I Am Wild

She Came To See The Tulips

She came to see the tulips

So pretty and bright

She sat in admiration 

Of such an incredible sight

...and the tulips whispered, 

'Wasn't she beautiful' 

Creative Symbolism

Creative Symbolism workshop ran by the Belconnen Arts Centre

Number the following shapes in order from your most favourite to your least: 

2. Plus Sign    

4. Square        

5. Triangle     

3. Circle         

1. Spiral

These shapes are the five universal symbols. 

What do they mean to you? 

What words come to mind when you think of these shapes? 

1. Spiral - Flow and consistency

2. Plus Sign - Multiple ideas

3. Circle - Friendship and loyalty, as well as the sun (warmth and direction)

4. Square - Being put in a box

5. Triangle - Structure

Here is the key to your universal symbol survey: 

Whichever symbol you listed first, your favourite, symbolizes WHAT YOUR GOAL IS RIGHT NOW. 

Your second favourite symbolizes your HIDDEN STRENGTH.  

Your third favourite symbolizes WHAT YOU WANT YOUR GOAL TO BE.

Your fourth favourite symbolizes WHAT YOU ARE CONSCIOUSLY IGNORING. 

Your fifth favourite symbolizes WHAT YOU ARE CONSCIOUSLY IGNORING. 

There is a reason we are more attracted to certain shapes that others. It is part of our personality! 

The Choice

Two men are sitting next to each other on a train.

One man says to the other, ‘Where are you going?'

‘I don’t know,’ the man responds. ‘I was put here.’

‘What do you mean you were put here?’ the other man asks.

‘I was put here on this earth, three days ago. Weren’t you put here too?’

‘No, I was born here. How did you get here?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘Where were you before then?’

‘I don’t remember.’

Both men are equally as confused as each other. The man who was born here thinks everyone was born here, and the man who was put here thinks everyone was put here.

The man who was put here is then given a choice – to stay in this world as it is, or to go back where he came from... wherever that may be.

What choice would you make?

Now to pitch my idea to movie directors... *gets on phone, dials... ‘Hello, Spielberg?’

Animal Art - Digital Drawing

Digital Drawing workshop with Alice Oehr at Art Camp 2019

 

Roses Are Red, Blueberries Are Blue

Such a fun morning learning how to decorate cupcakes with Flour & Frost! 

It was tricky at first, but now piping is my friend! 

Roes are red

Blueberries are blue

Add some pink hydrangeas

Now they're ready for you! 

Learning To Let Go With Marble Painting

The process of marble painting allows you let go of control and go with the flow. You can't completely plan what the painting will end up looking like, as the inks naturally mix with the water and do their own thing. The result often ends up being a little different to your originally desired outcome - in which lays the beauty of the art technique. Let it surprise, frustrate and delight you! 

Like Birds Of A Feather...

Collage creation with Beci Orpin at Frankie Art Camp 2019

The phrase 'Birds of a feather' meaning: People having similar characters, backgrounds, interests, or beliefs (birds which have the same kind of feathers). The saying refers to the fact that birds congregate with birds of their own species. 

This couldn't be a more accurate description of my time at Art Camp - all the Art nerds hanging out together in one place, doing what we love - creating!  

Cutting and pasting almost complete, I looked down and just happened to notice a small white feather on the floor, which ended up being the perfect finishing touch for my collage.  

Blind Contour Drawing: 'Leaf' by Emily

Blind contour drawing is a drawing exercise, where an artist draws the contour of a subject without looking at the subject. Recently I tried this technique at a Nature Art Journalling class held by the Nature Art Lab recently at Floriade, and loved it!

It felt so freeing to not be looking at what I was creating, until I had actually finished creating it. The resulting drawing is quite abstract, and although simple, there is something I really like about it. I think it's because I know would never have drawn the leaf like this if I was looking at the paper while drawing it. I recommend giving it a try and seeing what happens! You don't have to do it for long - this was only a one minute drawing!

Phoenix Rising

'Catch on fire if you must, sometimes everything has to burn to the ground so that we can grow.' 

'It seems my life lately has mirrored that of a phoenix, burnt down to the ashes of what I once knew, and rising from those ashes, something entirely new, full of passion and strength and courage that I never knew I had. Sometimes we are required to burn away that of the past in order to truly find ourselves. Don't be afraid to let yourself burn. That is how you discover how amazing of a creature you truly are.' 

I felt extremely excited to be a part of the RESILIENCE Exhibition put on by the Gungahlin Arts Centre recently. Artists of all ages, viewpoints and levels of experience were invited to respond to the theme. This was their first open-call exhibition and was held at the Gungaderra Homestead during Mental Health Month in October 2019.

Entries were received from makers at all stages of their creative practices - from professional artists through to community members sharing deeply personal experiences through their work, with many exhibiting for the first time. Resilience invites the audience to reflect on the idea that to share our stories through the arts is an act of resilience.  

Wellness Plan

Perfectly Imperfect

When trying to make something perfect, 

sometimes you realize some things look better when they aren't. 

Hero Board Update 2019

Vision Board Update 2019

 
 

Life Motto

My life motto: 'DO WHAT YOU LIKE FEEL'

I Am Strong

Re-framing the word ‘Strong’...

Strong enough to love fiercely

Strong enough to trust

Strong enough to listen and learn

Strong enough not to give up

Strong enough to ask for help

Strong enough to cry

Strong enough to be vulnerable

Strong enough to ask why

Strong enough to be imperfect

Strong enough to break
Strong enough to try again
Strong enough to remake

Strong enough to know my weaknesses
Strong enough to admit when I’m wrong

Strong enough to learn from mistakes
Strong enough to move on

Strong enough to use my voice

Strong enough to say no

Strong enough to forgive

Strong enough to let go

Strong enough to dream big
Strong enough to take chances

Strong enough to try new things

Strong enough to roll with the punches

Strong enough to know my worth
Strong enough to walk away
Strong enough to love myself more
Strong enough to call it a day

Strong enough to battle my own mind

Strong enough to keep going
Strong enough to be myself

Strong enough to own my story

I am strong...

Stronger than you’ll ever know

What does ‘Strong’ mean to you?

The Visionary

Discover your creative personality - START TEST

Make It Art - Song Lyrics

Watch me // turn water into wine

If I make it art // everything will be damn fine

I believe // everything happens for no reason

But I can find a hidden meaning // and flow with the seasons

Write a poem // or paint a pretty picture

You’ll feel a little better // that I betcha!

My imagination works against me // most of the time

But when it’s in my favour // wouldn’t trade it for a dime

Feeling things so deeply // isn’t always fun

But hey, you might take a bloody awesome photo // on tomorrow's run

Left brain // I was born to create

Just like my mate Tony // I can change my own state

When inspiration strikes // I’ve got nowhere to be

Except with me and my mind // on a date with destiny

I could be sitting at home // or on a train in Peru

Start putting pen to paper // you know what to do

Let it flow // even if it ends up in the bin

As we all know // its better out than in

You won’t hear from me // when I'm working on my blog

Just me myself and I // with my inner dialog

For The Love of Beautiful Things - Part 3

 

Products and photos by ISHKA, Big W, Red Bubble (artist: vaporspearl), KAS and Mahalo

Art prints by Elspeth McLean, Marc Allante and Peter Cromer