Live painting performance at the Waterfront Festival in Tauranga. A great afternoon in gale force wind and black clouds all around us:-) I secured the easel with tent pegs and string. The music was playing and I was in my Flow!
 

I loooove challenges... and I could of course not resist the challenge when the Principal of the local Primary School asked if I wanted to paint a back drop for the school hall stage. I got free hands as long as the local mount was in the painting.

So I stapled the 7m x 3m big canvas to the wall, primed it and started as I always do...

...painting from my heart with no idea what the end result would look like:-)

 

After a couple of layers of paint  the imagary slowly was taking shape...
 

I loved painting in the hall... the kids coming up to me asking questions and commenting during the process...
 

Loved painting these quirky houses... and the kids looove them:-)
 

...and ta daaa... the final painting!
 

This post is part of The Declaration of You’s Blog Lovin’ Tour, which I’m thrilled to participate in alongside other creative bloggers. This week the chapter is Trust.
 

"Trust yourself. Create the kind of self that you will be happy to live with all your life.
Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility
into flames of achievement."

- Foster C. McClellan
 

This post is part of The Declaration of You’s Blog Lovin’ Tour, which I’m thrilled to participate in alongside over 100 other creative bloggers. This week the chapter is Success.

I have been struggling with paradox thoughts around success for the last couple of weeks. I have been teaching art to primary school kids. My goal has been to encourage them to be brave, do mistakes and have fun. I want them to enjoy the process, not focus on the result and to encourage them to use their own creativity.

At the same time I think it is important that kids art is taken seriously, so at the end of the term we are exhibiting their art in a local art gallery (Lightwave Gallery, Mount Maunganui), side by side with professional artists. Very exciting both for the kids and me.

The paradox has been that even though my goal is to let the kids have fun, do mistakes and not focus on the result, I have been struggling with letting go this time.  I have been fighting with my own need to be successful in other people's eyes. I have had a hard time letting go of the result, of what the parents and other visitors to the gallery will think about the kids’ art. The paradox is that I am encouraging the kids to not focus on the result and at the same time I am thinking about what others will think... not about the kids achievement but about mine! Am I a good art teacher? Will the exhibition be good enough in other people’s eyes? Will I be successful? …according to others. I have succeeded with my goals of letting the kids have fun and follow their intuition and that they will feel meaning and pride in the exhibition... but success is what other people think, right?

Ooh, I so wish I could let go of what other people think!

Two days ago we hung the exhibition and it looks absolutely awesome! By having a really good plan where each individual piece fits into the whole, like a mosaic, we have been able to achieve that all the pieces are as important to make up the whole, it is not about how each individual piece look it is about the whole... and they look stunning together... 1+1=3! The kids have had great fun and not been pushed to perform and they have listened to their own voices… just what I wanted! And we (together with Joyce van der Lely and Lightwave Gallery) have succeeded in putting together an exhibition that looks awesome in the eyes of the visitor. The opening is tomorrow and it will be a great success!

But people forget and the happiness of success is short. I think that if we can let go of what other people measure as a success and listen to our inner voice about what our true selves want, we will be happy in a deeper and long lasting way. 

Or as Dalai Lama put it:

  “ The planet does not need more “successful” people. The planet desperately needs more peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers and lovers of all kinds”

Have a great day!
Jenny

This post is part of The Declaration of You’s Blog Lovin’ Tour, which I’m thrilled to participate in alongside over 100 other creative bloggers.

I joined because I listened, trusted and acted on my intuition. I felt like writing about Intention and here I am… having no idea what to write about!!

My blog posts are usually base on photos and pictures that guides me and support what I am writing about. This time it is different! No photos to lead me. I just have to let my fingers type and trust that it will be interesting enough to read for you. Words are for me a bit scary and English is my second language… but what the heck… let’s type and see what happens. What is the worst that can happen?… you will stop half way… and I will not even know that you did:-)

The first thing that comes into my mind when thinking about intention is a question: What is the difference between goal and intention?

For me, to set up goals are to vision potential future results that can be measured by success or failure. An intention, for me, is a path of how to be. What matters to me and how to live based on my inner values. 

Focusing on goals makes me focus on the future and deflects me from the present. Will I reach my goals and will I be happier by doing it?  To keep my focus here and now and live based on my inner values are curial for me. I want rewards along the way!

I have been working in the corporate world for almost 20 years. Striving to reach goals has been a big part of my life. The corporate world is built around goals and plans of how to reach them as well as measuring the success rate of reached goals. I have always enjoyed my jobs and loved the journey they have taken me on and I have been successful. But the rewards when reaching goals has most often not been interesting enough to be the driver for me.

