Tulips with Blue Glass.

Okay, just finished up on my most recent piece!  I’ve experimented with crinkled tissue paper, glue, translucent and opaque layers, dimantes and even toilet paper (for the frame!!).  I drew the lines on first with the black gutta and tissued over and started by blacking the whole thing (see below).  Then it has been a series of acrylic layers, trials and adjustments to bring the whole piece together.  I’ve learned a lot about technique through this painting – a lot about layers,  about adding then taking away and just leaving a residue.  I love how well the stencil turned out on the table cloth.

I’m striving to be original.  Granted, I have taken techniques which have been used before, some for decades – others are more recent, but others I would like to think are my own and are just what I happened to uncover through play and a curious mind.  But it is often hard to be original.  To just sit still and let it flow through you, without having to refer to source material by others time and time again.  I have my inspirations but it is tough to stand apart – to be authentic.  I do try and I am starting to succeed.  I think this has come about through zoning in, listening to the silence.  Taking time out to be alone and going into the quiet gaps in between, and if I don’t find those gaps – I make them.  It’s amazing what comes forth because of them.  Then I roll with it!

On a different but not entirely unrelated note (if we are still to have a planet to grow and enjoy tulips on!), I have come across Earth Hour which we have signed up to.  It is a campaign run by the WWF to make world governments take action against climate change. All you have to do is sign up and then bob your lights out for an hour on March 28th. Their goal is One Billion signatures  and actioners by 28/03/09 – go on!!!!  Do it – it’s easy!  Even whole Cities are pledging to do it with lights out at some of the world’s greatest sites such as Sydney Harbour and The Golden Gate Bridge.

Me & My Gal.

I’ve completed this painting with such ease!!  And I have of course, (as expected) really enjoyed the process.  Making sure I have achieved being ‘in the zone’ before I have started has helped me work better and I have done this through my intentions (thoughts), listening to audio (music and spoken word) and setting the correct working environment with little distraction.   I’ve been trying hard this week to keep myself grounded and I have felt in touch with myself (my true self!) most of the time, which I feel is an achievement with so much uncertainty around me at the moment.  We went to view nine houses at the weekend and had four viewings of our home last week!  I think we have got definite interest in ours but we still have no where to go.  We are travelling down to Nottingham this afternoon to view another house and I’ve got a really good feeling about this one!   I’m excited!  It’s hard to stay in the moment and prevent oneself from living in a future projected world in times like this.

Whilst I have been painting in the last week I have been listening to John Demartini audio – a seminar he gave on ‘Business’.    It has taught me the importance about being inspired by what we do as work, and in turn inspiring other people through it.  He says “When we can’t wait to get up in the morning to serve, the world can’t wait to get our service.”  He also said “I found out whenever I am studying something that is inspiring to me and I can’t wait to deliver it, somehow the Universe brings more people to get it.”  This all struck a chord with me and even ties into what I developed as my purpose in life statement a year or so ago “………….(to) maximise and experience my human potential, moving out of the ego and into enlightenment, which in turn will help provide enlightenment to others which will help me (to)…………….”  I saw that my intentions would loop as a perpetuating cycle of improvement for everyone including myself.  Lets hope I am right. x