What is it about beautiful brushes...

I'm not sure why beautiful brushes and gorgeous paints make me so happy but this was a beautiful way to spend my birthday vouchers.

Thank you for gifting me art vouchers... and just getting that it's the way to my heart.

I have discovered the most beautiful brushes in the world...  Catalyst brushes by Princeton.

Robin Laws and Betty Wilkins have both sent me some and they are are like heaven for me.  When I'm in the states now, I might just have to stock up because we don't get them here.

It really is the small things that make me so happy.

Sending love, Jeanne-Marie

I'm rusty...

I've been freaking out a little, with our lives been turned upside down with Digz immobility and with me picking up so many extra duties, studio time has been eluding me.  I find it hard to rest in this place and know it too is just a season and that I won't forget how to paint.  Although everything in my being, is telling me I will.

It doesn't help when you pick up a canvas that is rough to work on and fights with you all the way.  That being said... after six weeks with no brush in my hand, it just felt good to get lost here, albeit it a struggle and by no means perfect.  It was a great place to warm up and block out the world a bit.  Yes, I'm rusty, but I'm excited as I'm feeling normalcy starting to return.

I do know this...

Rusty or not, I'm ridiculously happy when I'm creating, especially painting and I know now more than ever, just how much my soul requires it.

Beautiful happy mail...

Thank you my sweet friend Betty, from Texas. Facebook reminded me this week that we have been friends for 5 years online and I know it's longer because we were friends on Instagram first and you have been one of my encouragers since the beginning.  Thank you for your beautiful friendship and love and support through the years and sharing your knowledge and wisdom too.

I adore you.  I am hoping above all hopes I will see you in June/July.  Fingers and toes crossed.

#SoGrateful

"I'm on the cover of a magazine.... "

This statement has been a long time family joke of ours since our girls were little.   It's a line from Monsters Inc.  and we have always joked about it and today I finally got to say that and really mean it. :-)

I had this interview in March and kind of parked it at the back of my mind and now in May the editorial was released and today my hard copies arrived by courier.  I have to say, I was totally moved and blown away to hold this in my hands today.  It's a big and visually beautiful magazine and I'm so humbled to have my #366 TeaBagGirl on the cover.

I sent through a bunch of images of my TeaBagGirls and art from the past few years and I just love that they chose this specific one, #366 for the cover.   It meant so much to me because she was my very last TeaBagGirl to be painted.  I just kind of loved that.

Thank you Slow Magazine for such a lovely spread.

It's been a precious moment.

Love Me.

Read all about it - here

SLOW Magazine is the official guest magazine for SLOW and SLOW IN THE CITY, the exclusive business lounges operated by British Airways Comair in partnership with FNB Private Clients and RMB Private Bank.

Crazy Love...

I'm a little in love with my Kitty Girl.  She's such a cool kid.

We have been spending lots of time together.  We have been facing long hours in hideous queues to get her registered for her ID document and getting our travel documents in order.  All in all it hasn't been too bad because how often do we get to hang together like this...  We have the best convos and listened to audio books and music together.

After the buaratic red tape - she dragged me to thrift shops in and around the city and it was a rather amazing time with her... her finding old clothing and being delighted by the antiques and me finding old art books together with beautiful images of our city.

What beautiful stolen moments... can't wait to travel with this one.

#MotherDaughterLove

QueenofHearts...

I love seeing how these Souls evolve.

It's always a bit of a mystery to me.  I often don't have a plan.  I usually say I'm going to start with something... like today, I started with her face and hands and then I allowed the rest to lead me.  I was tempted to play with the Louise Bourgeois theme on her because her body surface area was quite big.  I love how she turned out.  I'm in love with her little buildings on her head too.

I so needed to play with paint tonight.  It was great to get lost here a little.

Good for my heart.  Good night folks.

Love.

She has a bit of a Queen of Hearts feel to her.

All I know... is that whatever her heart is, I know she's crept into mine.

Stealing moments...

With things being a little upside down at home and with my studio being far away from Digby, spending hours in there hasn't really been an option.  So this weekend I moved some of my studio into the living area so I can be closer to him.  Just some basic things, like my Mac and my clay and today, I moved my paints and brushes through.  I'm ready to start working again and I'm excited.

This way we can all be together at a time when Digz isn't that mobile. 

I have loved this little project that got my hands working again.  I needed to do something, just for fun and just to get me back creating.  I had 6 little gaps to fill and it was more challenging than I thought it would be.  Working this small was a delightful treat.  I knew I wanted them to have a similar theme to them yet all be slightly different.  It was quite interesting to see each one's personality come through.

They are currently drying but I'm ready to start painting them.

Much Love, Me

Under the Influence of Louise...

