Final touches...

I've been working hard to finish my painting hands tutorial.... The Art of Hands.

It's due to go live in the next few days.  I've been working through the nights to be ready on time.  I'm giving it my all to finish strong.  It's been an incredible year.  Like all my classes this year, I have loved putting them together and it has made me so ridiculously happy, beyond what I imagined.

I have a few things left to add but I'm on schedule.

There is still time to join our small intimate class if hands are a challenge for you.  I don't have all the answers but I have a few techniques to share that have helped me through the years that I hope will be helpful to you.

It's Official... we have date, we have a venue...

All through this project, I had a venue in mind for my Exhibition.

I had seen it and I knew even before I started my #366Faces that thats where I would have it.  During the year, I heard the venue had sold and I felt disheartened.  I didn't even know where to begin looking for a new venue.  The task just felt too big for me.

I had coffee with a friend yesterday and she asked me if I had secured my venue yet and I just rolled my eyes.  My fear wasn't just holding me back, it had paralysed me.  I had literally put this call off all year and with December staring me down, I knew I had to face myself.  I don't know what made me do it but when I got home, I decided to find the venue.  I knew where it was, in the beautiful art district of Cape Town but for the life of me I couldn't remember what it was called.  After some research, I not only found it but I called to see if they still hired it out as Exhibition space and guess what...

They DID!

A few calls, emails backwards and forward and I have secured a date and venue.

I will share more once I have all the fine print sorted and I will be sending out personal invites.

It's such a big step and a massive tick towards this day.  I can't even express how overwhelming it feels and how beside myself I feel.  It will be my very first exhibition and to be sharing my Tiny Bags of Love this way... 

Completely vulnerable, completely terrifying and completely exhilarating, all in a good way. 

Can't wait to share more.

The SoulBearers - Class is in session...

I've been out of action for 3 weeks solid because I have been deep in filming and editing for my new SoulBearers Class which is officially in session, as of today.

If you haven't signed up yet, you can still sign up at any stage.

Thank you to everyone who did sign up and who shared my posts this weekend.  Thank you for the love and for believing in what I do enough to do that.  My heart is completely humbled and overwhelmed today.

I have to tell you I had such a wonderful time putting this little class together.

Don't get me wrong, it was extremely hard work, physically, mentally and emotionally.  But it was incredibly satisfying on every level.  Maybe it has to do with making such emotionally soulful beings that made it all so worth while.

As for me, I am utterly exhausted and I am heading straight to bed.  I haven't slept since Saturday and even then, it wasn't much.  I am going slow the next few days, catching up with life and studio admin and being on standby for class.

Have a beautiful creative week.

Love Jeanne-Marie

The face of TinyBagsofLove... comes home

I sent her back to the framers for reframing.  We hand picked this beautiful frame for her because I wanted her to be honoured for everything that she has represented for me this year.  She became the face of TinyBagsofLove and she has been one of my favourite pieces from this years #1FaceADay challenge on TeaBags.

She will form part of my private collection and won't be for sale.

My heart is overflowing today.  Not only is this beautiful girl home but yesterday I received my next 40 frames back.  I now have 240 pieces finished and framed.  Each one is stamped at the back with my signature and yesterday we sat numbering each one in painting order sequence.  That alone was a mighty big job and I'm so grateful I had kept a log.  As each one came out of their boxes it was like reuniting with old friends.  It was rather emotional unpacking my journey so far.  Seeing it in it's entirety was so needed and I guess every now again we need to see from small picture to big picture.  From that tiny little square that I stare at everyday to the massive body of works, totally blew my heart wide open.

I was reminded yesterday what this was all about, not that I had forgotten that or that I had got lost along the way, but I think for a moment I was just in small picture mode and it sure was good to see beyond the small square.

Tawny love...

Our garden has been full of beautiful Tawny butterflies. They flitter around quite slowly and are wonderful to capture.  Their colors are rather spectacular.  Apparently the ones with yellow on the underside of the wings are female. 

Pictures taken with my iPhone 7 Plus, I'm completely blown away with the camera. 

