Congratulations...

I'm so excited to share that I drew my 3 lucky winners for my new class {Held}Captive.

Thank you for sharing my post and for signing up.  I spent a good few hours collecting all the names from the shares and sign ups and I put them onto a numbered list on excel, then I used Random.org number generator to select my 3 numbers.

Congratulations

1. Camilla Ollson
2. Susanna E Lane
3. Lindy Stockton

I so loved doing that and I wish I could have done more draws, it was hard to narrow it down to only three.

And for now... I look forward to class.

xoxox

"This Place is our Shelter and I'll keep you Safe"...

I promise you I’ll keep you safe
You’ll be an architect so pull up your sleeves
And build a new silhouette
In the skylines up ahead
Don’t be, don’t be afraid
Our mistakes they were bound to be made
But I promise you I’ll keep you safe

As you build up your collection
Of pearls that you pulled from the deep
A landscape more beautiful than anything that I’ve ever seen
The sound of the branches breaking under your feet
The smell of the falling and burning leaves
The bitterness of winter
Or the sweetness of spring
You are an artist
And your heart is your masterpiece
And I’ll keep it safe.

Words from Sleeping at Last, I'll keep you Safe.

I'm utterly in love with this preciousSoul.

I love how she's looking at me and of course I love her mouth.  I've been working on this skill.  I love her buildings and the stories they hold... there is history in her body and buildings and face. We continue to journey together as we find our way with her paint colors.

The time and work it takes for these precious souls are astounding but that's part of the joy and all I can say is I'm loving the journey... 

I hope you are too.

Love Me.

**Giveaway... TinyBagsofLove turns 1!!!

Happy Birthday

I can't believe my first little online class has turned 1 already.  It feels like just the other day it became a class and it all started.

One of the things about Tiny Bags of Love turning 1 is that she comes home to my website, which is pretty exciting.  Ivy and Chris Newport hosted her for it's first year and I couldn't have been more grateful. Thank you both for such an incredible time.  I couldn't have asked for a better place for me to start teaching and for this little class to be birthed.

Thank you for everything.

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Let's Celebrate... Let's Giveaway...

Winners to be announced on the 1st September 2017

I get asked all the time about my favourite colors / paints that I have used through the years.  They are beautiful Maimeri Italian Paints, creamy and wonderful to work with.  As a way of celebrating TBOL turning 1 and a way of saying thank you for an incredible first year, I'm giving away 5 of them together with my new favourite Raphael Precision #2 Pointed Round Brush.  See details below...

Ivory White, Venetian Rose, Perm Red Light, Light Kings Blue and Olive Green

Raphael Precision #2 Pointed Round Paint Brush

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**To be ENTERED in the Giveaway

Be a NEW signup to my class**

If you haven't signed up to my Tiny Bags of Love class yet and you sign up, you will automatically be entered into the draw.  Follow the button below.

**To be ENTERED in the Giveaway too

Please use the form below**

If you are a NEW sign up or an EXISTING one, by completing the Subscription Form below, you will also be entered into the giveaway.  Wishing you all the best of luck.

Love Jeanne-Marie xoxoxo

Winners to be announced on the 1st September 2017

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Tiny Bags of Love - New Subscription Form

The Art of Hands - Bonus Lesson

I have loved loved working on this piece, she kept evolving.  I'm so glad I managed to capture most of that evolution on film.

I have created and shared a bonus lesson for you on painting this hand in my Art of Hands tutorial class. The bonus lesson is focusing on detail work with a special brush I discovered and have been working with that has me totally smitten.  I hope you find it helpful and informative.

I absolutely loved sharing this with you,

much love, Jeanne-Marie

xoxoxox

**New Class... {Held}Captive

I'm so excited to announce and share that I will be creating and hosting a new online class before the end of the year.  I haven't released anything this year yet and I can't believe we are heading into the last quarter already.  I have been spending a few months kitting out my studio space with new lighting and better set up for filming bigger than teabags. 

I'm so excited.

After teaching painting in America, I'm come home with a renewed excitement to paint and share more about my process in finding, capturing and communicating tender emotion in my work.  This class will be mostly about painting but there will also be a section about finding tender emotion in your clay and lens.  Follow the button below for more details.

