Denise Daffara
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blog : another
​'sip of my tea'

more Gypsy Creativitea Show &  Tell 

6/1/2016

 
continuing on from yesterday 

 Participating in an artful e-course is an adventure in trust and wonder (in my experience) . . . you see some things beforehand and get a feel for whether it's for you or and then you choose to dive in... then begin and just trust that whatever you're meant to get out of it you will, and the more you give creativity' time to yourself within that time the more you will benefit.  
 http://www.denisedaffara.com.au/blog/show-tell-from-gypsy-creativitea-2015#

below are some more seret pages shared here for the benefit of those who would like to know . . . is this Gypsy adventure for me?

Smashbooks are great to use together with your children or indeed your own inner child.
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Isabelle joined us from Canada and with two young daughters she has her hands full... and due to her delightful gypsy spark... she and her daughters enjoyed making henna designs on their hands - how precious is this.
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Kendall joined us from USA and got right in touch with her fiery Gypsy'ness in the pages of her smashbook. Here is her 'Rune Gypsy' below.
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Denise, Our GypsyTea from earlier this year of 2015 made my Summer special and memorable, I looked forward to the pages with excitement, imagination and a good sense of fun ! Thank you for a great time . Love, Kendall
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Nicole joined in from right here on the Sunshine Coast where I live - we met virtually via a mutual friend of ours. You never know who there are in your midst or right across the other side of the world that you might meet in an online adventure. {I lOVE that about these online magics}
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You may be surprised at how many little things you have around your home that speak or whisper to you about your Gypsy Soul . . . ask them to show themselves . . . and they will.


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“Each friend represents a world in us,
a world possibly not born until they arrive,
and it is only by this meeting
​that a new world is born.”



― Anaïs Nin, The Diary of Anaïs Nin, Vol. 1: 1931-1934

See more 'Show & Tell" from Gypsy Creativitea on yesterday's blog post.

Find out more about this Gypsy Creativitea adventure that you can join in from home ... we begin 10 January, but late comers will not be turned away. 

love Denise x

Show & Tell - from  Gypsy Creativitea 2015

4/1/2016

 
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Participating in an artful e-course is an adventure in trust and wonder (in my experience) . . . you see some things beforehand and get a feel for whether it's for you or and then you choose to dive in... then begin and just trust that whatever you're meant to get out of it you will, and the more you give creativity' time to yourself within that time the more you will benefit. 

I am delighted to share with you some pages and pieces from some of my Gypsy sisters :

I loved Denise's Gypsy creativitea course. Most importantly (other than being talented) she is authentic and true to who she is. No pretense or trying to be someone else. She is just herself from beginning to end, vulnerabilities and all. She opened the door for me to give myself permission to "go there" She has imporant work to do in this world that many can benefit from, apart from making pretty art. The art is of course an added bonus
Colleen

The following three paintings are by Nalda, she made a remarkable shift from painting 1 at the very beginning of the class on to painting 2 and 3 after only a couple of months of giving herself time to play. Thank you for sharing your remarkable work Nalda.

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"What one can achieve in such a short time
​by simply allowing and letting one's creativity flow."  Nalda.
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For many students the use of the smashbook has a profound effect on freeing up some voices within that may not have had a safe space to to speak for a while, or possibly ever, or have not been able to be heard in the busy of life.
This tool of 'smashbooking' can be an exceptionally helpful self healing tool, or simply a play space.. and all things in between. I am deeply touched at the vulnerability and openness willing to be shared with us here - thank you Donna.
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Denise
"I must say the timing for when I shared our Smashbook adventure was amazing.  I had just come into knowing it wasn't fear I needed to work at removing from my life but safety I needed to create so I wouldn't be afraid and my lovely smashbooks do just that - create a safe refuge to share all and find incredible healing, inspiration and wisdom.  I am forever grateful!!!" Donna.
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Here are some passionate pages created by Tamera, in her smashbook
she reminds me of the Gypsy's ability to handle whatever is coming at you
and keep your power with you,
to support your growth and blossoming of your own self trust.
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Iris joined us from Finland and has now returned to Australia . . .
​her skills with SoulCollage® are very apparent and delighted us all.
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Celia joined us from South Africa and was delighted to find herself painting on canvas ... and making her spare room into her studio on account of finding such a joy and passion in painting the many facets of Goddess and wisdom she works with.
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"This was the first canvas painting I had done for years and years! It was called "Gypsy Girl with Moon and White Lily" I have gone off a bit on my own, but I am so excited because I have started a painting on canvas.  This is the first time in years I have had the confidence to put paintbrush to canvas.  The smash book process gave me the confidence to just go for it." Celia
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​I don't know how this will end.  It is called "Rain Queen" and is about the African Rain Queen Goddess.

