Laugh in the sunshine

A good laugh is sunshine in a house.

~William Makepeace Thackeray

This is one side of a little bookmark I made recently that I thought I would use today. Life has been busy, but beautiful.  When I began this challenge I wanted to ensure I was creating consistently, while spreading my love of quotes.  I am proud to say I am doing both!  This week I created at least 5 new stones, 4 paintings and 5 small drawn pieces like this.  Not bad for a working girl.

Wishing you a good laugh this week!

Just Float- And You May Just Figure It All Out

Don't swim.  Float

~Osho

I love the simplicity of this quote.  How many times has life reminded us that trying too hard doesn't always bring for the most organic, genuine outcome.  (This goes with my continuous playing with letting go and seeing what emerges in the paint!)

Sometimes floating- going with the flow or taking a moment to let things set, is just what's needed.  The hard part can be to float, instead of steer...

About this painting:

I have been enjoying creating backgrounds using different techniques, and often have them waiting for the right top layer.  Very soon into this face, she had moons in her eyes.  I was enjoying the brush strokes of her windblown hair.  The flowers just seemed like they needed to be all over.  I wasn't quite finished, but I began looking for a quote, using various key words, such as wind, breeze, blowing, flowers and moon.  I found so many great quotes (for instance last week's!) but not quite the one that seemed to match this painting.  Then I tried the word floating (as in on the breeze), and then I realized!  She isn't standing in the wind, she is floating on the water and looking up at the moon!  Such a nice surprise, which now makes total sense!

Float on!

Sailing From Save Harbor- Child's Play

Sail away from the safe harbor.  Catch the trade winds.

Explore.  Dream.  Discover.

~Mark Twain

I just love the feeling I get from this quote.  It is so encouraging and upbeat!  All the while, Mark Twain is reminding us that there's less of life to be had when we remain in the safe harbor indefinitely...  So get out there and feel the breeze in your hair and discover new lands!

A little about this week's process:
This piece mirrors the quote so well, even thought I didn't plan this.  My recent quest is to test out childlike brush strokes so that I can play and abandon so much planning and perfectionism, as I get to know paint and all it can do.  This is one of two pieces that began with a warm colour-burst in round, swirling shapes.  Soon I realized it wanted to be a sunset on the water, so I researched some simple traditional sail shapes and added all the silver in the billowing frame shapes.  I actually happened upon this quote while looking for the perfect quote for another piece (may be next week's...) and then I knew that this painting had come together!

Wishing you a chance to let go and see what unfolds and emerges for you this week!

The Dreams Gifted To You

Believe in your dreams.  They were given to you for a reason.

~Katrina Mayer

I have been on a personal journey of soaking up as much new ideas as possible in the last few years.  It is invigorating and overwhelming!  Each book, article, blog post, course, video has helped me refine what I am beginning to understand is my dream, my next step and my why (and that I and the world deserves this).  And each new learning moment also leads to another and intertwines and circles back to previous concepts.  It is so stimulating!

I love the idea that your dreams are given to you.  I feel that since some say that your dreams come from your subconscious and are what you are trying to work out while asleep, then we can read this quote to mean that you gave yourself your dreams for a reason.  So then does this come back to the idea of believing in yourself?

No matter where they came from, I feel like remembering that our dreams, both those we have while sleeping, and our life dreams, are a gift.  If these are gifts, then we need to care for them, feed and water them and use them as carefully as we would something special a loved one shared with us, or an ability that has been handed down in your family line from generation to generation...  

Even if you are still trying to figure out what your dreams mean for you, 

I hope you can enjoy and appreciate the journey!  

The Silence Of Love

In the silence of love you will find the spark of life.

~Rumi

I found this quote a couple of years ago and it really resonated with me, although I still feel like I don't totally understand all of it's layers...  I love the idea of being so totally absorbed in loving (life, the present moment, yourself, your significant other, your family, your pet...) that the silence allows you to feel the spark of life.

This weekend I had a day to myself and the silence was full of creativity as well as  the appreciation of sitting in and listening to the sounds of nature.  I don't know if we can fully appreciate all of this if we don't first have a deep love for ourselves.  And it helps so much to know that you are loved by others, so that when we are sitting in our own silence, that love is the beautiful aura surrounding your day.

Wishing you love this week.

The ordinary can be full of opportunity...

 Don't wait for extraordinary opportunities. Seize common occasions and make them great. 

 ~Orison Swett Marden

Today I am feeling a bit under the weather, so this is actually perfect.  In between sleeping I have been reading or watching inspirational art technique videos or trying to eat.  I am practicing the art of making this little sick day great!

All joking aside, this quote goes with many of the same theme that I have read lately.  Sometimes we want everything to be amazing and we are so busy looking for that, seeking it or "working on" it, that we can let ordinary great moments pass us by without much notice.  

One of my favourite song lines is from John Lennon,

 "Life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans."

John included this in a song for his young son, Sean, along with other simple life reminders.  It is a reminder that life keeps going, regardless of how we choose to use our time up with...  And so noticing the little things can be important if we don't want to miss life!

Life, and all of it's types of moments,  can be pretty amazing, even in bed, with a funny tummy.

Enjoy your week!

Let magic find you

Ultimately, magic finds you if you let it.

~Tony Wheeler

This one is so whimsical!  I had fun painting it.  It began as a crazy ink background on aquaboard with lots of bright colours.  I toned it down with a deep frame, only to realize it then looked like a crazy Easter egg...  not my goal!  Then I had this idea of doing silhouettes (and I love elephants) so it finally emerged.  So the whole process was a bit magical itself...

This quote reminds me to notice the magical things in each day.  Finding a simple but lovely feather dropped by a bird, having a plant bloom for the first time and the scent of my favourite perfume as I get dressed.  An artistically done latte, being able to touch my toes effortlessly (after a lot of hard work to get there) and the fact that after almost ten years, my husband still makes me laugh all the time.  This is the magic that finds you, if you let it.

I will continue to let it!