I will be giving away 3 spaces to anyone who shares or signs up.

EarlyBird discount ends 1st October.

I have so much to share in the next week or so about what's going in my world... about my TinyBagsofLove Online Class being 1 year old and coming home to my website.  I'll be sharing more about me being involved with other collaborative classes next year.  During this week I will be sharing an extra bonus video for my ArtofHands Class and sharing about the most amazing new brush I've found.

And also a give way to celebrate TinyBagsofLove.

So much happening and so much to look forward to.

I hope you will join me for this next endeavour and adventure to continue learning and growing together.  Sending much love,

Jeanne-Marie xoxox

Surviving the Jetlag blues...

We arrived home to face reality and our schedules, full on.  I headed straight back to the office and Kitty, straight back to school with a manic schedule.  We didn't really have time to indulge in jet lag and fatigue, right.  It's been full systems go.  We are tired and we are doing the best we can... and we are finally getting there.  Normalcy is starting to return and I am feeling encouraged, that we can cope.

I had one really bad night when I couldn't sleep at all, so I spent my time painting.  I am quite desperate to get back into my studio and start working.  I'm ready to throw myself into painting.  I was reminded after my time in Jenny's studio and in my class at Kara's studio, how much I want to paint and I want to go deeper with my paints and I want to push myself to grow more.  I'm feeling so inspired and excited.

Title - "This Place is my Shelter"

It was good to work on this piece and finish my building work, at last.  This was my second lesson piece that I started in Saladu.  I carried her across America twice and then home.  There was something about her captivating me and I was determined to finish her.  I left her overnight to dry but when I came through the next morning, there was so much cracking around her buildings.  I was feeling overwhelmed by the level of commitment it would take to fix all the cracks. I started scratching out the cracks and smoothing away and filling them in with new clay and I was so relieved to find her in good health the next morning.

I'm ready to paint her.

This is a large piece I'm busy reworking.  I needed to fix her face and build it up some more and I spent a bit of time focusing on my bird work.  I'm loving her so much and I can't wait to paint her.

I needed to get my blogging of my trip complete, my studio reorganised and my life back up to date before I could allow myself full access to my studio where I can create guilt free.

It's weekend and my 'to-do-list' is clear and I'm ready... And excited.

Have a beautiful weekend and thank you for journeying with me the past few weeks.

Much Love, Jeanne-Marie

What I do know...

How do I even try and sum up what we experienced and what we have came home with.  It's too BIG.  I've tried my best to share our journey in my blog posts with my limited words and our beautiful images and keepsakes but the full extent of it... is too massive to fathom.

But I do know this...

• we will be forever changed
• we will be forever grateful
• we couldn't have done this without YOU!
• our hosts were gracious and the most remarkable people we have ever met.
• we tried new things and tasted new things.
• we saw BIG.
• we felt loved and special, thank you!
• I touched the Pacific ocean
• we cried, we laughed, we loved, we hugged
• we gave and we received 10 times more
• Americans are generous and kind
• we experienced Amazon Prime
• we found friendly and humility, as a default setting.
• we discovered grace in abundance and kindness in the bucket loads.
• we fell in love with MilkDuds and M & M's
• we spoke and listened
• we made, shared, experienced and spoke ART for 31 days solid.
• we walked the Golden Gate Bridge
• we found tacos and devils on horseback
• I tried saki for the first time
• I fell in love with SF and went to the SFMoma
• we met the most amazing hubbies to their artist wives
• we found creativity everywhere
• we made forever connections and forever friends
• we found YOU!

I can never explain what this time has meant to us and I can never explain the extent of what it did for Kitty in expanding her heart and vision and perspective and how in seeing something different, a new world and a first world has helped heal her in so many ways.  And that in turn has healed me too.  How do we take everything we experienced and return to normal.  I am not sure we can and not do something precious with it all.  I hope we will.  I hope we will continue to expand and play it forward.  I hope to see Kitty take what she gained and run with new dreams with a bigger vision.