Celia
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"This journey brought me much much needed fun.  It was a playful and important reminder to stay light and joyful in life even though one may be in turmoil and even physical pain.  A delightful journey.  Here's my Gypsy Girl whom I adore, and who is always there cheering me on."
Guru Kirn Kaur

What a soul touching Gypsy Girl emerged, thank you for sharing her with us Guru Kirn Kaur
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Below is the Irish Gypsy that Aynia Breeze lovingly created.
​Painting a face can hold such tenderness for the painter, aspects of ourselves come out and a companion may be met to keep one company. 
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These are a delightful sampling of what some of the women created
with heart and a large dose of Gypsy Soul.
It is a gift to be shown someones artwork and
I honour each ones vulnerability and bravery.
Thank you xx

Denise 


http://gypsycreativitea.com/
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the e-course begins 10 January . . . join us there to get in touch with your Gypsy Soul and create a smashbook and maybe some paintings too. xo DD
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*  Win a seat in my Creativitea Time e-course *

29/7/2015

 
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I look forward to opening my virtual tearoom, 
and welcoming you in on Friday 11 September 2015 Australian Time.


Visit the information page to find out all of the details and 
register now to reserve your space.



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IN THIS INTERVIEW I WAS ASKED SOME POINTED QUESTIONS ABOUT CREATIVITEA TIME:

Q: What in a short answer is Creativitea Time about Denise?
A: It's about taking care of how you feel, allowing yourself to feel AND create. 


Q: Why have you made this your focus?
A: Perhaps because I am an empathic, sensitive, 'over-feeler' (that's what I was labeled at primary school "too sensitive") So, I deeply appreciate when my feelings are considered when I am learning a new thing, or in vulnerable situations. ONline learning is a new playground for many, and there are numerous ways to 'get your art fix' now.


Q: What can I expect inside this e-course, how is it different?
A: You can expect raw and real, I am open and honest in the way I share the process I am demonstrating, I tend to share what's happening for me in real time if I suspect that could be helpful to someone in my class. *I take responsibility for my feelings and that's why daily checkin's via morning pages are something I will mention and recommend for their extremely helpful benefits. It's somewhat unique I think in the way that I have chosen to introduce various persona's to teach a week each 'with' me inside the course. This was not something I planned, but gosh I enjoyed it immensely. 


Q: Would you say this is more art journal based or painting?
A: Art Journaling, there are painting demo's in the smashbook, and spiral bound art journal, drawing in a very easeful way (I actually have for many years avoided drawing as I didn't enjoy it - I have decided to #drawlikenooneisjudging and that's helped me relax about it.) ... so yes... 100% art journal based, with painting. But not making paintings on canvas.


Q: Is this course all happy, happy, joy, joy, unicorns, love, light and rainbows?
A: Not all no, ... I have included plenty of happy, joy, love, light and rainbow colours.. {sorry no unicorns in this one, NOT to say you cannot bring them yourself.} BUT I have also included anger, vulnerabilitea, rage, profanitea, honestea, fear, rebelliousness, grief, loss, outrageousness, dark and wildness.

Q: How much is it?

A: I have valued the course at $197, during the time it is running (and a lot of time prior) I am present to the group, and remain present and attentive for the duration of our e-course time, this would be so much more if we were in workshop setting, so I feel the charge is a very reasonable exchange of a practical nature in today's necessary currency. You can take advantage of a $40 discount registering before 31 August.  