I can't actually believe that I have something finished on this canvas.

It's gone through many many different transitions and different stages but I am absolutely in love with where we have find ourselves and I think I'm going to keep this one like this.

I think this has literally been unfinished for over a year.  It's a beautifully big canvas, my biggest one to date and I love the simplicity and yet at the same time, detailed patterns.

36" x 60" Wrapped Stretched Canvas

Inspired by being "under the influence" of Louise Bourgeois.  A lesson from Embrace Yourself Workshop.  I am still learning a lot about this incredible artist and I'm busy studying some other artists too.  I'm looking forward to see what else comes through.  I'm still unpacking the lessons from this class and I'm soon to start my new class with Gillian Lee on Portraits.

I'm loving being back in the classroom, for sure.

Much Love... Me xoxox

Expressive SelfPortraiture...

I did my draw up last night and it was pretty rough and a little scary, to be honest.

Not that I let that bother me at all, I like my paintings to lead me than be completely hung up by the drawing part because once I start laying down the paint, I know it's going to change a dozen times anyway.  She waited patiently #InMyStudio all day for me to come paint her.  I had to finish my day at the office before I could take out my brushes and I couldn't wait.

When I started painting, I could see my proportions were completely off and I was really struggling to get my eye in.  I am so enjoying working with reference and at the same time equally challenged.  I'm working hard to find what I need to but at the same time, still make it my own.

16" x 22" Stetched Canvas

I'm calling it a night though, I'm feeling a little exhausted but I'm feeling encouraged to finish her and do deeper layers.  There were moments tonight where I thought I might abandon her but I'm glad I pushed through.

I can't tell you how much I'm enjoying working bigger too.

Good night folks.  Love Me

xoxox

My 365Grateful project continues...

My project continues... slowly, very slowly but I'm still finding beautiful moments to capture.  It's not as easy as you would think.  Partly because my camera needs lots of light to work, so inside shots aren't always the greatest so it can be pretty limiting at times.  Plus when life and routine is a little humdrum, thinking out of the box can take a huge amount of effort.  But I'm determined to carry on and see what I can find as I go.

I do love how dreamy the shots can be. 

Long weekends and family gatherings and quiet farewells

Urban delights

Studio spaces

Great Finds

Cork's University

Painting big... well, bigger

14" x18" Stretched Canvas

First layers are down and I have to say I loved every minute of painting this.

I know I have still got quite a way to go and it's not as expressive as I would like it to be and I have many more layers to go but I loved the process.  It wasn't always comfortable and it was super challenging.  A reminder to me how much practice I need with reference work.

This is my first attempt of using my expressive self portrait references.  I know I am still way off but I learnt so much and I still have so much to learn but I'm excited.

Funny enough, I'm not really seeing myself here but I'm seeing my daughter.

And I just love that.

Excited, Jeanne-Marie

Expressive self portraiture...

Turning my Self Portrait photographs into expressive paintings using the DreamscopeApp.com - a great app Misty recommended to us in Embrace Yourself Workshop.  I could spend hours just playing with this app.  There are soooo many filters to try but I forced myself to stop after these six images.

I can't wait to use these images as references.

I loved this tip so much.  This is part of our homework assignment, to paint an Expressive Self Portrait using our references and I can't wait to play here.

Much Love... Me

xoxoxo

Long weekends and quiet studio days...

I love long weekends and April is filled with them.

I know it means I get extended hours #InMyStudio, which I'm always grateful for.  And this weekend I did just that.  On Friday, I did some packaging up... yes I'm still packaging up TeaBagGirls and Saturday I did my shipping and I needed some new paint brushes.

I rushed home to get settled into some much needed studio time.

While I was working through my class material, my hands were busy making armatures for a mini project I'm working on.

Filling this sweet box with SoulBearers...

I had one ready made hand left from my old figurine that I wanted to use in this unfinished terracotta piece above.  She was a rescued SoulBearer from a failed project from last year.  Her neck was broken and fell in such a perfect emotive way and I could immediately see how I wanted to remould her.  I broke off her legs and old arms and rebuilt her and there was so much restoration to her story.  A reminder to me, that anything can be rescued and not all is lost.

She's so beautifully emotive and deeply soulful and I am loving her hands up close to her face, like she's holding onto something so precious.... memories or maybe quiet whispers.  She has buildings on her head like her crowning glory and these words are down her back...

I will keep you safe. 
Hold out your hand - can you feel the weight of it.
The whole world at your finger tips - don't be afraid.
Mistakes are bound to be made - but I will keep you safe.

I'll keep you safe by Sleeping at Last

They keep calling me to make more and I can't wait to listen.