I have never had personal goals for my career (My bosses have but I have not, LOL). I have always had strong intentions to be compassionate and to build strong relationships with colleagues and customers. My intentions has also been to challenge my self, to work hard, to learn new things and to enjoy the journey. My reward has always been in the interaction with people.

I think I have been lost between goals and intentions many times. I have been focusing on being perceived as an effective and successful person driven by goals, instead of focusing on integrity and inner harmony which are driven by intention.

The last two years I have been on maternity leave (3rd kid and yes, in Sweden we have 18 months of paid maternity leave!!) and at the moment I have a leave of absence from my job (a fun and challenging job, by the way!). During these two years I have not had specific goals that have dictated my life. I have been focusing on my family and my art and it has been an awakening for me. I have still challenged my self in many ways, I have learnt heaps of new things and I have enjoyed the journey! I have not been focusing on the future and do you know what?… I am moving towards inner harmony… slowly but steady I am!

“Our intentions creates our reality”
– Wayne Dyer

Your intentions effect how you interpret the world around you. In the space between a thought and your reaction to that thought lays your freedom. You choose your reaction! Whatever is happening in your mind at this moment is affected by how you receive and interpret the thoughts, which depends upon your intention!

How do we know what our true intentions are? They are inside us! Be quite and listen. I have the last couple of years been activily practising to listen to my  intuition, my inner voice, and take decision based on what I hear. By listening to my heart in this moment I hear that my true intentions are; to be compassionate to myself and others, to challenge my self, to learn new things and to enjoy the journey. Maybe they change tomorrow... to listen to my intuition is an ever-renewing process. My intetions are not set in stone. I live my intentions and we grow and change together!

When writing this blog post I have had to be compassionate to myself, I have challenged myself, I have learnt new things and I have enjoyed the journey. So by listening, trusting and acting on my intuition to join this Blog Lovin’ Tour I have "lived" my  intentions!

But life is confusing, competitive and emotionally complex. It is hard to hear the inner voice through all the noise and it is hard to be brave enough to act on what you hear. But we can practice to listen to our intuition, practice to be brave and practice to trust it and to act on what we hear! Start small! Practice gives perfect!

I practice it in my art. I let my intuition guide me through the painting process. It is not easy but the result when I do, is incredible! And the more I practice the more I learn and the more confident I get. I learn what to listen for and what the voice sounds and feels like.

So start practicing! Be brave! …and enjoy the journey!!

 Love
Jenny

PS. WOW, thank you!! You read it all! I hope you got something out of it. I sure did!! If you have anything to add or reflect upon, please do not hesitate to add a comment below… I love reading them! 

Finished these three paintings yesterday:-) It is such a fantastic kick to finish a painting. I feel very peacful and energetic at the same time. I walk around with a big smile on my face!

The top one I love, the second on I like and the third one bothers me but I know it is finshed... 

See the progress photos below!

Yesterday was the opening night of the exhibition at the Refinery Gallery in Paeora. What an evening... heaps of people, stunning art, great nibbles, good wine and good music. I love this place!  A huge open factory building with at least 7 meters to the ceiling with huge wooden beams. The open space is divided into a studio/workshop part, a cosy cafe with comfy couches and a great gallery space. Love it! ...and my art was just stunning on the white walls:-)

Thank you Dermot and Kane for a fabulous evening!

In the end of last year I invited Tracy Verdugo to NZ to facilitate her popular Paint Mojo workshop here in Tauranga. She accepted and the planning started for May 2013. It seemed far away but time flies when you are having fun. After some searching I found a venue that was big enough for 15 people splashing paint around, I  wrote an article in the local magazine Creativebeat and got a notice published in the local paper... the spots filled up and finally last Thursday I picked Tracy up at Tauranga airport. 

She stayed with me for 4 nights and we had such a lovely time. It felt like having an old friend around. We had just moved a couple of days before she arrived, but Tracy did not seem to mind the mess. She is so lovable and sweet and the kids loved her. The house was full of laughter and fun. 

On Friday evening we prepared the venue together with Alison and Rod, the owners of the studio. On Saturday morning everyone arrived (some of them had travelled for 3 hours to attend the workshop)... and what a weekend we got. The weather was perfect, the venue was fabulous and Tracy with her thought through process guided us through high and low. There was a lot of laughter but at times the studio with 17 people in was dead quite of concentration and hard work.

After a nice glass of wine at Alison and Rod's place Tracy and I drove home to find the fire lit, the wine poured and the dinner on the table, thanks to Simon (my hubby) and my kids! What a fantastic day 1 we had!

Thank you Tracy for sharing your knowledge, inspiration and energy!

Thank you Alison and Rod for letting us use your fantastic studio and lawn!

Thank you everyone attending the workshop!!!

Read more about Tracy Verdugos workshops here!