Sunday reading...

I spent the weekend finding my feet again after the past 2 weeks of mayhem.  It felt good to feel the calm and quiet, both are sacred ground for me.  It was the first time in absolute months that I got to wake up slowly and have breakfast out on our tiny patio with the girls.  While Digz was out riding, we were drinking coffee, chatting and reading.  A rare treat these days as we all have busy lives and we are living them at full speed.

In the week my beautiful new book by Ruby Silvious  - 363 Days of Tea arrived.  I found out about her year long journey while I was half way though my own year long TeaBagGirls Journey this year and I just love how she's documented it.  

I'm so inspired by her book, her work and her bags.  Although our journeys have been completely different and our teabags uniquely our own.  I'm loving this visually beautiful book and if you are on your own teabag journey then I highly recommend it.

Much Love, Jeanne-Marie oxoxo

School trip chronicles...

For the past 12 years the four of us have been doing the school drop off together. I'm not entirely sure how or when it became a thing but as Valedictory was drawing nearer, I started to feel the loss of days we had left of our little morning tradition, as we knew it.

It hasn't always been sunshine and roses... sometimes we are flying into the car with our hair on fire. Sometimes we were early but mostly cutting it fine.  Most times it's panic stations because something was left behind but the craziness, the laughter, the mayhem, the teachable moments, the lecturers, the tears, the music, there is always music and the laughter, oh yes, did I mention the laughter... lots of it.  The banter... always fantastic.  This has been our constant through the years.

As we did our final school trip together with the four of us, it was mayhem as usual, but I quietly held the moment close that this was formally our last school trip together.  It's so beautifully bitter sweet that it has left a tiny ache in my heart.  Things as we know it are changing and there is not a thing I can do about it.

My highlight of the girl's schooling career, our morning trips.

We now get up and the 3 of us head out and it's still precious, perhaps a little quieter.  On our first trip out, Kitty read us her creative writing piece the whole way and it helped fill the space. The 3 of us will continue this precious tradition so that she too will carry 12 years of school trip memories, albeit slightly different. 

Let the packaging begin...

I knew it would be full on but this full on - wow.

It was hard labour.  My body and soul feels like it has a packaging hangover from a week long of packaging.  Making up my own boxes was physical and required a whole body workout.  I worked on the floor in the kitchen, dining room and my studio.  Wrapping my pieces required a whole heart workout too... which I just love.  I poured my heart and soul into each package and each one is filled to the brim with love.

Now I send each one with love and special travel mercies as they circumnavigate the globe to their new homes.  Thank you for taking a piece of my heart with each piece.

Safe travels little ones.

And it's up...

It was a massive undertaking but Corks' final Matric Art Exhibition was installed over the weekend, thanks to her and Andrew.   It is currently waiting for outside adjudication. The stress was tangible but the massive relief, HUGE.  This week we got to go to her whole grade's exhibition and it was sooo good to see what the up and coming young artists are doing.  It's pure brilliance.

I wish I could show you inside her books, they are mind-blowing.  Three intense years of senior art is done but for now we rest and celebrate for job well done.

Off the charts...

Last week was one of those weeks... you know... off the charts crazy, busy, full on but oh soooo good.  So much happened that it felt like it was a month ago but actually it was just a few days ago.

It started off with my my folks coming down for a week of marketing and I was on standby for them.  I took them to all their meetings in the city and out of town.  In between meetings we shared meals together, picked up the girls together and generally just caught up.   It was truly wonderful to hear what's going on in their lives and on the farm.  It's been an incredible year for them and I am seeing them enter their 70's more dynamic than ever.  It's forever a reminder to me that age is just a number and hard work always pays off.

We visited this wine farm to meet their executive Chef who is using my mom's goat's cheese in their signature dish that has just won a prestigious award.  Pretty exciting stuff.  Afterwards, I took my mom into the city for a special lunch.  It was a beautiful day.