Q: How long does the course run for?
A: Creativitea Time is a 5 week online course ('virtual tearoom' website based) that you can do at your leisure over 6 months. I am live with the facebook group for that 5 week duration, and it remains open afterwards for the community that have gathered, met and shared there.


INTERVIEWER : Denise. talking to herself. nod. She does that sometimes.

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How to Win Your Seat at Creativitea Time



All you need to do to enter your chance to win 
a place in Creativitea Time the e-course 
is complete these 3 simple steps:

1.  Add a comment to the blog post below.



2. join the 'interested list' at 
 http://creativiteatime.com/  

3. Share a link via social media to:
 http://creativiteatime.com/ 

let me know you've shared it via : 


facebook : 
https://www.facebook.com/DeniseDaffara.Artist
or
 twitter :  
@denisedaffara
https://twitter.com/DeniseDaffara
or
instagram :
@denisedaffara  #creativiteatime


. . . and any other outlets you enjoy using, 
thank you for sharing the love.

Denise xo



The winner will be drawn on 25 August 2015.


REGISTRATION OPEN for CREATIVITEA TIME e-course
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Fun - creating the time to play in my right brain; My time - a place to discover hidden talents;  Safe - a nurturing experience to just explore 

The concept of creating a container and giving myself the space and freedom to explore new creative ways. Without any pressure to get it perfect, or right. A light hearted and fun way to learn how to tap into and express different parts of me. A space to release what no longer serves me. A nurturing and supportive environment. Most of all inspiring, encouraging, and creative.

Give yourself the gift of some creative time, schedule in some play time and allow your inner child to have some creative expression. Creating a container for my projects, using some of the creative tools - collage, painting, journalling - just taking my art journals to a whole new level

- Louise, Sydney


Taking Risks

27/5/2015

 
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I had a wonderful conversation this week with astrologer 'Divine Mystic' ... the idea of Gypsy's came up.. of course... it would.. it's the next thing I'm creating gypsycreativitea.com ... but she made me aware of an obvious thing I'd not quite examined yet... and that is

GYPSY'S TAKE RISKS!

So... it went a ways to helping me realise my current 'slight discomfort' in the middle of the creative wonder zone. What a risk.. to launch a course that isn't completely created yet! YEOW!  But let me tell you (and remind myself in the telling) how this went with my last e-course. . . 
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I did not like the idea of making modules and formatting and don't even mention a syllabus silly bus! so... I knew there had to be another way.. sure enough only a few weeks out from the opening date the idea's started to flow in... when I least expected them and absolutely let go of freaking out about them! By the end of the 4 week course, I had introduced to my gorgeous group of women...to 5 alter ego persona's, each with a vastly different temperament, style and way of being in my world . . . they became the foundation for the content... and IT WAS SO MUCH FREAKIN FUN... meeting them on my page... hearing their input.. sharing that with my class . . . I would NEVER have seen that coming had I not RISKED .. putting myself out there and creating the opportunitea for people to gather! and joyfully for me... there are already 10 women who were with me for the last e-course.. coming along for the gypsy one too.
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This is going to be fun . . and deep . . . mysterious and colourful . . . outrageous and kind . . .

If you've been considering joining us for this creative excursion into our own wonder zones... well... if it feels a little bit risky.. and you feel an energy boost at the content I've spoken about on the website . . . then DIVE IN LADY!