What great fun I have had painting this piece! The board started out as the display background at an art market that I attended in December. Then it was a place to get rid of left over paint.  My daughter painted a layer and slowly, slowly the background was developing through many layers over several months. The face merged in the layers... just hidden behind the black hat... the hat slowly became more and more hidden again... I think I could have continued for ever...  but I decided to showcase her in a local gallery and had to prepare her for that.

With parts of the following quote as the title she will be delivered to The Refinery Gallery in Paeroa on Sunday! 

"The day I broke up with normal was the first day of my magical life" 

by Jeremy Chin

What a fantastic weekend! Full of positive energy, inspiration, laughter and even some tears! I attended one of Monika Welch's workshops in her studio in Kerikeri! This lady has a heart of gold, imagination and inspiration enough for a hundred and a studio full of goodies!

Monika runs her workshops from her home studio, a very inspirational and relaxing place!  6 fantastic ladies attended the workshop and we had such fun. We started out with some word art... not my strong side... and then straight into the intuitive painting process. We had access to all Monika's art supply and OMG this lady has collected some art supply over the years!!! There were several baskets of paint in tubes, jars and bottles, a huge arrange of Golden Fluids, inks, stamps, magazines, fabric, books... you name it, Monika has it! I got to play with some oil sticks... new for me... yummy... great fun! 

The 14 hours return trip was worth every second!! I hope I will be able to attend one of Monika's workshops soon again!

If you are looking for inspiration and ever have the opportunity to attend Monika's workshop DO IT!

I have delivered yet another painting to the Turner Gallery. This time a bigger painting 24"x24" - Stillness II.

I love Erich Schiffmann's definition of stillness:

"Stillness is not the absence or negation of energy, life, or movement. Stillness is dynamic. It is unconflicted movement, life in harmony with itself, skill in action. It can be experienced whenever there is total, uninhibited, unconflicted participation in the moment you are in - when you are wholeheartedly present with whatever you are doing"

This is definitely something that I will explore further and for sure write more about during my search for Inner Harmony.

Until next time - be present in the moment!

We are having beautiful summer weather  in New Zealand. My parents are visiting from Sweden and it is great to have them around. They are so involved and committed to the kids and the kids just love them. I am trying to squeeze in as much art time as possible but find myself discussing life with mum over a cup of coffee instead. Feels like the right priority!

I have found a new place for my first painting 2013; "Someday". She is now hanging in the great little cafe Sunrise in down town Tauranga. It feels great to have my art hanging in public places where art is not the main focus. It just add to the impression!

I have had a couple of weeks of great flow! Here are my latest two paintings that I delivered to The Turner Gallery in Te Puna last week.

Did you know that recent research indicates that being creative and making things by hand improves mental health and makes us happy. We experience pleasure, pride and meaning through the creative process much more so than through simply buying what we need. Today we seldom satisfy our primal need to use our hands to create or repair things. We do not have the time to bake bread, build a chair or sew a skirt; or we are scared of even trying. We are either too busy or afraid of failing. We have too high expectations of what the result should be and therefore we lose the joy of the creative process. Research yet shows that when we make, mend or create things we feel vital and effective and that it is not the result that gives the joy it is the process! Too much focus on the result feeds frustration and unhappiness, we should experience and take pleasure from the journey.

So...

Be Brave!

Listen to your Intuition!

Let Go of your Inner Critic!

Enjoy the Journey!

I am back and full of energy after a full on but relaxing holiday with friends and family. I love having friends and family around and I never get tired of having visitors in my home.

My word for 2013 is Harmony. My goal is to find harmony and peace within myself. It is definitely a challenge for me. I am very focused on achievement and I am comparing myself to others at all times. My goal is to accept, love and be compassionate to myself so that I can radiate love and compassion to everyone around me.

The first thing I will make sure I do more is laugh. I am sure that by laughing I will take life less serious and I will convert negative energy to positive energy. To get rid of negative energy and replace it with positive energy is a major part of being peaceful and harmonious inside.

I am looking forward to a creative 2013. After a month of holiday, out of my studio, my hands are itching to get back into the paint. I have very exciting projects in the pipeline for 2013.

The year started off very exciting with me being featured in Tell All Tuesday at  Jennibellie Studio. It is a blog full of inspiration and creativity. Make sure you have a look around Jenny's blog while you are there. 

I have also delivered a painting to the Kiwiana Exhibition at the Artist Den and Milford Gallery in Auckland. Very exciting!

My painting "The Mount" is exhibited and for sale there at $380 NZD. 

My plans for 2013 includes, among other things, a couple of workshops and a project aiming at encouraging kids to listen to their creativity.

I will also continue to blog about art and life in general so stay tuned! I am looking forward sharing it all with you!

...and remember to laugh more!!! :-)