Collage play....in Ireland

I always forget how wonderful collage play is for me. It brings beautiful new elements to my work and it’s just such a great way to creatively play and build up layers and practice composition. I do highly recommend this way of working. I have decided to focus on this medium more next year. I think it will really help to enhance my creations and imagination. I love how this offers a starting point but never says at this place. I usually lose most of elements as I tend to push them back because I am always seeking the quiet spaces but even in doing that, it provides a lovely textured and layered element underneath that looks like it came from an ancient era.

I started both these pieces on the same day in Ireland before we went to visit the exquisite Burrishoole Abbey, in Newport, in the Mayo County of Ireland. It was one of my favorite days in Ireland. The Abbey was a total dream and so was this creative space. Our studio was in an old nun’s sleeping quarters. The peace and tranquility was tangible.

©JeanneMarieArt 2022

I don’t often frame my work before shipping but I was intrigued to see how they would look framed and resolved. I feel the frames I selected both captured elements of Ireland and complimented each piece uniquely and I also have good access to beautiful wooden frames that don’t cost the earth and I’m so grateful for that. I have shipped framed pieces before and I work with my courier team who know exactly how to securely ship framed pieces so they don’t buckle and both these pieces are without glass so they are safe for shipping.

Both of these pieces are currently available in my shop along with some other works.

Please feel free to pop in and take a look.

Beautiful Ireland...

I have so many gorgeous memories about this precious time and this sacred place.

I really didn’t know what to expect as I had never been to Ireland and I really had no point of reference at all. Being able to collectively create with other creatives filled my love tank more than I could have ever imagined. I don’t think I realised just how cut off and isolated I had become the past few years of being in lockdown and how small my world had become. It was the collective creative energy that I had been missing and I didn’t know it until I entered this space. In an instant my creativity was ignited and my creative love tank flooded. With the floodgates open, creative love and joy returned.

The week in Italy before Ireland, creating there was the absolute perfect prelude to this week.

We wasted no time and our first day in studio was filled to brim with portrait work from dry medium to painting and from non dominant hand work to dominant. The joy was tangible. I had forgotten how lovely working with my non dominant hand was and it seemed to free sometime inside of me that had felt locked in for a very long time. I don’t think I realised how much fear had crept in the past few years and releasing it’s grip for me was next level amazing.

We did so much in studio and touched on many elements and mediums and some that were new to me too. I loved work with Ivy again. It’s the second time we have worked together in a beautiful group and the synergy was beautiful. We stayed in little cottages down the road from the studio and it was very special.

The week was a perfect balance of creativity and touring and sharing meals together.

I also got to meet the beautiful Lora Murphy and I had heard what an incredible person she was and getting to meet her and know her in real life, was so special to me. I am grateful for so much… making beautiful new friends and reconnecting with old. I will never forget our time together and I came home with so much tucked away in my heart. These experiences carry me for months to come and I hope it does for all those we journeyed with too.

Until next time…

Greetings…

Hello…

I am back home and back up to date with life and admin after being out of the country for close on a month. I want to slowly start unpacking my trip and sharing it here. Sorry it’s taken me so long to return to this space of sharing but trying to narrow down my trip has felt so overwhelming because how does one squash that BIG experience into such a small space.

I truly had the most incredible time. I feel I have come home completely ignited and excited to be back #inmystudio. My creative love tank filled to the brim and travel bug happy for now.

I don’t find travel logistics easy at the best of times but it felt even more challenging at this time. That being said once we got past the logistics and arrived in Italy, we could start leaning into our time away. It felt like a complete honor to be out in the world again. Of course, going back to my beloved Orvieto is always a good idea and a soft landing and so beautifully familiar. I was excited to show my dearest friend, Wendy around and I was so excited to be meeting up with old friends.

We left late Friday afternoon and arrived in Orvieto Saturday evening. Exhausted but oh so happy. Travel is always longer than you expect because you remember small details differently, like unexpected delays on platforms. We checked into our little Airbnb and it was humbly perfect. With overflowing hearts, we walked around, found beautiful Italian food and crashed. Sunday morning, we woke up super early and went in desperate search of coffee. Thankfully Montenucci’s opens at 7am…. a little gift.

After Italian coffee and pastries we went walking… and literally walked all morning… it was cool and misty and breathtakingly stunning and honestly couldn’t have asked for a better introduction to our trip. After our exploring, we did a grocery shop and stocked up for the week. That was very interesting and I love comparing apples with apples.