Visit  the Gypsy Creativitea information portal
We begin on 21 June 11.11am (AEST) your investment is $197 for a 6 week live e-course (including painting, art journaling, intentional creativitea, communitea and more) with 6 months access to the content. (there is a Mystical Mercurial May special saving you $47 until midnight 30th May ... so scoot in asap to avail yourself of that gift.)
I look forward to meeting you at my virtual tea table.


love Denise x
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A Most Delightful Surprise

16/5/2015

 
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Hello there,

Thanks for visiting. I had the most delightful thing 'just happen' . . . in fact its been happening these last few days . . . I get little notifications on my phone whenever someone signs up for my ecourse (this is still a shiny new exciting thing for me . . . ) but the additional delight? It's having names I recognise as well as not yet . . . it's having old friends names show up on my screen . . . that I met online several years ago in an online course with SARK . . . and NOW... they're coming to play in MY course!
That's a buzz.
I'm new to hosting my own art courses online, Creativitea Time was my very first one (Feb/Mar 2015), and OH MY ... it was incredible... I have no trouble saying "now" after the event... that I trust the Mystery.. I have to . . . I couldn't create on demand like this without HELP. 
So . . . this time... as I 'create the container' for Gypsy Creativitea . . . I am just SO EXCITED by the old and new friends gathering, in my tearoom.


Today I've been making the buttons for the website . . . all my own graphic designy bits, . . it's my project. So for now... the creating {painting} has slid off of the canvas and brush.. onto the screen and my fingers are still busy . . . it's good to remind myself I am still creating, when building a website... of course I am. But you know how artist's can be . . . all self judgey and measuring progress with ridiculous notions.


That's another gift of creating this opportunitea . . . 
I HAVE TO PAINT LOTS for my students . . . WIN *WIN !

That's all . . . a happy little note from the afternoon sun speckled studio.


How are you doing? Are you creating in new ways that you once deemed not quite 'arty' enough?


Love Denise x



Not so mellow yellow

6/5/2015

 
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Yesterday I took myself out for breakfast, (this came about due to the conversation I had with my Love the day before, he told me he had breakfast and lunch meetings the following day.)  I was immediately inspired to do the same!  Have business meetings over breakfast AND lunch.. with myself! haha We both work from home you see, and therefore we can go days and days and days without going OUT.. other than for walks/exercise etc.
I have turned another corner (in my head) that is ... I'm not putting off making a new website for my next ecourse any longer.. I have begun.
So... as usual.. I make meaning out of most everything.. and this brings me to this pic above... how might I bring meaning to that you may ask?
I am not into yellow... I observe it from a distance, I notice it has been frequenting lots of trendy magazine spreads and home making shows.. but I have as yet not embraced any yellow at my house.. BUT... on the weekend I went to a very YELLOW cafe called Lemon & Thyme.. and loved what I called a 'dose of yellow' that I received.  P took a couple of pics of me there, wearing red.. with yellow all around me... and then at breakfast I was given this combo again.

Yellow is the colour 
given to the solar plexus chakra in many charts.

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Solar Plexus Chakra - located in the area above the naval area.  Its function is Will power and its inner state is laughter, joy, anger, its colour is yellow, and its planets are Mars and the Sun.  Its stones are: Amber, Topaz and Citrine.  

Meditation on: I do.  Balancing this chakra is associated with calming emotions and frustration, easing tension and helping to better utilise intuition.  Energies: Fire, Energising, Charging, Lends Energy.

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Root/support Chakra - located at the base of the spine.  Its function is survival and grounding, its inner state is stillness and stability. its colour is red and its planets are Earth and Saturn.  Its stones are : Garnet, Ruby, Onyx, Obsidian.  

Meditation on: I am.  Balancing this chakra gives energy to the physical body, controls fear, increases overall health and helps in grounding.  Energies: Earth, Grounding, Focusing, Centring.


What colours have been popping in to your awareness I wonder?

It's curious to me how the message associated with the solar plexus comes to visit. Frustration has been quite the companion of late, since coming back from overseas I've not been feeling very energised and so was dragging myself to DO stuff.. that wasn't feeling like a flow much at all. I didn't even blog about the trip? I may come back around to that and post things out of date order.. because who cares? Ms Virgo will have to just deal with that glitch, it's not that important.

... I'll sign off here . . . this week I was listening to a sounds true interview...  (here's a link to it)
Kristin Neff : The Liberating Power of Self-Compassion which was a wonderful one about treating oneself with kindness and compassion.. it's a much more inspiring and heart warming focus than 'self esteem' which can result in comparisons and wanting to be better than someone else (name anyone who you're comparing yourself with here I guess) .. and a super star rather than shine your own freakin star self. 
I need CONSTANT reminding to do this, and whenever I do, life goes a whole lot better.. both physically and in my very busy thinking a lot head.