It was also Corks wrap up week of High School.  Her awards ceremony, Matric breakfast and of course, Valedictory.  It was an incredibly emotional day.  As happy as she was to be finishing school, she was also deeply emotional about it.  She couldn't really celebrate much afterwards because she had to finish and hand in her final art plan, as her final exam was about to be adjudicated and her exhibition put up.  She still had a bit of a way to go.  The life of an art student.

In between all of this, Annie and I shared our Survival and Triumph Auction day and it was full on.  I found it pretty emotional and incredibly humbling.  Both of us didn't sleep much on Thursday night and we were awake chatting through the night while we continued to interact with the auction and negotiate the time zones.  As our auction day drew to an end on the Friday (our evening) I was rather emotional as final bids were coming through.  Some very unexpected sales right at the end, that was deeply moving.  I thought we were done but after our auction closed, more sales came through later that evening.  It was a huge experience for me, one I won't forget for a very long time.  I can't thank Stephanie and Annie enough and of course, all our bidders and winners.

I'm not going to lie, all of it was so special and delightful.  Thank you so much to everyone who participated and shared the love and bids and more.  My heart is overflowing.

I spent the weekend recovering,  sleeping and gardening and caught up with life and chores.  Packaging was coming on Monday.  And it was going to be a mighty undertaking.

I think I am almost done...

She's been unfinished on my easel for about 5 months and I have been procrastinating all week.  She's been patiently waiting for me and I promised her all week that I was coming.  I woke up on Friday morning knowing I had to finish her because two of my prints for Auction couldn't be used.  I finally finished her last night.  And I love her.  She was just so wonderful to paint and getting lost here on my canvas, was so good for my soul.  I'm glad I finally showed up to finish her.

I got to play on another unfinished canvas last night until the early hours of this morning.  I have just so needed to get lost on my canvas.  Messy big brush lost.  It was good for my heart and soul.  After I have finished my admin today, I'm heading back to get lost some more.  A lot of my hard work is almost done and now I get to play and this artist self is long overdue some serious play time.

See you on the other side of this play session,

Love Jeanne-Marie

A little love...

 I love the symbolism of this piece...  This sweet SoulBearer carries {love} on her back, not like a burden but like a gift.  When you are backed by beautiful {love}, there is no greater gift.

When you have {love} behind you, it doesn't just stay there, it gushes and it's messy and it tends to spills over, over the heart and all over you.

Yes, I think we all need a little {love} behind us because when {love} is behind us, all things are possible.

This sweetheart is also going towards the auction this week.  Doing some final wrap ups in the next day or two and then I think I'm all done.  I'm pretty excited.  No I'm pretty nervous.

Either way, see you there.  Love Me xoxox

Showing up...

I'm quite exhausted.  Now that most of the hecticness of life is behind us, the wave of fatigue is finding me.  I still have so much to do so I can't really give into it.  I am doing auction touch ups and finish ups and still dealing with some of the admin around that, one or two pieces that I still have to do, plus the auction starts next week.  Yikes.

In amongst my auction and life admin, I'm still having to show up for my #1FaceADay #TeaBagGirls challenge and my next 40 are due at the framers on Monday totalling 280 framed teabags, leaving a mere 86 left to go.

I am also filming and editing for my new class, The SoulBearers.  If I start a sculpture, I pretty much have to finish it and it's long hours of standing, sculpting and filming.  I stood until 2.30am this morning working on this new piece with "love" on her back.  I'm hoping she will be dry by tomorrow so I can paint her but I already love her.  She will probably be my final Soul Bearer for the Auction.

Showing up for these girls...

Today I dropped two of my paintings off to be block mounted and while I was there, I popped into my art shop to discover my custom made boxes were ready and waiting for me - it was a delightful surprise and they are perfect.  Now if I get to ship these precious souls, I have the assurance they will be safe and secure.  I'm a happy girl today.

All the hard work is coming together.  I am excited and nervous for next week.  It's a massive week for all of us.  From my first big auction, my folks will be in town, to Corks' Valedictory, final farewells and to her final week of school ever.  Our emotions are running deep as we are closing off seasons and moving into new ones.  It's bitter and beautifully sweet all at once.

