Ordinary Beauty

There's a lot of beauty in ordinary things.

~Pam Beesly

I keep enjoying the play of how this quote challenge keeps me on my toes- painting and then when there isn't a painting that will work in progress, I enjoy throwing in the other creative options.  I seem to need to crochet these stones.  The finding of the round ones is so satisfying and then there's the feeling of accomplishment at the end of an evening when I'm able to start and finish one.  Simple pleasures.  

The background for this piece is also me finding the beauty in the ordinary.  I wanted to explore and test the new colours I purchased and they came together so nicely in this whimsical flower page.  I made it on a beautiful morning just after sunrise.

Wishing you the ability to notice the beauty in ordinary things this week!

Ordinary Beauty

There's a lot of beauty in ordinary things.

~Pam Beesly

I keep enjoying the play of how this quote challenge keeps me on my toes- painting and then when there isn't a painting that will work in progress, I enjoy throwing in the other creative options.  I seem to need to crochet these stones.  The finding of the round ones is so satisfying and then there's the feeling of accomplishment at the end of an evening when I'm able to start and finish one.  Simple pleasures.  

The background for this piece is also me finding the beauty in the ordinary.  I wanted to explore and test the new colours I purchased and they came together so nicely in this whimsical flower page.  I made it on a beautiful morning just after sunrise.

Wishing you the ability to notice the beauty in ordinary things this week!

Don't forget to love yourself!

Don't forget to love yourself.

~Soren Kierkegaard

It sounds so simple, but is it really easy?  It is a nice reminder and one to take a deeper look into.  Do my actions, words and intentions match this- do I really walk the talk and love myself in a healthy, reflective and forgiving way?  Maybe there's more to this skill than meets the eye, so this just might require more vigilance.

This painting:  I am having fun with these art journaling techniques I have learned from various courses.  These poncho girls are simple to create and it's interesting to see what their personalities are.  At first, these two seemed like friends, then maybe sisters, then I realized, just maybe it was the same girl, happily hugging herself.  We all need to keep this visual of giving ourselves a big hug.  From time to time it can come in handy when life throws a curve-ball.

Go forth and love yourself today and all this week, so that just maybe you'll internalize new levels of understanding for the one we can be the most hard on.

Serenity and Tranquility for you

May you find serenity and tranquility in a world you may not always understand.

~Sandra Sturtze

Sometimes the world is overwhelming and full of things we cannot always understand.  But this quote reminds us that we can choose our own state of mind and mood, instead of being taken in and overcome by outside sources. But sometimes it is not as easy as all this, eh?  Something to strive for.

This painting:  I have been working on faces and trying to show a bit more depth in my work.  This one came out a bit moody- is she "happy" is she "sad"? Is life as easy as classifying it in these two terms? I though it worked well with this quote.  We aren't always "happy" and things aren't always "perfect", but you can still be in charge of creating and stabilizing your own tranquility.

Enjoy your week!

Lighthearted, I take to the open road

Afoot and lighthearted I take to the open road, 

healthy, free, the world before me.

~Walt Whitman

I love the optimism of this. Things can be simple and full of possibility, 

if we decide upon our daily outlook.

This painting: I am still learning new fonts and today I tried a new one that came out nicely.  I have also been enjoying the mountain shape so much and playing with simple swaths of colour. Then, this month's Silkworm journal displayed many of these simple scenes and it gets me more and more excited to start my silk painting studio.  That will be my next big order- dyes, resist, silk and to build my own wood stretcher frame.

The world is before me!

Beautiful you

The world is full of beautiful things just like you.

~ Trudy Vesotsky

Isn't it?  I have been keeping a gratitude journal and write a stream of what I am grateful for each day.  The beauty of life is important to note and take time to appreciate.  I think this quote is also reminding us to not brush away what make you beautiful, but to remember to notice all the little things that make you special, too!  This is important and we sometimes have been trained to think honoring yourself is "selfish" but it isn't when it is done with authenticity and grace.

This painting: I had fun with spray inks and thought I overdid it but then this simple white idea came to me.  I used a geode coaster that we have to trace the not-so-perfect center space and doodled around with fun botanical motifs.  This quote just seemed a simple offering. 

I hope you remember your beauty this week and take time to appreciate yourself, 

as well as all the other beauty you see around you each day.