A smash book is an energetic Container for our ideas, hopes, dreams Anything we intend for it to Hold, nurture, grow, enliven Contain, bless, flourish. The one pictured below.. for example I have called "Beloveds" ... and my intention for it is to be a portable altar... each time I have a client/workshop booked in.. I can make a page dedicated to our time together. I believe very much in setting intentions.. 'Intentional Creativity' is part of what I have been learning through the Color of Woman course I did this year. Allowing our hearts desires, longings, and questions to come up and then to give them space to be is a powerful tool for real change/growth/enrichment and transformation in our lives. I am grateful to Catt Geller for teaching me how to make and teach 'Cosmic Smash Booking' you can find her blog here : http://streetlightpeopledotorg.wordpress.com I will be introducing some Smash Booking Workshops soon. Join the mailing list if you'd like to hear about when and where workshops are coming up.
If you have a group already who would like me to come and teach a Painting workshop or Smash Booking session, email your information and I'll see if we can make it happen in 2014. love Denise xo Rather than start with the beginning.. here are the champions of the weekend, these 6 wonderful women, bravely put their trust in me to lead them on a little creative journey over two days to meet and paint their Muse. (I believe the Muse has many forms, she's a shape-shifter and therefore has no limits.. but each time we paint her we capture an essence, a glimpse, a gift of what she has to tell us). layer upon layer... Above is the demonstration painting that I created to show the different steps to take, and various techniques we used. I loved seeing the progression of each woman's paintings. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and by the sounds of the beautiful reflections they gave me, they really loved it too. I can't ask for better than that! You can read about Monika's Muse meeting here in her blog post I have one more workshop coming up on November 24th. "Lady of Clarity" will be a one day workshop in Buderim, on the Sunshine Coast, Qld.
I'll put the link for that here. "Lady of Clarity" workshop bye for now, love Denise x I'll let you know once I have made the little video I have planned.. showing the progression of the 7 Muse paintings over two days. I had the absolute pleasure of painting a commission a few months ago, I wanted to share a few pics of it here and the absolutely beautiful letter I received from the couple who commissioned it. Often as an artist we create a painting and never hear from the ones who choose to take it to their home. When I get to meet someone and we discuss the piece they would really like me to create for them a special bond is formed. I love hearing their likes and dislikes so that I can fine tune it as much as possible to meet the desired outcome. Finding me on Fine Art America is no easy feat! haha, so I was happily surprised to receive Toni's warm email enquiry earlier this year and we went on a little journey together from there, by email and phone to come to a conclusion of three lovely lady's enjoying eachothers company and seated on a leopard print couch, comfortably on their dining room wall. I was just so heart warmed to received this stunning email, Thanks so much Toni and Tom for the warmest and most fun commission experience I could ask for. with love
Denise. xo Below is verrrry simple video I made just to have a go with the You Tube diy thing ... it was quite easy... so am sharing it regardless of its simplicity :) I painted the random colours over some writing in my journal the day before, then after a long conversation with a dear friend I just sat down at my art table, did a very quick pencil sketch, poured out some black paint and decided to take a photo of each line after I'd painted it. I don't have swish cameras set up for taking video so this was an experiment. The one below... yesterday I wrote about 'sometimes i have a headache' because right now, my head is hurting.. for the second day in a row.. I left that to dry and this morning before I did anything, sat in my studio in my nightgown with a pot of tea... and painted this girl. The look I see in her eyes is quite 'fed up' ... and in regards to having a headache... I'd say that sums it up about right. With love, Denise. xo Not sure what possessed me to do this... but... I started a brand new blog in addition to this one