Denise x



Gypsy Creativitea
an ecourse to nurture your Gypsy Soul
find out more here

The tease of the creative process

13/3/2015

 
Last weekend I taught one of my favourite in person workshops 'Essence of Gypsy' . . . I have been walking with this theme for some time now, and it's still filled with mystery, madness and moments of magic for me and my students.
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At my workshops, we take a little time to connect in, and meet her via guided visualisation . . . and then over the two days together we may experience a vast range of emotions and experiences … ranging from anxietea to complete heart bursting joy at the magic of it all. This past weekend I watched a delightfully brave 11 year old arrive with her Mother and positively sparkle and spill over with her excitement at being in an art space, dedicated to creativitea for the weekend.
This was a new experience for me also, to have a younger student with her Mum attend the workshop, they were of course an incredible support to eachother and the transformation we (the other two attendee's and myself) saw on their canvas's was truly magical.
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The delightful young Stella said, 
"I feel happy with what I have done, and I am amazed that I could paint what I did."
Jo, her dear Mum said 
"Relaxed, tired! A sense of achievement and comfortable that I can go home and play".
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It's not easy taking yourself back to beginner's mind and follow a process you are not familiar with . . . but another wise workshop attendee could be heard saying under her breath on more than one occasion 'trust the process' . . . she knew she had been on other journey's such as this and would likely come out the other end with a result she could be surprised by. (I am reminded of a movie my partner plays often . . . and the words "use the force Luuuke") 
It's true, if you will but allow yourself to play in the possibilitea . . . and not be constricted by the inner critic.
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I will mention the critic . . . she/he definitely shows up . . . usually you can feel your belly tighten along with your jaw.. and your thoughts move from supportive ones to most unsupportive like what are you doing that for, you're doing it wrong, you can't do this, this was a stupid idea, your painting doesn't look right,it looks stupid and wrong . . .  e x h a l e.
*and breath deeply into your belly . . . at least three times* then proceed.

This seems to be one of the current realiteas of the human condition.. to bash ourselves up from the discomfort of our own head. I believe it is vital to speak about this more readily, I experience the same mild anxietea's as my students . . . I can be mystified by my painting, and not quite know where it is going as well. 
Instead of bluffing my way through I chose to share that honestea on our Sunday morning check in. I could sense and feel we were all experiencing it, so to bring it out into the open, 'pour some tea and cake onto it' . . . and begin the day anew, was most helpful to us.

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. . . for me the 'tea' addition takes it to a 'softer place' of inviting self nurturing and kindness, it's not interrogation it's an invitation to sit down with yourself or selves and be present to what is, the current realitea if indeed there is something wanting your attention, your wise self/or Muse has love for you on an infinite basis.
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Many of my students have not painted very much before.  Here's what the lovely Val had to say at the end of day two.

"This workshop was so much fun for a beginner or a more experienced 'artist'. Denise is calm, encouraging and has oodles of patience. Thank you Denise for making the weekend so interesting and rewarding." Thanks, Val
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The fourth of my gorgeous guests this weekend was Ann, a fashion designer,  she is very skilled at fine art with a focus on perfection . . . 

so for her it was a break through to loosen up and feel freer in her artful explorations with her Gypsy'ness.

Here we are pictured with our somewhat exuberant grins celebrating 'we did it' at end of a very special day 2!
"I was totally amazed at the outcome of the workshop.  I love my painting and it's spurred me on to get my art mojo going again after about 5 years of no art.
I learned to draw a face free hand which I have always wanted to know how to do.  I had always traced faces.
And also I achieved the painting myself totally.  In the past my teacher has always helped me with my paintings so I was really chuffed this one was completely mine with my essence.
I have learned so much in the weekend workshop on drawing and painting than I had before and that is because of my wonderful teacher Denise.....so thank you for the opportunity to find my art mojo again."