Hope you have a beautiful weekend.

Much Love, oxoxo

Triumph and Survival Auction

Stephanie asked each of us to write a blurb about what the topic of this auction meant to us specifically for our Auction Introduction and I have to say I felt a big resistance in sharing personally and deeply.  In fact, writing this piece felt harder than any pieces I did for the auction.  I didn't want to expose myself on social media.  Anyway after much soul searching about the way I would share... I finally found my words and got to share them in a way that I felt safe doing so.  I know all of us have deep and beautiful triumphant stories and many of us have survived really tough moments in our lives.  I know I've been so touched by some of the stories shared.  I hope a little glimpse of some of my own triumphs will connect with you too.  Look forward to seeing you all at the auction next week.  Officially opening on the 12th October.

Triumph and Survival Auction

The Triumphant Woman is something very close to my heart. As a mom to two teenager girls, raising them to be this during this time of their lives is something I care very deeply about...

After almost 40 years of being a 'good girl', I suffered burnout and a bit of depression. Seriously lacking identity, there was a slight victim mentality to the way I was living my life.  I felt I wasn't living a life of choice but rather circumstance.  I had spent a lifetime holding my tongue and giving my choices away to people who didn't quite deserve it or require it, inadvertently sacrificing life and purpose.  It felt like the whole universe was holding it's breath and waiting for me to finally show up with enough courage to choose it.  Forty years is a long time to hold your breath. I was miserable and had no hope of a future.

I remember a friend saying to me during this time, "choose life everyday".  Although how do you make choices when you have no idea who you are or even what you like.  Living your life one dimensionally makes making choices tough. Just before my 40th birthday I went to a seminar at my daughters' school about girls that bully. I understand this is a universal problem. I remember leaving cold in the realization and understanding that myself and my daughters were being bullied in an environment that had sharp edges. It was so passive yet at the same time so aggressive that at times it felt violent. We were constantly left feeling unravelled by the harshness, but couldn't really understand why. There is one thing allowing yourself to take the blows, but when they start to hit your girls... it's rather sobering. I was painfully aware that I had left myself and my girls unprotected and that almost killed me.

How do you raise girls to be kind, sensitive, gentle and loving and at the same time beautifully triumphant in a culture that, at times, isn't? I have spent the last five years actively pursuing this and I do believe it's completely possible.

It was a defining moment in my life and it was the catalyst of change that I believe has brought me to the place I am now.  Choosing to be triumphant daily and choosing life daily has been the single most incredible gift I have given my girls and, in return, myself.  I learned to embrace my introvertness and stop pushing against it. I chose to spend a few years withdrawing from the noise and toxic relationships, making daily choice to be quiet.  Being selective and careful with my life has been imperative.  Most of all, I spent time doing the work. Nothing is for nothing.  Showing up for my own life was hard work but oh so worth it.

One of the other decisions I made during this time was to paint everyday and choose creativity daily.  I've been doing that for the last five years now and I can say it has completely changed my life.  I love painting soulful woman and The Triumphant woman often comes through on my canvases and I just love that. I honestly believe that we can survive the hardships life throws at us.  We can come through Triumphant.

Much Love, Jeanne-Marie

Four Girls and a Cowboy...

We headed away for the weekend, for our second year running.  The girls had their WP Marathon MTB champs going on up Route 62 and we found the most delightful place to stay.  Our hosts were an incredibly interesting couple called Mark and Ruth and what they are doing in this little community is quite remarkable.  Our home for the weekend was this original 1930's home beautifully restored and kept.  The hub was obviously this kitchen.  We had an incredible stay... long hours by the fire, great food, long chats, resting and lots of laughing, all over and above the riding.

We headed out early on Saturday morning for the start and the nerves were on edge.  I sat in the car typing my blurb for the Triumph and Survival Auction Introduction while we found our way there.  I had forgotten how special the start was.  It was opposite an old mission church, a bit run down but still beautiful.  The bells rang throughout the start adding much excitement.   When Corks got to the start shoots her number board wasn't on and she was denied access, she had to perform some fancy footwork to get back on track which left her in adrenaline overload.  Not a great way to start her race.  All in all, it was a mighty race for these four young ladies.  I do believe it was one of the most competitive races yet.  They all finished together over the finish line after racing their hearts out for 40km's, with seconds between them.

