A Creative New Year to you!

Happy New Year to you from me!

My new year has been a bit late starting.

I was fortunate enough to be away on the Big Island with family and friends over the holidays. While my intentions for goal setting and lots of productive time, writing, soul-searching and creating art were a top priority, reality got in the way and it was replaced with lots of meal making and carting kids around to hot surf spots.

Oh woe is me:)

So here I am starting the New Year with no set plan in motion, but instead a feeling of gratitude and contentment. I would say that is a good start to any year!

I spent my spare time painting and cutting paper into shapes inspired by all the crazy, tropical foliage surrounding me. I played with some different textures and colours and I experimented with their placement.

I will admit to running out of medium to glue it all down, but  soon discovered that I loved the freedom of being able to move it all around.

I had more than one moment of frustration as the wind blew it all away..

I think I could be very happy playing with bright colors and designing this way everyday. I love that feeling of excitement that comes with the discovery of something new, a new idea, new colours…anything new.

These will all be made into prints for art licensing soon.

I am excited about the new year, but here I sit, almost 2 weeks in to the new year, with no set plan of action written down. I have lots of ideas and goals for this year, but right now they are flying around with no accountability whatsoever.

My plan for this week is to take a half hour out daily to reflect and get these intentions in action. There is no time like the present. Just start!

A little pep talk from me to you.

Sharing with you a few resources that I always find helpful to help start me on my way:

Word of the Year – created by Christine Kane

New Years Revolution  – created by Do What You Love

Wishing you health, happiness and lots of creativity in 2016!

xoxo

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Happy Holidays to you!

It is a bit of a Winter Wonderland right now in Whistler. Everything is exactly like it should be.

WHITE

We have had endless days of snow, the twinkly lights are all lit up and the skiers have arrived for what has proved to be the start of an epic season. So much fun hooting and hollering through the snow drifts. It restores my love for here.

Thankfully with all the snow has come a pile of Christmas spirit. I have been in Christmas mode over here designing and decorating. It makes such a difference doing it now, versus in April, when the sun is starting to shine and the grass and flowers are beginning to pop. My goal is to get as much created now while inspiration strikes.

A series of wooded boughs and all things natural. I love the woodland feel of these. I am still painting and cutting daily and have enjoyed adding all of this Christmas flora and foliage to my portfolio.

A few colourful paper-cuts have been compiled all with a festive feel. I still like bit of traditional red and green for the holiday season.. plus it still sells well in the art licensing world!

 

Wishing you a Happy Holiday season! Enjoy every minute of it.

See you in 2016!

xo

Colour me Creative – Summertime Blues

I may have a slight case of the Summertime Blues. All I want and need right now is more summer.

I can feel life slowly starting to shift around here. The  mornings are damp, the air has a crispness to it and there is talk of going back to school.  I have four weeks to go until September and my plan is to savour every minute.

Cool refreshing water, grass tickling my toes, the colourful pop of flowers, blue sunny skies…

Inspired by my mood, this weeks colour palette is brought to you by the colour Blue.

Life is just a bit crazy around here these days with guests and a never-ending stream of kids in my kitchen.

I have taken to working in small short bursts that do not demand too much concentration. Small scraps of painted cut art  are working in my favour. When I finally do get a moment of uninterrupted time, I can put them all together into something that works.

I have also continued with my sketchbook explorations inspired by Lisa Congdon’s Creative Bug course.

Blogpost all about it here

Playing with patchwork and motifs in my art journal.

Playing with patchwork and motifs in Photoshop.

My head is spinning with applications for these designs. As a surface pattern design I can see them on rugs, fabric, ceramics, paper and even stationery,combined with some fun hand lettering.

I feel a September project slowly starting to develop. I love a new project – almost makes me happy and excited for the Fall to roll in.

Until then, you can find me in the lake!

Enjoy yourselves,