Catching up...in an artistic way

Hi everybody!I know I've been bad this week and practically ignored the blog, so sorry about that and thank you to all of you who emailed me to ask what the heck was going on. :DIt's been an unusually heavy week of commitments and bookings and my usual photography and blog time seems to have evaporated. But I've just come back form a wonderful couple hours at the North Vancouver Opus Art Supply store, where I gave a painting on ephemera demo to around 20 wonderful women.I answered questions, told them everything that I manged to figure out so far, and passed around my sketchbooks and pieces of art.I love that. I love it when artists share their craft with other artists.We all had to start somewhere...right?Chloe sensed that I was a little nervous about this demo and so she sent me a beautiful little video this morning with a brilliant pep talk...in that, "You've got this mom!" way.She also said that something like five planets are in retrograde, so anything's possible.You all know she's in Japan for the year, don't you? But you may not know that I write her postcards every three/four days and mail them to her.Actually, I don't just write her postcards, I make them too. Usually they are collaged, sometimes painted or a combination. I'm having so much fun making them and sending them off, and I'm pretty good at the Japanese Kana character writing system for the addy.Chloe looks forward to a couple weekly postcards. She says they make her happy and some of them she carries around in her bag for inspiration and strength.Speaking of our girl, I know you all probably miss seeing her smiling face here on my blog, but you can always catch up with her on her blog, (now that she's writing it again because I threatened not to renew her domain if she didn't [joking, but only just]), and you can also see her beautiful videos on her YouTube channel. I'm so very proud of her beautiful photography and cinematography skills.In other news, I led another therapy journal course.I'm constantly amazed at the work these wonderful and self described "non-artistic" people create.It's so good and so positive and happy it just takes my breath away.I also took part in a vision board workshop.That was amazing fun.Here is a beautiful and very meaningful board that one person made,and here is another's. I think they will love looking into their vision boards and finding terrific inspiration and meaning.As for me, I decided to do something a little different.I've made vision boards before, but the truth is that I don't really have room to put up a vision board somewhere and contemplate it, so I decided to make a vision journal in an old Moleskin which was kicking around the studio.Here is the first page spread, to do with how I like to see myself.This next page spread is to do with the direction I would like some of my art to go.One side......and the other.The next spread of pages has to do with my childhood love and discipline of figure skating for 14 years. It's to remind me to go skating as often as possible.And the next spread has to do with my flamenco dancing. Must get back to that again!There are more pages but I'll save them for another time or else you'll be here all week! LOLThe way I see it, a vision journal will always stay on my desk where I can turn the pages and leave them open to something I wish to be inspired by, and I can pack it in my suitcase if I wish. That will work really well for me. Much better than a board would right now.And my last bit of news: I'm working my way thru The Artist's Way in a small, safe group, led by two fantastic student art therapists working on their masters.It's a little bit abridged, since we only have 8 weeks to complete the 12 week course, but I love it. I have had my copy since 1990-something, (probably 1993), and I have read thru it and started it several times only to give up around chapter 6. (with the exception of the morning pages...those I write for months and months on)I think that I'm perfectly capable of substituting the words "universe" or "good orderly direction" for the word "God" in my mind, but around chapter 6 the book seems too heavy into a Christian dogma and scripture, and I have terrific trouble with this. But with the help and support of my group, this time I managed to push thru that chapter and everything's fine now.Well, that's about all for now guys. I'm running a workshop at Opus in North Vancouver this coming Thursday evening where you can come and paint on some ephemera with me and I'll tell you everything I know. We'll paint a robin, but I'll bring plenty of paper if you want to paint your own thing. I think that there are a couple more spaces, and if not, I'm sure they can squeeze you in. Come paint with me if you can. :D Check out muraledesign for latest styles in artwork and other wall paintings.