I think it takes a certain kind grace in allowing oneself to be hosted to the degree we were, it was humbling and at times hard to accept but also understanding we couldn't have done any of this without you.  Accepting us in your homes, lives and space with such dignity has spoken louder than any words could ever express and I'm not even sure how to find the words to say 'thank you'.

I can only hope my life too, will be able to show it.

Thank you for journeying with us on social media and through my blog and allowing me to document our time in America, the best way I can.

With much love and humility,

Jeanne-Marie and Kitty.

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Our babies missed us...

These two haven't left my side since we got back.  Every morning they come straight over to me for loves and morning cuddles and it's like they know 'mom is home'.

It really is in the small things and we have loved being reunited.

xoxox

Home James and don't spare those horses...

There is something soooo precious about traveling and experiencing new places, people and different worlds.  But there is something equally as precious about going home and we were ready.  Our hearts were full and goodbyes were hard but we were ready too.  We arrived in Washington DC with just 10 minutes to board our next 15 hour long flight home.  We made our flight but it was around 24 hours before anyone at home had heard from us because I didn't have a gap to let anyone know we were on our next flight.  Out of my whole trip, this was my worst flight.

A little while after take off when they were serving dinner, we hit the worst turbulence I've ever experienced and the longest.  I wasn't happy.  We continued through our first 7 hours of the flight in utter silence with the seat belts on most of the way.  There was no walking or standing around and no coffee served.  We stopped in Dakar, West Africa for an hour in the morning for refuelling and restocking before we embarked on the next 7 hour leg to Johannesburg.  For the first time ever, I took out my moleskin journal and I started drawing, the distraction helped me home.

We arrived in Johannesburg fatigued with motion sickness and pretty much anxious to finish the final 5 hours... 3 hour layover and 2 hour flight.  I slept most of this final flight home.  I had had enough.

Getting home felt so precious.  We sat on the bed, including our Daxies, Riley and Sandy until 1am unpacking treats, pics and MilkDuds and sharing stories.  I slept through, much to my amazement and woke up normal time and poor Kitty slept until 2pm the next day until I forced her to get up.

It was good to be home.

The different faces of Kitty...

I have loved all the 'faces of Kitty' appearing on FB and I have loved everyones renditions of her.  She's loved them all too.  She's pretty shy so this has been a pretty remarkable thing to have happened to her.  She even struggles to have her picture taken.

Thank you for making my girl feel so beautiful and so loved.

Jenny Doh

Kara Bullock

KJ Allison

These three canvases have come home to live with Kitty.  I love how they are all the same but all so uniquely different at the same time.  Thank you guys, for your generosity.

Jenny Doh - Oil

KJ Allison - Pens

KJ Allison

Phyllis Riley

Lyn Tivenan

Lyn Tivenan

Ivy Newport

Finishing this precious Soul... for a most precious soul...

I am so pleased I finished this SoulBearer that I had started in Jenny Doh's studio - Day 1 of SculptingPoetic.  I was hoping to finish her and leave her as a gift for Ivy.  She had spoilt me so much through my visit and I knew I wanted to leave her with something special from me.

I was feeling tired and knowing I wanted to leave her as a gift was making me feel pressured.  I had no idea what direction I was going to move in but she started leading me and I loved that so much.  It's my favourite way to work when it comes to my Soul Bearers.  Not only was I creating all day in Robin's Studio but I had her encouraging me all the way too.  Only right at the end did I "see" her and once I finally saw her, I was immediately in love.  When I am head down and pushing through, I don't always see it, only when I started to photograph her, did I "see" her.  I was excited to leave her for Ivy but nervous too. 

Eeeckkk.

I used a limited palette which I totally loved in the end.

Sending you with so much love, sweet SoulBearer.

xoxoxo

Robin, Ivy and the Beautiful Oregon...

Oregon was our last stop and it was a precious one.

We stayed with Robin and it was beyond special to be here with her and Ivy.  They both picked up our exhausted bodies from the airport.  And we had a soft landing and a beautiful quiet dinner at home, just the 4 of us.  We were grateful for the soft landing.

We spoke well into the night.  I knew I was going to have a connected time.