... it's called "A Sip of my Tea" it's a place I can collect my tea pics and sprinkle in a little art as well. Wordpress is not as easy as Weebly but for now, I'm enjoying it. Visit it here if you're cuuuurious. Denise xo Today I went from really good.. to completely zapped.. seemingly 'nothin left'. I approached this morning with this ... and this afternoon with this, behind this one below is 'a turmoil of emotions' from my perspective. Or behind my eyes... and it occurred to me about 'sadness' and 'grief', 'loss', even 'loneliness' when and why did I decide those emotions are wrong? I have noticed that when these emotions visit me I do just about anything to get rid of them... but I have noticed.. that if I be with them.. they are not so huge, not so bad and not so insurmountable as I first thought. * I am not talking about clinical depression here, I am talking about the regurlar range of emotions, like our normal roller coaster of life. I had someone in mind today that I just wanted to say 'snap out of it' to, and that wouldn't be very understanding of me. So... maybe I can suggest, just being with your emotion, give it a voice, maybe in your journal, and then see how huge it really is. I like to think the strong one inside is up for the task of minding the young sad one on these ocassions too. If that's not working.. then go get some help from someone who 'gets' that stuff and can help you move through it. Thoughtfully, and trying to be understanding. Denise xo Tonight I'm sharing a work in progress with you Red Riding Hood, not little anymore. ... as part of our Color of Woman journey we each are to do a painting of our Legendary Self... this is one of the painting sessions that has challenged me greatly, and took me a long while to get from its beginnings.. to the middle stage that is pictured below. I am sharing it because, it already has given me such joy by its sheer existance, it's showing me a strength and grace that I admire very much and I guess I seek to embody... it's somewhat empowering to and for me... to see qualities emerging in a painting that I want to embody in myself.. this is an intrinsic piece of the alchemy that I have been witnessing in this Visionary painting method I have been learning... and will soon be teaching. She has messages for me.. and one of her totem animals seems to be the Heron.. Strength and Grace are central characteristics and the 'little red riding hood' reference goes back a long way, and probably has several meanings. One of the memories my Dad recalls having is of me as a young girl; I was wearing a hooded red rain coat and riding on the back of my sisters bike "you looked just like Little Red Riding Hood" he always says. My view of my Dad has been tainted by many years of stuff, so having small cherishable memories like that, is precious to me. I also never liked the feeling that Little Red Riding hood seemed helpless to the trickery of that wolf, so now she has grown up, she carries her own damn axe and is not beholden to any wood-cutter to come and rescue her. I feel empowered when I look at this painting, and so.. with a deep breath.. I'm sharing it here. Oh... I had my 45th birthday on Saturday, wow!! that was fun too, I went to Noosa National park and swam!!! got spoiled by my husband and daugther for the weekend, went to a fancy dress party with a friend who shares my birthday! might share some pics tomorrow or this week sometime... oh.. and pressies... two new tea cups with Klmpt art on them.. ooohw, LOVE those... they will feature in new little tea pics soon. I really love when people offer specials when it's their birthday.. if you've been eyeing off a print let me know and I'll see what kind of birthday discount I can offer you. with love,
Denise. Hello creative one, I have been mentioning the idea of 'Visionary Painting' a little more of late... and so I wanted to share a new painting I just did this week, using this visionary painting method. I had a canvas that I'd covered in pictures creating a vision board back in 2009.. most if came true in the following 12-18 month time period. (yes, imagine that, amazing!) So... I painted over it and dripped paint, stenciled did a bunch of playing.. then set it aside deciding... uuuhm.. I've kindof ruined that, may as well throw it out.. but in true artist form... put it in a stack of 'wtf-do-i-do-with-these-canvas' against the wall in the corner of my studio. So.. when I was given a video series in my Color of Woman course by Shiloh.. I thought .. hey.. I'll give that a whirl.. and voila this gorgeous lady appeared... I'm jazzed about her because.. the intention I wrote in behind the layers of paint was for her to find me gorgeous venues to hold my painting workshops, I am gearing up to be teaching this beautiful method of painting and it would be ever so helpful for me to find just the right spaces in which to welcome you if you would like to come paint with me and a circle of women. "You must give from the overflow" I rarely use glitter... but this Lady of the Divine Spark asked for some! She has a sparkling candle, rose and magical tea is pouring from her teapot into those cups.. and the overflow onto the saucer - reminding me of a valuable lesson... You must give from your overflow, so that you're not depleted all the time. Fill yourself up with the things that strengthen you and keep you grounded, fueled, inspired, feeling loved.. THEN... you have so much more to give. Secret wish... I'm sharing with you ... I have a desire to travel to New Zealand once or twice a year and teach a workshop or two.. and visit my Mum & Dad on the Kapiti Coast ... so... I'm putting that out there, with this Lady of the Divine Spark watching over top... that we will be welcomed to just the right places, meet just the people who are calling out to be able to paint a visionary painting with me... and be in circle with a red thread ceremony. Christchurch is on the horizon for May 2014 with a friend of mine who is also a teacher of this painting method.
