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

Day 8 of 30 : 30 Days in June

8/6/2014

 
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A bunch of journaling underneath to process some intense feelings.. I'd say this guy is doing quite a good job of expressing how I feel.  No comment.. just. arting it out.
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This too shall pass. xo Denise.

Day 7 of 30:30 June

7/6/2014

 
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quick art journal page today.. that's it.. not 'neat finsihed' - a bit of fun. and a tiny bit of wild gypsy making its way in. 
xo Denise.

Day 6 of 30:30 Days in June

6/6/2014

 
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"What a difference an app makes!"
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'Lovers in the air' hehe
Several hours on this painting again today and still the man's face and head look redonkulous. nope.. can't even share it. I'm having some fun though.. pouring lots of love into this painting.. it's like a gift to my marriage.. which may sound weird.. but all the love I pour into other paintings.. they're most bound for another location.. but this one.. if/when I ever finish it to a point i love it all… can hang in my house :)  I mean.. who else is going to want a Chagall like tribute.. that includes a star ship enterprise.. and until a few hours ago.. a giant tea pot, tea cups and a large colourful chicken on that tea table.. GRRR.. see.. I painted over that chicken as it 'wasn't quite right' .. but (^(%(*&*( it.. sometimes I want to keep the .. not quite right.. interesting.. my fingers just typed that without me filtering … hmmm.. curious.  Ok.. note to self… I have permission to put whatever the hell I want into this painting because it's for meeee. 

Here's what else I did today.. it's an exercise in an art journaling class I'm taking with Jenafer Joy.. and I was up at 5 this morning looking for the 'perfect lantern' on pinterest… (yes.. yes I was) … and I had such fun 'DRAWING' gasp.. (i hate drawing) … SO.. TIME'S THEY ARE A CHANGING.  


This creating every day in June.. is.. surprising me. I love surprises.

That's all for now,
love Denise xo
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find out more about the  Retreaty Gypsy Workshop in July

Day 4 of 30:30 Days in June

4/6/2014

 
This is getting interesting.. this 'challenge' is forcing me to do my work.. which is SO GREAT… and.. as you'll see by today's pic.. sometimes that means.. a painting looks like shite.  I'd usually NOT show you a painting at this stage.. but this is a challenge/goal orientated thing.. so.. I'm willing to show up.. fugly or not. Doesn't matter.  And… gawd help me .. painting men is so not my forte… and I'm presently not at all interested in portraiture to lifelikeness … so… I'll persist with layers.. and see what happens.  I adore the work of Marc Chagall.. and have wanted to emulate some of his free style for ages… it's also my wedding anniversary this month… 24 years.. and I'm not doing my handsome husband any justice right now with this guy on the painting.. but… it's not finished.. yet. 
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love Denise 

Day 3 of 30 : 30 Days in June

3/6/2014

 
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Magdalena 20 x 20cm work on wood.
The more I have this awareness called 'intentional creativity' as a companion in my day the more fascinated and interested I have become in symbols, and symbology … I have a bunch of reference books and cards of all kinds.  Below you'll see dramatic black and red image on a card.. that is one from the Liquid Crystal Oracle by Justin Moikeha Asar - Black Onyx is linked to Grounded Self-Awareness.  So… when I use these symbols in my artwork, most often I am intending/desiring the essence of that for my own life, but really.. these qualities will be infused into the creation of that painting, and so, I would hope that they would go on having their healing effect for future owners of the works when/if they are sold or given away.
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Seriously.. sometimes you wonder if you should leaveitthehellalone… but.. something makes you keep on adding.. taking away… adding.. taking away… it's a dance.. sometimes if feels like I'm a control freak.. other times like I'm in the steady slow flow.. and just to trust … trust… a little more there.. here… so.. this one below is still not finished.. but I have been so enjoyng her presence!  Her steady gaze is so SURE of herself!  I seek to not take that away.. but carry on around the canvas… honouring her in a way… that she's chosen to come through me… this painting has been transforming through several stages.. she began as a demo piece in my 'Lady of Clarity' workshop.  I put the Liquid Crystal symbol of Grounded Self-Awareness on this painting.. even if it disappears beneath the layers.. it's there… for that matter.. the Lady of Clarity is also there!
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and… WHOOAA.. if this isn't an inspired happening… I received a beautiful offer of a space near Noosa to hold a workshop if I would like to… so.. before I knew it I'd discussed dates.. theme.. and concept all within an hour of receiving the invitation!  So this morning I also created a pdf with the details for a 2 day Workshop/Retreaty weekend, which is going to be on 26th & 27th July.  So.. if you are interested to know more about that… send me a message.  There will only be 8 spaces available, fully catered, and golden fluid's supplied.  Yum!  I'll be sending out the details to my mailing list in the next few days, then I'll open it to the public.
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That's me for day 3 of 30 in June!

love Denise x

Day 2  of 30 : 30 Days in June

2/6/2014

 
I did other work today including learning about e-course creation which I'm committed to learning about this year. Also a live tele-class this morning with one of my favourite Soul inspiring teachers Michele Meiche.  
No excuses though… works in progress are nothing to sneeze at.  I'm all about the gentle encouragement… including towards myself these days.  Adding a lady.. maybe a Magdalene? to that little one on wood from yesterday, re-working the blue 'inner healer' with the raven/crow behind.  The art journal page was an ispiration by 
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Denise x