Our first day in Oregon was spent meeting beautiful Michelle for lunch at a sushi spot and I was so delighted to have met her in person.  Meeting online friends was definitely a highlight of our trip.  Thank you Michelle and thank you for the beautiful gifts you gave Kitty and I.  Wow.

After a slow lunch we went for a walk in the beautiful gardens followed by a beautiful evening at Chris and Ivy's home.  I loved these together family times the most.

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I got me some beautiful precious Ivy Love.  Thank you my friend for your generous heart and soul.  I am so grateful that I got to meet you and Chris and the girls in person.  It was a treat of treats.  You are a beautiful inside and out.  I am so grateful I got to take some specialness of you home with me.

After some sight seeing days, we settled down to some quiet days at Robin's home for hiding, deep connecting and creative time.  I had to fix a Soul Bearer for Robin that had been crushed in transit so I had some work to do and I spent a studio day with Robin and Ivy.  Robin created her very own Soul Bearer and that was beautiful.  And I got to watch Ivy draw and start her painting of Kitty.  I can't wait to see her finish that.  What a treat to be in studio with these two beautiful creative souls.  We got to talk about art and creativity for days.  That was a dream come true.

 We also popped into Ivy's gorgeous new Studio and we had breakfast together.  Getting to do daily things together and visualise 'life' was so precious to me.

Photo:  Caitlyn Grace Web

We got to experience the Oregon Coast.  It was lovely.

We ate, we walked and we did a bit of shopping.  It was a chilled, beautiful day.

Meeting Michelle over a sushi lunch

Long deep precious conversations on the patio will be my forever highlight and memories of Oregon.  Thank you for your heart my friend and that we got to tap into each others some.

I can't tell you what these days meant to me to be quiet and gently close out our days in the USA.  I loved the deep connecting with Robin.  The meals shared with her and Joe and the incredible chats around social differences between our two countries and cultures.  Deep connecting is the way to fill my love tank and I'm so grateful we got that.  I loved the one on one time and the talking art day in and day out.  I loved seeing Robin's art up close and personal and we inspired each other so much.  What creative friendships are all about.  She could see things for me and I could see things for her in our art respectively.  I loved the home visits so much.

Robin, Joe, Ivy and Chris - I can never thank you enough for this time we had.  We love love loved it.  I couldn't think of a better way to end off our trip. Thank you for opening your hearts to us and allowing us to be ourselves with you.

It was a perfect send off home with our love tanks overflowing.

Goodbye Oregon and the amazing US of A, next stop... home.

xoxoxo

Breathtaking moments on that incredible bridge...

The weather was perfect...

I'm kind of glad it was misty and overcast because it came with it's own moodiness and emotion.  I love how the height of it disappeared into the clouds above.  It's everything I imagined and more.

The power on the bridge was quite something, the weather, the movement and noise of the traffic, the magnificent size is astounding and rather overwhelming.  I can't recall something so big or so powerful.

It is something I won't forget for a very long time.

“The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Fransisco”

— Mark Twain

Moments on the bridge.

I am soooo thrilled we planned this excursion.  Thank you Jackie for making some dreams come true for us on this remarkable bridge.  In fact, for making some pretty remarkable memories during our time together and I can't wait for the next adventure

Thank  you Jackie and your beautiful family for having us.  Some of our favourite moments were around the dinner table.  Thank you so much for having us and embracing us and for the wonderful conversations and sharing moments.  I will cherish our moments forever.

Goodbye beautiful Jackie and incredible San Fransisco, you stole my heart...

Next stop Oregon.

It was so freezing - we had to move quickly and the wind was so strong.

Hello San Francisco...

Seeing Jackie in San Fransisco was something we had planned for a while because in 2016 we did #1faceaday/#366Faces together on our #TeaBags.  I am so grateful that we did.  We only had 3 days together but it was so special.  We connected deeply and quickly and our 3 days were fully about adventuring together.  Jackie had planned so much for us and I'm so grateful.  We all three did new things for the first time.

And doing this together just cemented our friendship.

Like taking a ferry to San Fransisco from Walnut Creek.  Walking to the top of Coit Tower, going to the SF Moma and of course walking the Gold Gate Bridge.  It was a beautiful precious time we shared together.