Incredible work guys.

All through the weekend we had the sweetest delightful little house guest who crept into the girls' hearts big time.  It was the sweetest little lamb, called Cowboy.  He stole the show for sure and no better way to get Four Girls' heart swooning other than by a Cowboy.

It was a wonderful gentle weekend after the last 3 months we have endured and a brilliant way to ease into our mini holiday before we head towards our final stretch to December.  I'm happy to say the major heaviness of this year is finally behind us and just feeling that relief is rather heavenly.  Onwards we go...

Much Love, xoxox

TinyBagsOfLove...

As I posted my last slide show of student's work from my TinyBagsOfLove class, more beautiful work continued to pour in and I knew right away, I would be creating another slide show.

 TinyBagsOfLove Student's work has surpassed my wildest expectations and I am more blown away each day.  Who knew teabagArt could be this incredible.  You guys are truly amazing.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Student's beautiful work from TinyBagsofLove Class www.ivynewport.com/tiny-bags-of-love www.jeannemarieart.com www.bensound.com - music

Much Love, Jeanne-Marie

The last dance...

Everything came together so beautifully on the night and we couldn't have been prouder...

From her dress and stunning shoes, to her make up and hair... everything was perfect.  For our sporty girl who spends most of her life in lycra, school uniform or pjs... a moment to beautify was like a gift.  She felt like a complete princess and every girl needs to feel like that for her last dance.

She had an incredible evening with her friends... one last time, formally.  There was a maturity and a reality to their time together, this time... like they knew the weightiness of this night... that this will be their last mass group event together.

Her whole group partnered up and went as friends and it was precious.

This was a huge milestone for all of us... our first last dance.

Kitty was emotional all night.  For her, seeing her seniors, her beautiful Corks and her close friends wrapping up their year was deeply moving for her.  I know for her to transition into her next phase of high school without her big sister around is a biggie.

It was a magical night and it was good.

I know she will remember this night for a long time.  It came and went and the next day she had to scrub the beauty off and hang up her dress and shoes and get back on the bike for her last school league.  By no means easy.

ProudMomma for sure.

Love Jeanne-Marie

We have a winner...

I'm so touched and blown away by your stories and your beautiful comments on my post from Friday.  I honestly wish I could give you all a space.  Unfortunately, I could only give-away one.  I listed your names in order from the first to the last and then used a number generator.

The winner is... Cathy Murrant

Cathy please can you get hold of me on Facebook, I need some details from you.

Thank you all for participating.

Much Love, Me xoxo

Let's Face it 2017...

I'm beyond excited to share with you that I'm going to be one of the guest teachers for Let's Face It 2017. It's a year long, online art class created and hosted by Kara Bullock, focusing on many aspects but specifically, creative portraiture.  It is for all levels:  beginners to advanced.  The 2017 Let's Face It class has an exciting new line up of amazing teachers with five new areas of interest, with some exciting extra's too.

This year Kara has 19 amazing guest teachers and I'm so touched to be among them.

  I'll be sharing some of my own tips and techniques on how I paint my faces and emotive hands, sharing some of my color tips and even some of my Soul Bearers Sculpture work.

The class will officially open for registration on the 10th October so please bookmark this page so you can come back and register then.  If you register before the 1st December, you will receive the early bird price.

I'm so excited to announce that I get to GIVE-AWAY one free space, to enter please leave a comment here.  I will announce my winner on Monday 26th September.

In the meantime please click here and bookmark this page so that you can come back on the 10th October and sign up.

I'm thrilled to journey with you next year.

Much Love, Me xoxox

Triumph and Survival Auction... almost there.

I still have a tiny bit of a way to go... I'm almost there.

It's been such an incredible journey and I've been able to combine project to get pieces out.  I'm starting to get really excited and finally starting to see it come together.

Love Me.