best friend, lover, sister, mother, children.

Their lack of enthusiasm hits you at point-blank range. The "for your own good" litany pours forth: you're too old, too inexperienced. You don't have the resources, the talent, the contacts, or one chance in a million to bring this dream to fruition. Oh, really? Consider the track record of your naysayers. How many dreams have they successfully brought into the world?

I thought so. Please be careful about confiding your sacred dreams, especially in the first trimester after creative conception - the period that Soren Kierkegaard called the "dreaming consciousness" prior to creation. A disgruntled dreamer is a risky mentor. Never seek somebody's advice if you even suspect you know what they'll say. You cannot afford to hear the negative tape again. Second thoughts have aborted more dreams than all the difficult circumstances, overwhelming obstacles, and dangerous detours fate ever could throw at you. Undermining your authenticity by succumbing to someone else's second thoughts is a sinister, subtle, and seductive form of self abuse. Few of us are immune to the opinions of others. We need to learn how to dispassionately assess advice, ponder the source, weigh the opinion. If the information is insightful and is something you hadn't considered, retain it. If it's discouraging, let it go. End your conversation politely but firmly. Better yet, in future, don't even start it.

William Hutchinson Murray, the leader of the Scottish Himalayan Expedition team that scaled Mount Everest in 1951, urges the dreamer in you to take a leap of faith: "Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. all sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issue from the decision, raising in one's favour all manner of unforseen incidents and meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would have come his way." 

shared with love,
it resonated deeply with me... 
so I thought it might with you too

D xo

I'm a great believer in giving back, and especially to those who are much less fortunate than myself.  So this week I begin a new initiative on my website, whereby I will donate 10% of my print sales to a charity of the buyers choice.  I have chosen four that I particularly like, sunnykids.org.au, kiva.org, CAREaustralia.org.au and the Salvos.org.au but I am open to suggestions of others.
I have contacted a few of them, and received very positive feedback, and some need various paperwork to be completed before a logo can be displayed.  Being a creative type, I loathe paperwork, but for this good cause, I am willing to go the distance.
with love
Denise. x
See my shop page for more details.

I've been adding a few things to the Print Shop today. Check out the shop.

Several months ago I read a blog post via facebook of a local photographer inviting Women in the community to share their stories of overcoming adversity in their lives.  A selection would be chosen and a photo shoot organised culminating in an exhibiton of the photo's at the end.  Something about this sparked me into action, I wrote a brief passage of my experience and sent it of to Robeccer at Adori Studios.  I received a very warm response and we made a time to meet, I turned up for my shoot some weeks later, not knowing what to expect, just that I was being fitted out by a lovely local boutique for my dress, and borrowed some divine wings from a friend - thank you Johanna.  
I won't share the details of the story just now, this will form part of the exhibition, but I am delighted to share a link to Robeccer's blog showing her recent entry into the APPA'S (Australian Professional Photographers Awards) where one of the photo's she took of me and another beautiful forest water-fall shot both won her Silver Awards!!  Congratulations Bec!
The exhibition will be held on Friday 12 August at Adori Studios in Mooloolaba.

View Adori Studio's blog here

Pt Cartwright is one of my favourite places to walk... dogs are also welcome there which helps too... so we all feel the joy of fresh air and sunshine and freedom!

Life is quiet at the moment... it's about loving the simple things.. and loving what is.  

This dog really knows how to take care of herself... she loves to curl up underneath a blanket and sleeeeep. 

take care of you,
love
Denise xo

Yesterday I made my first little video... I had a bunch of photo's from my second solo show back in 2008, that were waiting for me to get to them.  As I worked my way through it's creation I was moved by the smiles on the faces of my family and friends and visitors to the opening, it was an incredibly celebratory day for me, and the gallery in which my work is represented shines beautifully thoughout the pictures.  

On a more personal note... I felt like I was making a movie about someone else... someone I actually love and admire, but have not been so in tune with for the last 18 months or more, with the global financial crisis in late 2009 came a bit of a jolt and a personal artist/life crisis as well.  Various things have contributed to bouts of depression and the fact I had allowed myself to become anemic once again, have brought me to a big check point where I am taking a long hard look at my life and health and wanting very much to clear out the rubbish and embrace my true self once again... with renewed strength and clarity.  

I’m not quite there... I’m somewhat confused about my work... but more ok about that lately than I have been these last months... after all, beating up on myself for not doing enough, not being enough, and not having enough is really the most unhelpful I can be for any kind of progress to come out of that same scenario.

This little video actually made me feel genuinely happy, the music by Frou Frou is such a gorgeous accompaniment to the feeling I had for the artwork.  It is my pleasure to bring something joyful into the world.

 Love Denise xo