Wendy and I met at school when we were 15 and sometimes its hard to fathom that we have known each other all these years. She turned 50 now in August past and I am turning 50 in February coming so we decided to do this little spoil for our 50th’s. We had to do something momentous. In our 35 years of friendship we have done some trips together but never abroad and I think it was high time.

More soon…

New Art Pouches

I just ran off a new batch of Art pouches when I got home because my pre-trip pouches were sold out. Thank you once again for the incredible love and support around these bags that are so special to me.

Each pouch beautifully handmade by one of my dearest friends and each pouched lined with traditional South African Shwe-Shwe fabric. I have loved combining this extra element and being able to include and share some of my country’s local heritage with my work.

My little shop is stocked...

I spent most of the weekend stocking up my shop and thank you for those who have already popped in there to secure your little piece. I still have some delightful pieces available. As always I have a variety of different mediums, shapes and sizes and it is always my hope that there is something there for everyone.

I was so thrilled to be finished my miniature blockmount series and I can’t thank you for the beautiful response to them on social media. They were an absolute delight to make and share. It is always good for the heart to receive the love for something you are working on. I have some special favorites in there too.

SOLD - ©JeanneMarieArt 2022

SOLD - ©JeanneMarieArt 2022

As always, thank you for the love and support. I am so grateful.

Love Jeanne-Marie

Pencil Bags and Pouches...

I only had a few pencil bags left from my last batch last year. Thank you for loving them with me and for alway supporting the little things I bring into the world. It means the world to me. I knew I wanted to run off another batch including some new mini pouches. Perfect to pop little things into for when you are travelling or to help you not lose small things in your handbag.

I wanted to work with some of my new images from my little blockmount series. I worked with my usual fabric printers together with my special friend who hand makes these little fabric bags for me. We had a lot of fun working together, picking out and matching our beautiful traditional South African fabrics for the inside.

I love sharing my art this way with beautiful elements of my country combined with simple functionality. I hope you love them as much as I love getting them made up.

Will share more soon.

xxx

#PaintingEveryDay....

SOLD - ©JeanneMarieArt 2022

I finally finished my last piece for my little blockmount series. I wanted to get to 10.

I did it.

Finishing my last blockmount was harder than I was expecting and to get that dropped off at my framers, took a lot of discipline. Sometimes my own mental blockages can stand in my way.

Hoping to get those last 3 back early next week.

As for my bigger canvases, i’m busy working on finishing some of the ones I started during this month of showing up and will share soon.I have loved this time of intentionally showing up and it’s been good for my heart and my creative mind. I hope to continue this during August, especially as I get ready to travel to Europe and prepping for teaching.

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©JeanneMarieArt 2022

©JeanneMarieArt 2022

In between that and life, I finished my tiny little pendant that I made last year. The one in my little Italian liquorice tin. She was one of my lessons that I was going to share in the little class I cancelled. Everything was put on pause, so getting to finish her felt very important to me. She was tough going on me and made me work 2 full days to find her story. I’m glad I did. As for my other little clay piece… is getting there too.

Can you tell how much I’m loving playing with red this season.

Just flowing with it. <3

#PaintingEveryday.... MommaBear

SOLD - ©JeanneMarieArt 2022

She has travelled with me for around 18 months. She was one of my #FebruaryFaces and she was in my Clay auction last year but didn’t sell. She was a bit different from my usual style as I don’t usually do creatures.

I modified her a little bit and made her into a pendant and changed her colors and she was in another little auction but once again, didn’t sell. My MommaBear needed to stay with me a little longer. She got a total revamp when I used her in a lesson for my little class that I cancelled earlier this year. I have been clearing out my studio and purging things that I’m past and I thought… “girl if we don’t finish you today then, its to the bin you go”.

I am so glad I kept her close and allowed her little story to unfold. When I finished her last night, I understood why she had to linger a little longer with me. This version of her is so far, my favorite and I am totally in love with her thoughtful motherly gaze and her red hands… her hands are everything to me.

Thank you sweet little Momma for teaching me to value the timing of all things.

I adore you!

#30DaysofPaintingEveryday...

SOLD - ©JeanneMarieArt 2022

My showing up daily journey continues… and I am thrilled to be finding my way back to my practice and sparking joy in this place. It’s been good for my soul… I can’t even tell you.

Of course, some days have been logistically challenging for various reasons but mostly it has been good. I have loved being at my studio desk. I am so grateful.

My miniature framed lady came home and is so pleasing in her glorious frame. I managed to squeeze in two more blockmounts this week past. I just have one left to go, to reach my mini goal of 10. All of them piled on top of each other are so cohesive and it is rather satisfying to see them altogether. Can’t wait to see this stack finished.