Visionary Painting Workshops are coming... I'm hoping to offer one in Buderim in September.. and another in October ... this kind of painting above can be created in a one day workshop, if you have a group who already gather and you'd like to hold a red thread ceremony / visionary painting workshop with my facilitation, do contact me. art@denisedaffara.com.au. That's about it for the minute... and I'm sorry I'm not a prolific... organised... same time same place blogger... I do write on a whim a lot of the time... that may or may not change.. and I had thought I'd share a whole lot more of my CoW journey here... but truth is... it's been really full on.... a lot of inner work has been required, and I have been tending toward going within and not writing out here all that much about it... it needed to settle in me first. And.. I had my trip to California, which just blew me away, heart and soul so uplifted and loved up, truly amazing ... I don't think I've even written much about that here either? see... intermittant at best... sigh... if ever you have questions about this journey of mine.. you can ask.. and I'll do my best to answer.
with love Denise xo I am hereby naming this patch of my studio 'My Magic Wall'... I use it to put reminders and also WISHES... e.g.. several months ago I had a little post-it note saying... Bali - Flora Retreat...with the dates... and also California - Color of Woman weekend.. and the dates for that... and I just left them there and carried on with my life. Both of those things have come to HAPPEN... I enjoyed an amazing week in Bali learning about being Bold and fearless from Flora Bowley (May 2013)... and I've just returned from an OUTSTANDING visit to California... where all manner of mystical, and magic and WONDERFUL things happened ... and this is what I had on a slip of paper.. in preparation for this trip... I put it up only a few weeks ago.. a matter of days before leaving ... One of the reasons I'm sharing this with you is I've just read Danielle Laporte's most recent newsletter and she is encouraging us to share our GOOD news stories.. happenings, experiences etc. So... I thought.. why not.. it's not to sound like a complete wanker... it's really in celeberation and gratitude and sharing an idea that might just work for you too. Yes... I do write the words "learning and loving, and being loved and seen" because one of my unhelpful patterns or limiting beliefs is one of 'being invisible" so.. the counter point to that is being SEEN! ... ask and you shall receive. :) ... and treat others as you'd like to be treated.. works so well too. I did something I've never done before.. and that's travel across to the other side of the world without having booked all of my accommodation.. and left a couple of nights in the hands of my Muse to help me find a place to stay. It turns out those nights were with an amazing woman who is also doing the Color of Woman teacher training. ... and when i asked for "yummy seats"... would you believe... I had a late flight that was cancelled, so the check-in guy at San Francisco just kindly changed my booking to another flight so I would meet my connecting flight in LA... got there.. a Virgin Au lady was looking for me.. 'I've been tracking you since 5.30pm she said" ... all good... then I go through to the boarding gate and WOAH.. I hear my name over the loud speaker... so I go up there and that guy has also been looking for me.. and so they're all happy.. they found their lost passenger... and.. since I had his undivided attention I said... "ummm, the seat I've been given is a window... I really usually prefer an aisle.. but I can try it out and see if it works out... " ... he looks on his computer and says these MOST AMAZING, GORGEOUS, THANK GOD, AND ALL THE ANGELS IN HEAVEN FOR EVERMORE... "there are no others in that row" ... my jaw dropped... and I touched his hand and said THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH, YOU HAVE MADE MY WEEK! and GLORY BE if I didn't have 3 whole seats TO MYSELF for an almost 14 hour flight!!! It honestly felt like business class to me... and I'd been imagining myself in business class (I played a game with myself... my daughter is learning to drive, so each time she drove us to Brisbane - 1 hour+ drive, I would sit in the back and pretend I was travelling in business class) ... hehe... crazy shit like that works... I'm telling you. :)
