Stealing moments...

I keep saying next week will be better and I will have more time... but it's mid March and I'm not there yet.  So my studio time has been a little elusive to me still.  And I'm really struggling with that.  I'm just dying to get back to creating, learning and play, just for me.

I'm forcing myself to lay down my expectations and realise that everything that has been happening around the TinyBagsofLove, is just a season.  So for now,  I'm stealing moments here and there to fill my love tank, even if it's just little bits at a time.

By the way we have added an afternoon slot for a couple of hours, if you would like to come paint with me in North Carolina.  It will be an afternoon of sharing with each other and painting together.

 I've also been doing some non-dominant hand (left hand) drawing and painting inspired by Ivy Newport's class.  Warming up exercises.  As soon as I can I'll be heading back into the classroom to go back to learning again this year.

Local support....

I've had an overwhelming response to my TinyBagsofLove this past week, locally.  I am not sure why that happened, exactly.   Why now after all this time, as I'm wrapping up my project.  That being said, I am a firm believer that everything happens at the exact right time it's meant to. Even if we don't fully understand it. Often its not in our time... but rather at the right time.

This week I had my very first radio interview with Cape Talk.  It wasn't too bad.  I kind of enjoyed it.

When the radio interview as finished and we put the phone down, Digz and the girls came squealing into my studio and all hugged me.  I don't think I will ever forget that.  Knowing they are proud of me is all the recognition I need.  They have been such a support to me through everything I do.  I love you guys.

---

On Thursday, The Times came into my home to do a video interview.  I have to say I loved the morning.  I'm quite shy by nature but the producer and videographer, Anthony was so fantastic at what he did.  His questions were insightful and he made me feel at ease, right away.  Corks was close by to help me but at one stage I looked down at my hands and they were shaking.  Eeeeck.  

Jeanne-Marie Webb was looking for a canvas to apply her paintings to. Sipping on her tea one day, she saw the potential of a rooibos teabag and after drying the bag out, experimented with the fine texture of the bag.

Video and production by Anthony Molyneaux

Yes, I've been totally out of my comfort zones this week with the attention.  I don't find it easy.  I have got to meet some great people through this project though which I just love. I love that the teabags have given me that, meeting other artists and incredible people who are passionate about what they do.

I have three more interviews early next week and then it's a wrap.  It's been such a special time in my life and I thank you all for being part of this.

But I will be heading back to my studio asap, also known as my hiding place :-)

A Tribute to my sweet girls... my sweet TeaBagGirls

My TinyBagsofLove Auction was incredible and I can't thank you enough for being there to love my TeaBagGirls with me and of course, supporting me and what I did last year.

I'm utterly blown away.  Thank you.

This week has seen me and Corks working until all hours of the morning packaging up my tiny girls.  Most people ask me how can I bear to part with them but I'm always so ready to share my art and send it out into the world but this week has found my heart lingering with each one as I carefully packaged them up.  I'm a tad bit overwhelmed, in the best possible way.

The pre-auction admin was labor intensive and the auction was fast-paced and full on and the time zones, wow those time zones.  Now I'm deep in the midst of post-auction labor, a labor of love as I package up my girls and get them ready for their voyage across the seas.

My heart climbed inside each package - safe travels little ones

To my TeaBagGirls - I just want to say, thank you.  We have walked with each other for 366 days and then some.  You have stood by me through the enormity of exhibition and auction and through this whole venture and you once again have taught me so much in your humility but incredible resilience.  

There is huge courage in showing up everyday, in spite of the craziness of life and last year was crazy.  I still can't believe I didn't give up half way through and trust me there were moments.  But all said and done the beautiful gifts that came from this past year have surpassed my expectations.  What a beautiful gift you girls have given me.  Thank you.

Safe travels my SweetGirls, my sweet #TeaBagGirls

I have updated my TeaBag page if you want to see my journey this past year.  In the past week, locally, I received an overwhelming response in the press about my sweet little project and I've been receiving some love and support from the Rooibos Council of SA which I'm so thrilled about.  I wanted them to be part of my journey.  I've shared some of that on this page, just follow the button to see some of that.

Once again, as I am wrapping up this incredible project, I just want to say a huge....

I'm coming to America...

I've been wanting to share this new out loud for sometime but I guess I've been a little afraid and nervous and completely shy about it.  Plus I needed to get my exhibition behind me.  So many aspects were up in the air and soooo much planning involved.  We started talking about this as being an option almost a year ago and seeing it come together is a dream come true.