I'm so blown away about our time together and like with Phyllis and Chrissie, it felt like we had known each other forever.  I guess it has something to do with sharing something as personal as our journey through paint, there is a natural vulnerability already there.  I can honestly say that there was connection with just about everyone I got to meet in person.

I can never express what this meant to me.

Beautiful City

Coit Tower - we climbed the steps through the private gardens to the top and then we went up the tower and we got to see gorgeous San Fransisco from the top, a 360 view of the city.  It was breathtaking.

On our way down to the ferry, we popped into the San Fransisco MOMA.

One of my favourite images from our trip, Kitty in the SFMOMA.  Poor Courteney was at home beside herself that we were in this incredible place.  I knew that was going to be hard for her.

Port Costa, CA

Jackie arranged a visit to Port Costa, CA.  The sweetest time warp of a town from another era but interestingly still standing.  She took us to the Theatre of Dreams to meet Wendy Addison.

What a treat!

I'm not going to lie, I'm a little in love with SF.  What a beautiful city.  I think to fully grasp the extent of this remarkable place, one would probably need to live here a little.  Jackie was amazing at navigating her way around.  It was an amazing few days.  I'm so grateful for this time, her family and everything.

xoxoxo

Bye bye Chrissie, bye bye Encinitas...

I can't believe our time was up... I had 10 fabulous days with this incredible lady in beautiful Encinitas, San Diego.

It feels like we have known each other our whole lives.  From our circle time at Kara's both of us kept tearing up because we knew our goodbyes were coming.

Thank you for beautiful YOU.  I will never forget this time with you and yours.

Thank you Jim for sharing your Chrissie with us and thank you for giving us the time to do art for 10 days and thank you Kenzie for sharing your mom.

We miss you Reiner.

The laughing was all day long... beautiful girls for a PotLuck lunch.  Jennifer, Jeneve, KJ, Libbi, Cynthia, Erin and Chrissie.  Thank you for a precious time.

The goodness just didn't end.

Jim and Chrissie took us to the airport and the drop off was swift - it's all we could manage.  ByeBye Encinitas... next stop San Fransisco and Jackie.

~ Thank you ~

xoxoxo

Teaching @ Kara's...

When Kara asked if I would teach painting in her studio, everything inside of me wanted to say no.  I said "yes" but my body actually said "no".  We laughed about this in class but my reason being is you guys are so lucky have the most amazing painting teachers at your fingertips.

Once I put this down and just reminded myself that I was painting with friends and peers, the time became more precious to me.  I really had a fabulous time but I do think that was because the class was just soooo incredible with me.  I can't thank you enough for allowing me this space.

I loved it once we started... I loved this class so much.  Thank you for everything.

Nancy gave me these tiny tiny canvases to work on and they were wonderful and such fun. I did them between lessons, they were smaller than teabags.

Beautiful gals.

Class vibes - Kara's new studio space was a beautiful, light and happy space.  I couldn't believe I was here.

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Class Shenanigans

Two of the most incredible beings in the world.  I am so blessed to have had them in both my classes.  Thank you!!!

Thank you Kara - I'm so grateful.

Irene, Jen and Lesley - all special online friends who I had a wonderful two days with.  Jen was also with me at Jenny Doh's. I loved that... so special.

Lucy and I go way back online and to meet her in real life was a dream come true.  Thank you for making the trip, beautiful soul.

Beautiful Chrissie making beauty.

Mary Valante - a beautiful creative soul that I had the pleasure of meeting, with Lynda.

Circle time - was tender, vulnerable and precious.  Thank you for the most amazing two days.  I am soooo glad I said "yes".  Teaching this class and sharing with beautiful friends was an incredible journey for me.  Thank you so much.  I had no idea I would love it.  Thank you to Nancy, Josie, Jen, Chrissie and KJ who were also in my clay class at Jenny Doh's.  That meant so much to me.

I will never forget this time and thank you Kara.  Adore you.

This happened...