SOLD - ©JeanneMarieArt 2022

Like everything else I have been painting hands rusty and boy getting my eye back in, in this department has been interesting but also most satisfying. Watch this space to seeing more hands in my work. I can’t wait to keep exploring this space with expressive, quirky hands.

SOLD

SOLD

I have also spent months purging different zones in my house. I have been clearing out at least one refuse bag a week and this has been going on all year already. If I haven’t touched it or if it has dust on it, it’s gone. I’m being ruthless. Clearing away has felt like medicine for me.

That’s when I came across my unpainted Matryoshka dolls, a project I took on years ago with Annie Hamman. She finished two exquisite sets but I never got to mine, the enormity of the job overwhelmed me with each doll getting smaller. Not sure why exactly, I clearly am a fan of miniature work.

Again, I decided if I don’t do it now, it’s going in the trash…. so this is where I am so far… For the first time I’m thinking I might actually do it.

Wish me luck.

©JeanneMarieArt 2022

T-52Days - Let the countdown begin...

Andrea Hiltbrunner photo credit

For a long time, it felt like this day may never come.

Is it me or have we all been holding our breaths a little about international travel? It feels like I’ve been doing that for a couple of years already. Travel feels different and harder and definitely more challenging, right? But right now, I’m taking one moment at a time.

I am not sure I did it my last trip to Europe, but I usually keep a running blog of my days leading up to traveling.

I was thinking about doing the same this trip, more than ever, travel feels like a sacred pilgrimage to far away places that are coming with extreme effort and costs. I want to take note of every nuance and moment this trip.

So today, I finally finalised my ticket and now it feels properly real… let the countdown begin…

#30DaysofPaintingEveryday....

I am about two weeks into my plan to show up to #painteveryday for the next #30days and although I am moving slowly, it’s going well and I am already starting to feel some shiftings happening each time I show up #inmystudio. I am not locking into anything specific, just allowing each moment to lead me onto the next and hopefully when I look back I would have gained some ground. Walking intentionally always brings gifts.

©JeanneMarieArt 2022

I have been working on this exquisitely odd pair and loving every brushstroke. If you know anything about me, you know I kind of love oddness and right now, I am just allowing them to lead the way with their quirkiness. I know they might change a 100 times before I call them done so once again, I am not locking into anything yet. Their big beautiful hands are calling me and I can’t wait to head there next.

I am opening a new canvas and starting new works almost everyday, whether I finish or not, isn’t the point but showing up is and that feels like medicine.

SOLD - ©JeanneMarieArt 2022

I have 7 miniature blockmounts completed and have 3 left to go to meet my little target of 10 and I also got this tiny works framed up this week. She arrives home on Monday and I can’t wait.

I am including painting clay into my #30days of painting and to be honest I haven’t painted clay for around 6 months and I was a little nervous but the love returned in an instant. I can’t wait to finish her.

The past 2 weeks have passed so quickly and I’m feeling a measure of joy to be back in my practice.

©JeanneMarieArt 2022

Inspiration...

I have been deep in a listening space the past 6 months.

I listen whenever I can… while I walk, work, paint and drive. I know listening isn’t for everyone but it’s gold for me…. it’s the way my brain works. I mean, how precious it is to have someone read to you.

My heart and mind, expanded.

Here are a few that I’m still busy unpacking… Brene’s new book came at the exact right time. Finding the “language for the Human Experience” was so incredibly grounding, having the language to explain what it is we are going through, is everything. The Untethered Soul… was recommended to me and honestly was one of the most profound books I have ever listened to and I hope I can lean into the principles, perhaps a life handbook. I will need to listen to it again.

As most of you know, I do a Julia Cameron book every year and although I’ve done this book before, redoing it right at this time has allowed me to go deeper into some of the concepts and the synchronicity of it, on point. Mind you, I can honestly say that about all the books I’ve been working through lately.

The next few books on my list…. Living Untethered, a new book from Michael A. Singer and I can’t wait to dive in. If you aren’t familiar with Susan Cain, she wrote Quiet, the Power of Introverts in a World that can’t stop Talking, a good few years ago and this is her next book, Bitter-sweet. I listened to her Ted Talk recently on the subject, brilliant.

Don’t you find sharing book titles so deeply vulnerable and personal… revealing elements of our minds and souls.

A sense of belonging...

Lately, I have been thinking a lot about this concept of {belonging}.