I'm thrilled to say I've finally committed and it's happening.

How I'm viewing it completely, is totally from the angle that I'm going over to paint with friends.  And nothing can be more exciting than that and I can honestly say that is the biggest desire on my heart.  Getting to work creatively with likeminded peers was the greatest growth and thing I've experienced to date.  I am so looking forward to that.

Please check out my events page to see the dates I will be in various areas.  I will be sitting this afternoon with my google maps and calendar, to work out my finer details. I will share more as I go.

I am starting in North Carolina with my clay class, close to the end of June 2017.  After North Carolina, I'll be heading across to California and will venture up to Oregon.  If you are close by to any of these areas, I would love to meet you in person.

Beautiful Gifts from afar...

I'm so blessed and so honoured to have received my happy mail this week...

Daniela Giles

KJ Allison

Sandra2Paint 

If you click on each image it will direct you to their fb / instagram page.

My new Sweet Tea SoulBearer is on my shelf, next to my own Souls and she fits right in.  And these two other incredible pieces are going to be framed this week.  In fact, I have a few pieces to get back from the framers and to get framed.

Last year I did manage to acquire some beautiful pieces from some of my favourite online artist friends who I admire and completely respect like LynTivenan, MistyMawn and RobinLaws.  All going in for framing this week.

Misty Mawn

Robin Laws

Lyn Tivenan

My heart is overflowing, thank you so much and my art collection is growing.

Sweet 16...

It's Kitty's sweet 16th and it's been such a busy time that both our birthdays this year have kind of flown under the radar.  I don't mind that for myself, but this birthday for her is a special one and I'm feeling kind of sad that it's quietly floated passed.  We wanted to do something special for her, so we headed out to her fav spot in Cape Town, Kalk Bay and bought her her very own old typewriter that she's been dreaming about for ages.

I must say hearing her tick away at it is rather enjoyable, rhythmic and comforting in some strange way.  We have a writer in the house, after all.

As for celebrating this milestone, we have banked this special day and hoping to do something special for her with her friends in the coming month.  I'm so grateful that she's handled that with such maturity and grace.

Came and went...

The build up and organising took everything out of me.

Looking back in my haze and blur, I'm still not sure how I did it.  But it came together beautifully.  Thank you for all, for the love and support to help me arrive on time for this exact moment.  It is something that happened in my life that I will never forget.

Beautiful family and friends from afar came in for the night and that touched me more than you know.  My Dad and Brother came in from out of town and having their presence was good for my soul.  My own family were on high alert for me all night.  The girls served and worked and Digz was amazing with hosting.  My sweetest friend Anne from Durban came through too.  Anne helped me and mentored me through how to put an exhibition together.  I seriously couldn't have done it without her.

The turnout was so moving and I was so touched by the love and support. And the online support was so tremendous too.  How I wish you could have all been right there with me for the evening.  Thank you all so much for walking this year long journey will me to fruition.

Anne shared such beautiful words - thank you my dear friend.

After the opening night, I had two more days at the gallery.  It was short and sweet but it was amazing.  My brother and Kitty stayed with me the whole weekend to finish the show and after the show was finished my incredible hubby helped me patch up those 366 holes in the wall.

All in all it was a remarkable experience and I'm so glad I did it.  Who knew 2 years ago when we spoke about #1faceaday in a tiny Trattoria in Orvieto, Italy that it would lead to this event.  Sometimes all we need is a seed to be planted and the idea to be nurtured for it to take root.

I can't say {THANK YOU} enough.

Just under one week to go...

As I neared the end of my #1FaceADay #365Faces +1 project last year and with my tight framing schedule with the exhibition date set, I couldn't photograph my pieces as wonderfully as I needed to.  Which left me in a difficult position... with each framed now and behind glass - do I write that off as not being documented or do I spend a bit of time and effort getting that done.  I wasn't sure what I was going to do.

This project just felt too big to just let that go.

I love how life works sometimes... near the end of last year, my hubby went on a hike with our brother-in-law who invited his neighbour, Michael.  After hiking together, Digz discovered the Mike was none other than a Art Photographer, by profession.  I met him last week and we have a date on Friday to professionally catalogue each piece, with the correct equipment, lighting and camera I will be able to get a high resolution shot of each piece.

I'm so blown away by the synchronicity of this and how when you are looking and putting it out there, the answers come sometimes in the least expected way.

#sograteful

The exhibition for my TeaBagGirls is in less than a week.  If you are interested in seeing each Tiny Bag of Love, up close and personal, follow the link.