Love Jeannie xoxox

A little glimpse of my TeaBagGirls / Packaging Zone and my Clay Zone -  I'm loving it.

It's written on her on back...

"In her quiet wisdom, she understood the value of humble autonomy and
with a maternal grace and a tenderhearted openness,
she embraced all she needed to".

I've been practicing poetry and word play as part of my homework in Misty's class and I'm loving incorporating that into my pieces.  Hope to continue practicing that daily or weekly.

Have a precious Easter Weekend.

Much Love, Jeanne-Marie

I waited all day to make her...

I pulled these 3D already made clay hands off my SoulBearer that I made last year.  I wasn't entirely happy with it.  I loved the hands but the piece was too big and clumsy.  I had been looking at it for a while and decided to start over. The girls get so cross with I do that but it's just the initial shock of it but they always come around.

So I had something in mind to do with these hands but I had to get through my morning at the office before I could start.  It's all I could think about all day.

I raced home and got started...

I knew I wanted to do toes and biggish feet to match the biggish hands.  I had no idea how she would work out but I'm so stoked with where we ended with each other.

My heart is overflowing because I just loved making her.  There is a tenderness to her pose, her head on her hand and holding her thin legs.

I think it's a bit of vulnerability.

I love how her hands lead this piece and it's the second time I've build a piece around the hands and I think I love this approach and I can recommend it... to make your hands first and see where it takes you.  I am loving her in this raw state with her painted hands.  It's quite expressive.

I loved that so much.  It feels so great being back in my studio.

Much Love, Jeanne-Marie

Painting from start to finish...

I filmed this for fun.  I'm a bit rusty with my filming and editing skills because I haven't turned on my camera yet this year.

I guess the renewed energy has me warming up and practicing for all the right reasons... you know... like for the love it and for the fun of it. 

Yup and it's making me ridiculously happy.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did painting this piece.

Sending much Love,  Jeanne-Marie xox

Come paint with me @ Kara's

I'm sooooo excited about this.

We ironed out all the finer details this past week and the class is up for registration.  I'm going to be hosted by beautiful Kara in her new studio space and I'm so excited, a little nervous but so excited.  I am so grateful for this opportunity and time that I will be creating with friends, some very longtime online friends and some new.  It's honestly a dream come true.

Counting down the days...

The days and weeks and passing swiftly and I know it's going to be here before I know it.  I have lots to prep and still so much to do but my notebook is close and I'm ticking off as I go.

Playing with Clay again...

I haven't played with clay since just before my exhibition.  I didn't have the capacity to start anything new because I know these Souls take time and my months have been filled with administration but now that is all done, the freedom has been tangible and that means one thing... yup... glorious, delicious creative play-time. And my heart is ready.

  Make no mistake, the longing was there and the clay literally calls me.

When I first started with my little Souls, new figurines used to wake me up at night for me to start making them or draw them out.  And I I woke up the other day after a glorious afternoon nap with these two on my mind.  I haven't had that for a while.

I'm a little smitten with these two...

I got up and made these two and they literally flowed right out of my hands.  It just felt so good to play with the clay again.  I'm rather in love with it.

I guess like my paintings - I'm always trying to capture, touch and find their tender emotion and I am feeling it between these two.  The sweetness of their hands, the birds and their close faces.

I am looking forward to painting them.

Even though they don't have faces yet - I can see their expressions and I just love that.

I'm busy practicing for my classes that are coming up in June/July.  I start putting my clay student packs together soon and I can't wait to start doing that.  I'm getting so excited.

#HappyClayDay

Much Love, Jeannie

Seeking deeper connections...

MotherDaughterLove / SisterLove inspired...

I think this might always be my favourite theme to paint, the togetherness and the preciousness and the complexities of these bonds is as intriguing to me as any other mystery.

I've always had the privilege of having beautiful, strong and caring women in my life.  Some younger but mostly older.  Some blood, some not. I've been shown immeasurable kindness through my life by extraordinary woman and for this I am so grateful.

Each one has had their place and what I do know is that each one has left their mark. 

I hope that my girls will continue to have this bond with me through their lives as much as with each other and with their own daughters or daughter-in-laws one day.  And that they will allow other remarkable women to show them immeasurable kindness as well as be that to others too.

Long may we share in our vulnerability and open ourselves up to deeper connectivity.

Much Love, Jeanne-Marie

JennyDoh's Studio... Sculpting Poetic open for registration

Sculpting Poetic @ JennyDoh's

I'm so excited to finally share the details of my time at Jenny Doh's Studio in Santa Ana.  

The links are there for signing up and I hope you will join us.

Thank you for those who have already signed up, I can't wait for us to meet in person and I can't wait for us to play with PaperClay together.

Getting super excited.