Nancy and I go back online for so long now, I can't even say when it happened... but she's one of the most beautiful souls and this trip I got to meet her in person.  I knew it would be an emotional encounter and standing next to her in person was a little surreal.  And as synchronicity would have it, with me being in California was the same time as her exhibition.

And Chrissie, Kitty and I got to go. 

Nancy is from Laguna Beach and is a wild horse photographer and her captures are out of this world.  I can't believe I got to see her beautiful handy work and heart, first hand.

Thank you Nancy for this awesome moment in time.

We got access to the Festival of Arts Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach.  The exhibitors were incredible and we got to meet Kathy Jones.  I had pinned some of her pieces on Pinterest and Nancy told me she could introduce us... it was another wonderful moment for both Chrissie and I.  We had an incredible time.  Chrissie drove the coast road home and Digby couldn't believe we had spent time in Laguna Beach.  I know this trip would have blown his mind. Next time babes, we have lots to make up for.

Adore you beautiful Nancy.  My heart is a little larger having met you.

Big hugs and loves, always. xoxox

Finished SoulBearers... from Saluda

I met Terie Christmas in Saluda, Random Arts.  I loved connecting with new people and making new friends.  I loved seeing Terie's finished SoulBearers on Facebook.  Terie has combined her assemblage skills with paperclay and the outcome is truly remarkable.  Well done my friend.  She's gorgeous.  Can't wait to see what else you make and do with your combined skills.

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Janet Hickey was another incredible artist I met in Saluda and her work was truly astounding and the work she does continues to blow me away.  She shared much with me and her tools were beautiful.    Thank you Janet for your friendship and generosity.  Your work takes my breath away.

Find Janet on Facebook and see her finished video of this incredible piece.  I couldn't get it to work here.  But her vision for her pieces are art in themselves, not to mention her skills.  Just once again showing me that there is no limit to what can be done with this medium.

I look forward to seeing other works completed from class.

Find Janet Hickey on Facebook - her work is gorgeous.

Home based were my best days...

Our schedule was so full between Encinitas and Santa Ana so when we got moments back at home, they were slow and precious. They were some of my favourite days of all.  I loved waking up slowly and sitting with Chrissie with our coffee and catching up on social media and chatting with each other.  Reiner was always by our sides and I loved the gentleness of these moments.

I was so grateful to have them and so grateful to have this precious time with my friend.

We walked to downtown Encinitas to Swamis to get Digby some Swamis Tees and Kitty wanted to do some thrift shopping.  Other times we drove to the art shop, passed Rob Macho's home and went to see different beaches.  We loved it all.

We loved being tourists.  I know how much Digz and Corks would have loved this.

Kitty thrifting with Pikachu

Awesome sushi and saki

Crack Shack - Real Fried Chicken with the best fries in the world.

Chrissie told us it was the Summer of Love anniversary and being in California and finding this jacket felt like synchronicity at it's finest.  Great thrift find Kitty.

I touched the Pacific Ocean and picked up a pebble keepsakes.  It's in my studio.

Visiting Swamis and Kitty ordering her first Starbucks treat... oh the choices.

4th July in America in an American home was a special moment for us.  Thank you Chrissie, Jim, Kenzie and Will for allowing us to slot into your day and being part of your festivities.

We had a beautiful time with Chrissie's family and in their home.  I loved her studio and I spent time working there one evening.  I loved their togetherness as a family.  I am so grateful to have experienced everyday 'life' with them.  To me this was the greatest honour of all and it is everything I hope of my trip to the USA.

I wanted to soul connect with everyone I was staying with and so far being in Phyllis and Chrissie's homes, this is exactly what I was getting and nothing made my heart fuller.

Thank you for allowing us to slot in, to see and feel your life.  There is so much grace and humility in doing that and receiving that was beyond precious to me.  Humbled by this gesture.

xoxox

She came home with us...

We all left Jenny Doh's studio with our Kitty pieces unfinished.  The next day Jenny finished her piece and I was completely blown over.  I knew I had to have her and she needed to come home with us.  I couldn't think of a better home for her.  Thank you Jenny for finishing her so beautifully.

She's currently up in Kitty's room and this is a sweet reminder of this perfect day, a precious moment in time.

You captured the essence of her.

#happyhearts