Precious Clay Play...

I started this sweet girl just before Christmas last year and changed her just before the year closed out.

I wasn't completely happy with her arms.  I had used a hard to bend armature wire that made her arms feel clumsy, so I broke her arms, took out that wire and reset them into a position that I felt captured her emotions more sincerely...  Or perhaps it was capturing my own emotions at the time.  December always leave me feeling a little on the vulnerable side.

It was good to pour that into my clay.

With my injured shoulder, I had to wait patiently to finish her..  I don't mind waiting, sometimes the wait helps me to see things I can do to finish her story.  It's like she was telling me how to go.  I started adding her birds and I kind of fell in love with them.  I didn't know how I would paint her but I love the direction we went together.  Her slender arms and poised hands in the front are so gracious and yet when I look at her back - her birds look like hands around her...  Like she's {embracing} herself.  There is such a vulnerability to her that keeps me looking at her.

  I love the Japanese writing down her back... like it's her delicate spine.

She's bigger than my other pieces but to me, she's beautiful and might be one of my favourite pieces so far.  She's different to my other pieces and I kind of like that.  She will be displayed at my exhibition next week.

If you are interesting in discovering with PaperClay at all, my SoulBearers Class is still up and running and still very active.

Just past 3 weeks of #365Grateful...

Can I tell you how much I'm loving this little side journey of my LomoInstantWide daily capture.  I started my year off a little pessimistic and feeling distracted and a little all over the place.  But I am already finding sweet {joy} after just 3 weeks in.   Finding beauty in the everyday mundane of the routine and humdrum of everyday life.

I know I've said this before but I've been reminded again when I use my film... there is something so gently calming and beautifully slow when you get to take a film shot.  The time you take to size up a good shot.  I find it rather meditative and completely therapeutic.  And of course, there is the delight when you have managed to capture the moment in beautiful dreamy milky colors.

#ALittleBesotted

I hope it not only inspires you...  to find beauty and preciousness in your days and life, but that it will also give you a glimpse into my world a little.  To see my beautiful city and country and little glimpses into my crazy family and some of our travels this year.

Wrapping up with love...

It certainly makes life easier when I know my little Souls are going to special homes.

Their beautiful handmade boxes finally arrived from my suppliers and I got to carefully swaddle them up in soft foam and bubbles.  It's always nerve-wrecking, waiting for them to arrive home because sometimes, not matter how much care I take in wrapping, things can still go wrong en-route.  Especially with these ones with 3d body extensions.

Once they leave my hands, I have to trust others to handle them with care and that's the hard part.

So for now, I wait like an anxious Mother, hoping they will get home safely.

Safe travels, little Souls.

Tiny Bags of Love - Exhibition

If you are local... come and join me.

I would love to see you and meet you at my opening night on the 2nd February 2017 and I would love you to see my 366 Tiny Bags of Love.

Please RSVP HERE

Singing the blues...

My year has started with me singing the blues... 

Yup I am feeling a bit on the low side, with low energy, an injured shoulder (keeping me from my studio), low creative mojo and low life mojo.  I am still trying to find how I'm going to move forward this year, trying to reflect and regroup after my incredible 2016 year.

Part of my problem is that I didn't go away for the holidays.  I know that sounds terribly indulgent and I really don't mean it like that.  I just find when I stay home - I don't force myself to rest.  I carry on because let's be honest, there is always so much to do.

When my creativity is at an all time low - I usually turn to my camera and to creative play to help me find my way.  And I have to say, it's definitely helping lift my spirits and I'm starting to feel a precious spark of excitement and vision...

My new Lomo Cam has a macro lens

My Misty Prints arrived

A triple exposure - Used mx for that and a lens splitter. Fun!

More about this project in another post.

 I need some quiet time to reflect and appreciate my 2016 and plan for my 2017.  I never got that time now in the holidays so it's left me feeling a little panicked and one step behind.  I spent most of this week catching up with work admin and focused on some marketing work for my exhibition.  But I'm keeping next week open for some walking, writing and reflecting and planning and to be honest, I can't wait.

It's a wrap...

I am not sure how I did it exactly...  

I finished my 2nd year of 1FaceaDay for 365 days + 1 day on Rooibos TeaBags.  I'm not going to lie... finishing this mammoth project has left me a bit emotional, a little overwhelmed and a little lost, all at the same time.  Having this daily purpose and direction everyday helped me to stay focused and I'm feeling a little all over the place at the start of this year and having nothing planned for the year ahead - there is something precious about a daily ritual.  I am reminding myself to find rest in the not knowing.