The closer I look at it, the more I’m understanding this innate need in all of us to feel connected to something meaningful and this need we all have to feel like we {belong} to the people in our lives and to something that we do, that feeds our souls and how lucky we are when these two worlds collide. How this makes us feel significant in this world that ultimately leads us to feel loved…. no more than feel, but to be loved.

The more I have taken time to pause this year, the more I have been learning that there is nothing more important than the sense of {belonging} to oneself and perhaps to that of nature. The pulling I have to nature has got stronger and stronger as I’ve got older. I do think {belonging} to oneself requires intention and care. Reconnecting can take time… I am so grateful I’ve taken some time to reconnect to my mind, body and soul. I couldn’t create too much during this time, I needed the space to explore the interior landscape of my mind and heart and I needed to do that privately. I’ve been creating daily for 10 years so it was very difficult to allow myself to take this time for myself but I do think it was important work.

I think for the first time in long time, I’m feeling grounded with a deep sense of knowing and understanding of myself and what’s going on around me and perhaps even where I am going next.

On that note… during this month of June, my daily creative journey turned 10!!!

I celebrated quietly with that sweet significant memory of me leaping out of bed and declaring that from that day going forward I would keep bank hours #inmystudio which I did and I am still not sure how 10 years passed like as if no time passed at all. It has completely been a journey of love.

I have been so utterly grateful for everyday and every moment I have spent creating and so grateful to all of you who have journeyed with me.

I know I have been much quieter on the socials the last 6 months, the world of FB and Instagram certainly have changed over the past 10 years and I’ve been researching how to navigate it all in a way that aligns with my practice and my values. It’s not an easy one. Still not sure how to move forward with it but I am thinking about blogging more and sharing more deeply here. Please let me know your thoughts.

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watch this space…

Keep your eye out here for some giveaways I’ll be running soon to celebrate my 10 years of daily creativity. I’m working on some special things to share soon.

Can’t wait.

Orvieto is calling....

For the past two months my Instagram and Facebook have been flooded with special friends visiting Europe again. But more specifically, Italy and even more so… Orvieto. My heart has been skipping a beat at the thought of traveling again and heading back in September.

Michelle ran all her Spring classes in Orvieto successfully and that makes me so hopeful for the fall classes, when I will be teaching again. I know some folks have been apprehensive about travelling esp. to Europe but I’ve been thrilled to see so many taking the leap, going and loving it. So far the reports have been brilliant and uplifting and I can’t tell you how thrilled I am about this news.

Here is a little video from Michelle, our host for Adventures In Italy chatting about travelling in Orvieto. Please shout if you have any questions or concerns.

Please feel free to follow the link to sign up and join us in this magnificent creative pilgrimage that will fill your creative wells for the next two years.

I will be spending the next bit booking tickets and planning my trip.

The excitement is real.

Much Love, Jeanne-Marie

#InMyStudio... #30DaysofPainting...

I created a new space for myself this year, as you know it’s something I tend to do when I end a season of something. The shifting of energy in my space helps me find new creative energy. If it’s not something you tend to do, I do recommend the practice. It helps so much especially if you are a little stuck or overwhelmed about creating. I am smitten with my new space. My re-entry to daily creativity has been slower than most years and I feel humbled and most quiet at the moment and of course, I am not without some fear. I have been working on that. If you have been following me for years you will know I am good with projects, self motivated projects like #30days, #100days or #365days of something or other. I am wanting to get myself back to a place of flow with my paint, my paintbrushes and my beautiful big canvases. So I have decided to show up bank hours for the next #30days painting. Nothing specific, just painting and see what comes up. It might be the same piece for the next 30days or various works but more importantly no rules.

Just me and my paint, brushes and canvases.

SOLD “My Dear Girl” - 15.5” x 19.5” on watercolor paper, blockmounted.

I have also been working on a miniature collection of blockmount paintings, usually little warm down paintings at the end of a painting session with left over paint and big brushes. It’s a wonderful way to stay unattached to outcome, and also not wasting paint. I am trying to grow this little collection to around 10-15 pieces. They will be available soon. Some have been booked already so please feel free to reach out and put your red dot on one. Hopefully share more about that soon.

Today was day one of my #30Days and I managed to do another two blockmounts. I will be sharing here more regularly over the next #30days of my painting journey. I will be on a tight schedule of working the first 6 hours of each day painting. I will be turning my phone off for this and I hope this commitment to my practice will bring me back to a beautiful place of flow.

I sure have missed that incredible feeling with beautiful souls flowing right out of my brush.