While shopping in Haight Street (oh my gosh, check out google images)... I was asking my muse for some lace clothing... I'd tried Maceys and I'd tryed lots of times in Au... well... I found a shop... and bought about 5 lace items.. and they were all $27 each! whaaat? yep. true. A bunch of my paintings sold just before I left so there was plenty of spending money.. I'll do my best to get around to blogging some pics from my trip... ugh... I'm really trying to spend less time on the computer these days... I really got that message loud and clear while I was away from home... I reeeaaaalllly want to be creating and painting more than I'm on the computer... it's IMPERATIVE for my sanity and growth as an artist. (if you follow me on fb i put a few on there already) bye for now, love Denise xo .. “Out beyond ideas of wrong doing and right doing there is a field. I'll meet you there” Rumi As I embark on the newest little part of my creative ventures... mixed media works on wood and paper ... I hear 'those' voices... "Oh this isn't real art.. you should be painting every bit of it" ... "What... you're using cut out pictures in there" ... "this is crap... this really will not do" .... "grow up" .... Oh the list could go onnnnn and on. But with the strengthening of my Muse voice... or my listening to her... I'm hearing other whispers too... really quickly.... following on from the mean bitch voice... like, "This is a new adventure"... "we're here to have fun"... "if it's bringing you joy... then... hello... do.. it" ... "this little piece of art you're making.. is not going to hurt anyone.. and if you're filling it with such enjoyment then maybe someone else might actually love it too" ... "try it and see" ... "experiment" ... I'm taking a new bunch to the framer this week... and they'll make their debut up at the gorgeous gallery that has my work.. and if anyone has a critical comment to make about them... well... let them say it to my face and hear about the 2 years of being blocked and depressed about it.. hahaha.. that'll learn them! I'll post pics of the new ones once they've been revealed at the gallery. ... I can maybe show some snippets . . . I am returning to a place of play as much as I can when making these pieces... and that feels like a really good place to start.
with love, Denise xo ps. They'll be on display at Tiffany Jones Fine Art Gallery later this month. This was the scene in the spare room of my parents home this time last year... I set this up to be like an alter right next to where I'd be art journaling for the month.. Mum had one of my prints hanging on the wall... and a picture of Mary.. or more than one in every room actually. I felt somewhat comforted by this Mary picture with her bunch of angels hanging out... so I gave her pride of place overlooking my artful adventure... little did I know... I would be joining the likes of Shiloh Sophia McCloud and Jenafer Joy, and Stella Mac and Effy Wild... and be part of a wild and wonderful bunch called the Cosmic Cowgirls ... and just over one year later I will be meeting many of them in California! and Helllloooo... running a "Paint Mary with me" retreat/workshop this month too Today... my Muse must have been with me.. along with my daughter.. I found this gorgeous luggage tag that has so many visual messages that have meaning for me... The colour 'limoncello' is a favourite of my dear mentor/teacher/inspirer Shiloh... I feel like I'm flying from a cage... that's metaphorical.. I did a mixed media piece a couple of years ago..and it's been profound the many layers of crappola I've been leaving behind sometimes daily.. but you know.. on the whole.. I'm in a much better place :)... and the crown!!! well Sovereign.. and I painted Queen of My Own Heart this year.. so that's a gorgeous little addition... this trip is an adventure... a loooong adventure.. and the crossing of the San Francisco... Golden Gate Bridge is part of it too. That's about it..a short sweet post for tonight.. there are only 2 spaces left for the Paint Mary with Me retreat.. so if you are wanting to come... register at your earliest convenience.
bye for now, love Denise.. |
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Books I Love“There are very few human beings who receive the truth, complete and staggering, by instant illumination. Most of them acquire it fragment by fragment, on a small scale, by successive developments, cellularly, like a laborious mosaic.”
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