Seriously though, how beautiful are those tiny bronze bags of love.  They still make me so happy.  This last batch is in at the framers and they are working full steam ahead to be ready on time for my exhibition.  They have been incredible with me and my project.

I loved my December month so much... maybe because the end was in sight.

#363 - 28th December 2016

#365 - 30th December 2016

#366 - 31st December 2016

Reflecting on my One Little Word for 2016...

My one word for 2016... was TIME...  I was asking for precious, sacred time... Just that simple.

And precious, beautiful, sacred {time} was what I got.

 It's always {time} and {quiet} I'm after and both can be a little elusive.  Life as we knew it, was changing and we wanted to make the most of every moment we had together this year before we sent this girl of ours out into the world.  We wanted to max out every moment we had together.

And I'm so grateful to say, we did...

I was based mostly at home this year which meant I was there to pick up her at 12pm everyday.  Yup - what they don't tell you about Matric is they write exams just about the whole year long and they don't do full days and the days she didn't write exams, she was home and I got to spend that time with her.  Us sitting on the patio while she studied and I worked, having breakfasts and lunches together and fetching our Kitty-girl together.  What stood out to me most of all, is how much she made me laugh through the day.  She's a joy to hang out with, I can see why her friends are always laughing around her.  With our kids mostly being at school all day and sports in the afternoons and homework at night - we miss so much of their lives and who they are actually.  What we are often left with is not really enough.

I am so grateful I got to have this year with her so full-time and slowly and so preciously.  I will never forget how choosing time intentionally gave me so much in return.

She left us 4 times this year, to travel independently from us.  I thought I would never cope with it but we have been surprisingly ready.  I think it helps knowing she was ready too.

At the moment she's living on the other side of the country where I spent a big part of my childhood.

Life is just so exciting.

Going home...

I spent most of December finishing these precious Souls so they could be sent to their new homes.   I'm so thrilled to be sending them out into the world.

Thank you for your love and support for my beings. 

At last it's coming together...

It's taken me around six months to make a dent in this project, which I tackled in between life and filming my classes.  My downtime was spent gardening.   The joys of living in an old house is the garden has been neglected over the years and although we have been maintaining it, we certainly weren't having victory over it.  We knew if we were going to have victory, we needed to do some major excavating.  Twenty Five tons later our property was clear.  Every 5 ton truck that pulled out of our drive filled with debris, was a giant step closer to where we were heading.

It was a long, slow and satisfying job.   Gardening is like that for me.  I am never afraid of hard labor and this was indeed hard labor.  With the help of Michael our bi-weekly landscaper, we got there.  Cutting down trees and pruning back left me with many cuts, scratches and painful hands, which made filming lessons challenging sometimes.

Seeing my garden like this though, has been worth it all.  I know we still have a ways to go but the bulk of the work is done.  Every morning and evening I get to sit on my verander and be embraced by the beautiful green and the visiting birds and butterflies. 

I'm one happy girl.

Let's Face It 2017 - Early Bird Special

I am not sure if you have had a chance to sign up yet for Let's Face It 2017 yet.  I know it was a hugely successful class last year and I know it will be again this coming year.  There are 20 teachers taking part in this incredible class and I'm thrilled to be one of them.  I will be sharing some of my art, techniques and secrets with you.  If you sign up before the end of December, you will still qualify for the early bird special.

Here is a little sneak peak of something similar to what I will be sharing.  My teaching segments will be focusing on how I paint my faces, painting hands and some color techniques that I use. 

I hope you will sign up and continue to journey with me next year.

Much love, Jeanne-Maire

Time for calm...

It's been an incredibly beautiful time.

I'm utterly overwhelmed by the love and support this year, so much so that I am struggling to find the words to express the emotions around that.  As I am coming in to land after the intensity of my last two classes going live.... I'm holding those emotions close to my heart.  In fact, I'm clinging to it as it's helping to hold me steady on my way down.

I'm taking a quiet gentle moment to breath deep and to humbly say...

~ ThankYou ~

I'm going quietly and slowly the next few days.

The Secret Life of DayDreaming...

This piece is part of my tutorial lessons on painting hands.  I haven't got lost in a painting for a while and to spend time here this weekend was like medicine for my soul.

Each time I work on hands, I still continue to learn so much and I'm still so in love with the emotion they add to each piece.  I look forward to journeying with you in my little tutorial class.

Getting really excited.

See you in class soon.