©JeanneMarieArt 2022

Filling my creative LoveTank...

When my creative energy is low I know I have to do things to woo my creative inner child out of hiding. One of the ways I do that is with creative play dates.

That way it also helps me feel like I’m learning and so I don’t get so bored with myself or my practice.

So I started this year off taking a few classes in and around my city. I took a sun-dyeing (Cyanotype) class and a polaroid emulsion lift class and they were heavenly. The beautiful thing about these classes, is the permission it gives one to play. Isn’t it funny how we feel we need permission? Maybe it it has something to do with adulting but either way, I got to visit two exquisite buildings in our city, an old Herbert Baker building in the old silk district of town and a stunning boutique cafe which I know I’ll visit again.

Capturing elements of my garden in blue on different substrates - cotton, pebbles, Japanese washi paper and watercolor paper.

Pebble from Sedgefield with an impression of my Persian Silk tree bloom. Combining these two worlds in blue dye, priceless.

The beauty of this is that now I get to experiment at home. I have been testing different substrates and also working hard to get my chemical ratios correct. Each yield has its out outcome and with our winter sun, there are limitations. Exploring and playing is awesome and the results encouraging.

This was the most pleasing little class - I need to get some more equipment if I want to play more with this technique at home. I am definitely keen to set that up.

I can totally see how doing this will add to my creative play and works and I can’t wait to continue learning and playing. With winter now in full swing I have a Mushroom foraging class coming up…

Winter has arrived...

At last….

But more importantly, so have our rains. You know this is what I am always waiting for and to be honest, they have arrived a little late this year and that always makes me a little anxious. I am happy to say we have had a few back to back rainy days and they have been wonderful and I’m so grateful. We have a high water table in our area during winter so our garden is usually saturated all winter long and I have beautiful creatures like moss and mushrooms blooming everywhere. It also means I can now use my new queen size throw.

I have spent the last few months crocheting this beautiful throw. It held me during my down studio time and it held Riley too, who never leaves my side these days. I feel like some of my life has been woven into the fibers of each treble stitch, as it helped me process much of my life the past 6 months.

It started off as a small granny square and I kept going around and around until it was queen size. Every time I think I’m done, I sneak on another row. I have loved this journey with my granny’s old crochet needle and I have to say Riley loved the journey with me too. I think he might think this is his blanket now.

As for these colors - I’m stoked.

Italy - Madre della Citta

Have you heard… the soft calling and sweet whispers of this beautiful place…

I can’t tell you how moved I am to have been invited back to share creativity and my love for Orvieto in art form through painting, clay and beautiful photography. Capturing the feminine essence of La Madre in everything we do.

I know life and the world at the moment feels like such an uncertain place and time but I know one thing that remains constant - is our need for art and to create art and to do that in community. There is something so nurturing and soft about Orvieto and about creating in the upper room of the monastery together.

I hope you will consider creating with me this September in this incredibly sacred place. Please follow the link in my bio for more details or message me directly if you would like to chat more about it. It’s a topic I adore chatting about.

Stealing moments...

SOLD Inner Growth - 6”x8” Stretched canvas

I have started a few new paintings for this year. I am trying to be mindful with finishing these works before I continue with new work. That might be challenging for me because I do love having multiple projects on the go. This is the first little one I’ve completed so far and it felt good.

I am painting rusty but as I shift the paint around and work with my brushes, the longing to return to my practice is deep and finally starting to feel more ready. As some of my energy returns I am finding myself at my easel with less resistance, which is delightful right now.

I have decided to take a bit of a break from filming for the next bit. I worked out that I filmed and edited for around 9 months of last year as well as creating a massive clay body of works and I think it’s part of why I burnt out.

I am on a mission to look after myself a little more mindfully this year. And I think there is no better way than focusing on my practice and painting big beautiful canvases as I heal.

©JeanneMarieArt 2022

The gift of sacred spaces....

I took a whole month off from my yoga practice in December. Most of my teachers were away. I tried to do some self practice but mostly I just rested. I think it’s good for the body too. I have been returning slowly to my practice.

It really is one of my great loves in this life.

I have a little weekly yoga routine and I’m so grateful I get to move and practice in sacred spaces and work with the most incredible teachers. Some of which I have been working with for years now. The gift of practice and repetition is not wasted on me. The best part of having my constant routine is the element of community I’ve found in these spaces that comes from moving and flowing together every week. It’s about finding the small connections especially in a world that has felt so disconnect lately.

I am so humbled by this.