Ann
xxx


What a pleasure it is for me when each one has such an individual and enjoyable outcome at the end of my workshops. 


bye for now,


love Denise x

Two opportunitea's this year 
to paint your Gypsy'ness 
in a 2 day Creativitea  Workshop with Denise

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 Melbourne in May is filling up now
we will meet at the Antique Bookstore 
at Abbotsford Convent on Saturday 2nd & Sunday 3rd May

please email for a pdf of details for this workshop.
art (at ) denisedaffara.com.au

or visit the web page to read more and register your interest asap.

warmly Denise xo

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You may like to join the 'interested list' for the upcoming Gypsy Creativitea online course which is brewing now to be released in the Australian winter time.

Heron in . . .

8/11/2014

3 Comments

 
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Being with the idea that a totem animal may choose you … heron has made herself known to me.  I notice her traits .. a lone fisher, standing for long periods at the edge of the river… She can stick her neck right out.. and bring it back down in close to herself and her own heart, she's elegant and strong. (I'm mentioned her here before) I was just drawn to gather a selection of pictures depicitng her various qualities… I'm in need of a reminder, and some strength to stick my own neck out again, but realising it is in the very nature of my being also, to snuggle back down, and go inward.  Heading further down the introversion scale than perhaps I used to, is this a change of age thing.. I wonder, or is there just a lot more being spoken about this, so we don't have to feel so strange that we are energised by time spent alone, and being with others takes energy sometimes.
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Strong, standing ever so tall, eyes alert not missing a thing.
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sometimes it is a lone stance… often actually
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sometimes a spirit friend stands alongside
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I had no idea their nests could look like this 
(Ilovegoogleimagesforthis) and nesting near a neighbour, who knew?
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then there is this, this ability to lift up some fantastic wings 
and fly away.. just fly. away.  
sigh.


love Denise.
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if you would like to join the 'interested list' for my creativitea time ecourse, visit the site here and leave your name and email.. a small series of emails are being sent along the way I"m calling them 'artist notes'.  
3 Comments

Mary, Mary, I'm Contrary

23/9/2014

 
I wrote the following on 14 August 2014, in response to a class I was taking about finding my voice.
.. I let it sit for a while (I think I am ready to share it now) it's personal, and yet it may be anyone's story.

Mary, Mary, I’m Contrary

Apparently (based on evidence all around me)  I have been ‘calling in’ this energy of Mary.. the Madonna, Black Madonna,.. the Divine Feminine.. and Goddess... what that all means for me in my life is currently a wonder in progress... but sometimes the openings to my consciousness around it bring me insights.. like this week when I was so drawn to paint a Madonna & Child/Black Madonna.  
Seeing the image I’ve been painting this morning.. the Feminine.. holding the masculine with such tender love .. and the little hand around the tender part of a woman’s neck ... 
A tender part in myself is touched.


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I got that it wasn’t Mary’s fault that my catholic upbringing did nothing to instill in me the concept of a divine Source of love, without hell and damnation at the forefront of the message, with huge doses of fear and guilt thrown in the mix, for ‘good measure’.
Right now, I don’t believe God is a Him any more than I believe God is a Her, thanks to the head fuq, that I experienced two forms of christianity to be  (catholicism and born again fundamentalism) I don’t always know exactly what to make of it all, except to say, I want none of it.  So.. my paradox.. being drawn to this Mary/Madonna energy whilst rejecting the ‘container’ ie the church/religion that she was always presented to me to belong inside of.  


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* Another observation, is that my parents home was filled with statues and images of Mary.. and Jesus.. and I witnessed my own Mother place enormous amounts of faith, time and trust in her blessed virgin Mary.  The effects of alcoholism in my father kindof took over the energy in our home to a large degree growing up, so.. I did not experience a huge amount of peace from the religion or from Mary back then... as far as I can remember, looking back. Although, apparently when I was 4 I wanted to be a Nun? (and I realise, memory is a trickster and will call forth perhaps what it wants to.. and leave out bits) yes this smacks of judgement & victimhood, both true, I would add to that.. resilience, discernment and taking responsibility for my now.

