Begin with the end.
Life is a series of beginnings and endings.
(And I do so love new beginnings!)
To have a beginning, I first must have an ending...
I need to finish one chapter before I start the next.
As I add the final touches to my trees, I’m already thinking about my next painting.
I have the idea, the vision... the canvas...
But...
‘The object isn’t to make art, it’s to be in that wonderful state which makes art inevitable.’ ~ Robert Henri
And so, I remind myself...
It’s all in the being.
Be where I am. En-Joy where I am.
And it will be done...
The Rose Garden
Once upon a time in a garden, lived a beautiful rose.
She wore a red velvet dress and surrounded herself with brilliant blues and greens...
Rose was happy and had everything she could wish for.
Her garden was her kingdom. It was nature in full bloom... colourful flowers, wild grasses, bees, blue sky... and a warm, gentle breeze. It was the garden of love and beauty.
Nature’s living bouquet.
But as seasons come and go, Rose’s world began to change...
And slowly, Rose died a little death.
“Do not watch the petals fall from the rose with sadness, know that, like life, things sometimes must fade, before they can bloom again.” ~ author unknown
Rose Dress by Anne Gudrun
But the Essence of the Rose lives on...
Rose is in every golden pink sunset and every blossoming garden.
She is a summer day...
She is love and passion... ruby red... her element is fire, burning bright with desire... and in the fullness of life!
When you experience love, you experience the essence of the Rose.
'The rose speaks of love silently, in a language known only to the heart.' ~ author unknown
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Spring
'If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things in nature have a message you understand, Rejoice, for your soul is alive.' ~ Eleanora Duse
One day the sun came out.
Well... it seemed a long time since she shone her brilliant face...
It was as if the curtain lifted and the orchestra began to play - Everything came alive!
The birds sang madly... the air was exhilaratingly fresh... and all the colours of nature became intensely brillant!
Where did these little pink buds come from? And all these happy yellow daffodils?...
The sun came out to play and all of life played along with her...
Awake, thou wintry earth -
Fling off thy sadness!
Fair vernal flowers, laugh forth
Your ancient gladness!
~Thomas Blackburn
The Wisdom of Trees
“If we surrendered to earth's intelligence we could rise up rooted, like trees. ”
~ Rainer Maria Rilke
Trees are wise.
Their path in life is clear. They spread their roots underground... drawing nourishment and energy from the soil... a firm foundation for Being.
And then they rise up... reaching to the sky. Solid, strong... yet flexible to move with any passing storm... They see a lot in their ancient lives.
Trees just are. They don’t need to go anywhere... Yet they are always creating.
They are observers of life, like grandfathers of the earth.
So when I walk amongst the trees, I listen for their wisdom...
“The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.”
~ John Muir
Snow White and Rose Red
How do you fill your cup?
Snow White needs quiet and solitude. A tranquil stream or peaceful garden...
She can immerse herself in books, escaping to faraway lands...
You might find her sketching in nature,
Or sleeping... dreaming... under a cherry blossom tree.
Rose Red seeks energy through inspired action. She likes to move...
And dances like the wind.
Travel and adventure... it is people and places that fill her up.
'We are cups, constantly and quietly being filled.
The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over
and let the beautiful stuff out.' ~ Ray Bradbury
A rose is a rose is a rose.
Rose in full bloom will romance you with her fragrant beauty, drawing you in...
She is the sunset on a midsummer's eve... glowing with passion and desire.
And she loves.
Her red velvet petals surround her heart, and it's from here that all truth flows...
That truth is love.
Rose is love.
Rose Dress ~ Coming soon to the Essence Art Boutique!
The Daisy
Carefree, fun, adventurous... She loves new beginnings and plays with possibilities.
Daisy is a pretty, sky blue and emerald green...
Daisy Dress ~ coming soon to the Essence Art Boutique!
I changed my mind...
One day I woke up.
I looked around me and asked... Is this my life?
And I answered... No, this is not my life! I change my mind...
‘The only way to change our lives is by changing our minds.’ ~ Ross Cooper
So what would that look like?
I spent a lot of time dreaming and imagining...
I realized, if I want to experience something, I can always go there in my imagination.
A memory is just a memory. The past and future exist only in the imagination...
The imagination is powerful.
‘I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination.’ ~ Albert Einstein
And I see beauty all around me.
Now this is my life...
Love is My Muse
‘Love is like a beautiful flower which I may not touch, but whose fragrance makes the garden a place of delight just the same.’ ~ Helen Keller
I've been musing about love...
What is love?
Love is a flower blossoming into its fullest expression. It is the act of becoming.
Love energy feels at once peaceful... and joyous anticipation.
A plant is in love when it is nurtured by the sun, the wind, and the rain...
Love feels alive and thriving.
When I feel in love, I am in the energy of becoming my greatest expression...
I'm letting love lead me.
Love is my muse.
Meeting inspiration.
The only way to be creative is to create.
Being creative requires inspiration, but you can’t always wait to be inspired. It doesn’t always come to you... Sometimes you have to go to it. You just have to put pen to paper or paint brush to canvas and create.
'When inspiration doesn't come, I go halfway to meet it.’ ~ Sigmund Freud
When I’m too much in my head I need to move my body, so I go for a walk. Walking clears my mind.
I let go of the puzzle I’m trying too hard to solve... I just walk it out.
I like to wander as I wonder... And somehow just by walking, the pieces all come together.
‘My work is inspired by two things: the external world and the internal world. A good day is when they meet on canvas.’ ~ Bonnie Mandoe
Sometimes I am inspired to paint, and other times I paint to be inspired. I let my desire to create lead the way, and then I meet inspiration around every corner...
What do you do to meet inspiration?