Courage to Create

30/5/2014

 
Is this my 'poor neglected blog' .. or just been waiting til I had something artful to say.  I have another blog space I use for my 'anything-i-want-to-say-at-all' wonderings… (A Sip of My Tea . com)  but I think I've designated this one to be … just art… as it's on my 'Artist website' … allowing for a variety of personality options is also fun for me :)
So today… I am sharing something that began yesterday… and I desire to bring in through all of June… and I'm not promising anything further than that, it only creates too much angst for me. I am joining in a little collective project, thanks to one of the lovely artists I met in Christchurch New Zealand earlier this month.  Ruth Reid is instumental in the creative project called JOIN US IN JUNE FOR 30:30 that's a link to the facebook page.  The idea is to create something each day for the 30 days of June. Anything… a painting, a page, a cake, a quilt square… anything creative … I'm going to focus on painting, whether that is large or small, or in my art journal, anything so long as I paint every day in June, and try my best to complete something every day in June too.
"Create something each day for the 30 days of June"
So… why do I think it takes courage to create?
Well it's one of my primary ways of expressing myself - and thereby there has been many 'strings' I have attached to it for some years… but THIS WEEK… thanks to a dear friend I had some help, clearing some of those attachments that no longer serve me, and this allowed me a way in that was seemingly difficult / nigh impossible for me to bridge before. I can tell the truth loudly in the pages of my art journal, but to be loud and open on my canvas (when the need arises, inside of myself that is) maybe for the world to see.. feel.. judge… can take courage.  
The thing (think / thought) I have to remember :
It doesn't matter what other people think of me …
It matters what I think of me.

It matters what you think of you.

So… here's what happened yesterday… when I asked for couage to create inside just this one day 
(taking it one day at a time was also very sage wisdom from my healing session the other day) 
thanks whole heartedly to you Raelene Byrne. (Medicine for your Spirit) 
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I love the difference it made when I opened her eyes… that took courage from her too. 
We're a team.. 'my wise inner self, my artist self, inner child, muse… ' it's take a bunch.
This painting will be going to an exhibition in Brisbane in June 'Celebration of the Female Form' you can find out about tickets to that here. 
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That's it for today… I better be off, to gather the 'Courage to create inside this one day'. 


love Denise xo

a creativity manifesto

1/2/2014

 
Good morning friends,

This makes me want to write one for myself… do you have one?
I shared the link to an interview in another blog post in January, but having listened again in the car this week to Jamie's and Tami's chat I heard again his 'Creativity Manifesto' and I wanted to keep it, read if often, and share it with all & sundry. 
As I begin February, and the Year of the Wooden Horse, this realllly spoke to me, I have had a shit time this past week dealing with my hyper vigilant perfectionist, mild anxiety associated with my creativity resulting in feeling frozen and not painting, it's a new month, I'll be addressing it for sure, and this kind of truth telling (Jamie Catto's creativity manifesto shared below) goes a long way towards helping me release the crappola and move into some kind of grace, a space for self forgiveness and self love.  
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Insights at the Edge.  
From a podcast called: Breaking the Approval Addiction and Expressing Our Creative Gifts
Tami Simon: " OK, here we go. So this is from Jamie Catto’s "Creativity Manifesto:"

"We need to collectively admit that we’re not fine, we’re not confident and balanced and good. We turn up to work every day pretending we’re not neurotic and obsessed and insatiable and full of doubt, and we waste so much energy keeping up this mutual pretense for each other because we think if people saw the truth, if people really knew what was going on in our heads, all the crazy truth of our dark appetites and self-loathing, then we’d get rejected. But in fact, the opposite is true. It’s when we dare to reveal the truth that we unwittingly give everyone else permission to do the same. To stop holding their breath for a moment and actually come into the room. Be here, present, vulnerable and authentic.

"We’re on a mission to make self-reflection hip for just a moment, just long enough to save us. If we can all collectively acknowledge our insanity, shrug and roll our eyes at each other at how nuts it is being a human, let alone having to pretend every day that we’re "normal," the amount of energy we’ll inherit that has been wasted on the mask will be enough to creatively solve any global crisis."

Jamie Catto: "I’m in. I love hearing you say it."

full transcript of the interview can be found here:
http://www.soundstrue.com/podcast/transcripts/jamie-catto.php?camefromhome=camefromhome
with love,
Denise.

Gypsy Rose & Rio Abajo Rio

2/12/2013

 
You know there's only a little difference in the placement of letters between sacred and scared . . . creating and sharing something this close to my heart is both/and. 
 Gypsy Rose by Denise Daffara
Painted using the Color of Woman Method. 
May you find 
your inner strength,
May you have 
so much self love
and self compassion,
you will give from
your overflow.
not scared enough to
not take action.

love Denise xo
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In December 2013, I donated this painting to a Women's Shelter as a token of love and hope for them. 

art from the heart

2/12/2013

 
Over the weekend I had several paintings in an exhibition "ART FROM THE HEART" for The Lady Musgrave Trust.  Even though my exhibited pieces didn't sell.  I am happy to say my donated painted sold, raising $1,000 which will go towards accommodation and support for young women in need. 
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Peace for Me by Denise Daffara
 A message from the President to those attending the auction and exhibition.
Your contribution to this weekend event will enable us to further our work in providing accommodation and support for young women who are homeless or at risk of being homeless..
The Trust has been undertaking this work since 1885 with only the support of generous members of the community such as yourselves...

I LOVE this message in the catalogue by the Arts Minister
Art has the power to transform lives and bring positive change to individuals and communities . . .
I wholeheartedly believe this to be true.   I am also donating a painting to a local Women's Shelter on the Sunshine Coast, because I believe in the power and love behind the art.  I'll share more on that in another post.

with love
Denise. xo
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Please note the artwork displayed on this site is copyrighted by Denise Daffara.
​Please do not use any artwork displayed on this site without permission. Thank you.
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