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I also bump up against my ‘what will people think’ button... the ‘I don’t want people to think I am a christian’.. just because I am painting the Madonna.  You see, I think/thought the two are/were inseparable. I am exploring the idea that they are not mutually exclusive. An awareness with that too... I can be as judgmental about christianity as I perceive Christians to be about the rest of the world. The I’m right you’re wrong standpoint is not the most expansive view I can take. 

My concept of Mother is a comfort and a deep soul truth … interestingly (or not surprisingly) the “Father” part has been really tainted .. and so... the idea of “Loving Father” and “God” in the same sentence - you may as well be speaking a foreign language to me. My head wants to tilt and I get a blankness in my understanding .. a void lives there.  (thinking back to imagery of a white haired old man with a stick railing against everyone with fire and brimstone)

Perhaps this is why I gravitate towards the feminine so readily.. 

I TRUST the feminine.. and deeply MISTRUST the masculine...

because of my experience ... it doesn’t mean the masculine is untrustworthy it’s (just) my perception - not ‘just’ it’s a big fuqing deal. to me.


WOMEN HAVE BEEN PERSECUTED, A LOT BY THE MASCULINE/PATRIARCHY 
OF COURSE I DON’T FUQING TRUST THAT. 
I am of the opinion that FEMININE/MATRIARCHY is not the complete answer either
.. but a balance of the two. 

I can feel I have a lot of rage around this.
more time will be spent with this.

* with respect, these are my views, I have no way of knowing the entirety of the beliefs of my parents, this is more about my own healing journey and less about judging them. I do have issues around religion. obviously. - Denise.
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 A lovely lady came to me for a private class seeking to paint Mother Mary… here is what we created, without having an end in mind. 
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with contemplation,

Denise x
Acknowledgement to one of my recent teachers Shiloh Sophie McCloud, she paints the Lady in many many forms, and it was during my time as a student of hers last year;  Color of Woman Teacher Training that I learned a way to paint her, and to teach others a way to paint their divine feminine imagery. 

I can(' t) draw

7/9/2014

 
For the longest time (my memory tells me age 15) I started to believe I couldn't draw.. it haunts me still.  Sometimes I even believe it. I prefer to paint rather than draw, any day. (or is that just drawing with a less precise implement…?) 
Picture
I want to speak of this because I think (and I could be wrong) that it is a very commonly held belief by many.  So last Thursday night I took myself for the first time to meet a (new to me) group of local artists and joined their warm invitation for an evening of life drawing.  I had a chat to my inner critic/s on the way there in my car… out loud… "listen guys… I am going to need your kindness and love tonight please, other times I have experienced a small hell in life drawing classes where I compared myself to the others and felt like I was constricted, a fake and absolutely hopeless at drawing.. so … you guys have the task to take notice of the details that I may be able to use at a later date.. and otherwise… leave me alone to experience this in a very positive way please". 
As it turned out.. the group were amazing, the model a delight and the experience for me held a profound moment that I did not expect.  
 
Picture
How 'right' this image does or doesn't look is not the point here… the magic.. and the moment that happened.. was that as I drew that chin.. I had a wave of emotion hit me, overwhelm me, and spill out of my eyes.. I was stopped in my self..  for me.. something in that moment/line/page/model/space/time reminded me of my sister Min… (she died in June 1997) and I was struck by the gift that was. … and that it came to me in the midst of something I have avoided, as I believed 'I couldn't draw'.
the note I wrote on the page says:
"Min's chin …
it stopped me in my self…
gasp
tears came to my eyes…
a capsule of emotion.
So unexpected a gift,
to let it go again
is painful …
but I have captured it
with my pencil."
I don't think it really matters how well we can draw… it's what the opportunity of creativity can open up for us that matters to me far more.  I might even go again. … to life drawing.  Drawing life… what a gift to even be able to give it a go.


bye for now,
love Denise. xo
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